Nina Olsson is a world-recognized food blogger. She’s a leader in a very prominent food wave: vegetarian/vegan/gluten‑free. In this just-published cookbook, she presents her crafted culinary approach with recipes from around the world. These are comfort food recipes, some simple and some complex.
The recipes have been developed so you simply are not going to miss the meat. How could you in a Rainbow Pad Thai, made with carrots, avocado, tofu, cabbage and scallions with a spicy peanut sauce.
When you see a book about a meal in a bowl, you might think “fast food.” And, to be sure this book has some ideas that you can fashion in short time. With delicious results.
But I find intriguing the complex recipes in this book. Ones that take some time and effort yet give you incredible return for your dedication. A korma is an Indian dish where meat or vegetables are braised with yogurt or cream. Here you will find Royal Korma accompanied by Raita and Onion and Apple Pickle. The korma itself is carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower braised in coconut cream or milk. There is a spice mix with 13 ingredients including chile peppers, cilantro, ginger, almonds, tomato paste, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, cum, cinnamon and pepper. The raita is, thankfully, simpler: just yogurt, cucumber, cider vinegar and mint. The accompanying pickle is made of red onion, sweet apple, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, and beet.
That’s a long description of a dish, but I hope you could work your way through it. It may be the longest in the book but it is surely typical of the care taken by Nina in developing these recipes and presented them to us. She knows that when we see “vegetarian” many of us pause. Will the food really be good? Yes, vegetarian can be and here it is “very yes.” These recipes are packed with flavor, texture and surely some wonder.
It’s not all just “bowl” main course dishes in Bowls of Goodness. You’ll find breakfast ideas, soups, salad, sides, sweet ideas, smoothies and serious bowl dishes featuring grains, noodles and pasta. Here’s a list to tempt you:
Kasha with Rhubarb and Peanut Butter
Rose and Pistachio Granola [think baklava for breakfast!]
Sweet Potato, Cilantro and Coconut Soup
Soup of Roasted Eggplant and Peppers with Thyme and Lemon Fraiche
Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Prosecco, Thyme and Rawmesan [hemp seeds!]
Japanese Rice Bowl with Eggplant, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Quick-Pickled Cabbage
Watermelon Poke Bowl
The recipes here just different enough, just pretty enough in the many photographs, that you are going to flip the pages and stop. Stop often. This weekend, Suzi and I are doing that Sweet Potato, Cilantro and Coconut Soup.
If you are on a diet, want to eat light, and immediately get bored with simplistic food, then I know Bowls of Goodness is a volume that will delight you. Post diet, I bet you keep on using it.
If you want to expand your portfolio of comfort foods, then beginning your day with that Rose and Pistachio Granola seems a brilliant dish. Brilliance is, in fact, the operative word for all of Bowls of Goodness. Goodness awaits you.