Thanks to Lorna Jane and Fit Approach I was given an amazing cookbook by Lorna Jane Clarkson, NOURISH to review for you guys. I’ll start by saying it’s way more than a cookbook, it’s more of a lifestyle book. It’s full of unique and nutritious recipes but it’s also got a ton of advice on how to form healthy habits and create a happy and healthy lifestyle.
While the recipes are enticing, it’s the tips around the recipes I’m really enjoying. There is a full page dedicated to what fruits and veggies are in season throughout the year, there is info on hydration, super foods, gardening, alkalinity, digestion and being happy. The quotes from Lorna Jane that are scattered throughout the book are encouraging, it makes me want to make healthy decisions.
Aside from all the advice and healthy tips the book is filled to the brim with unique recipes. I’ve read a lot of cookbooks and food blogs and these recipes are unlike others I’ve seen, many including ingredients I’ve never cooked with. While a challenge to find some of the ingredients (I spent major money at Whole Foods), I’ll probably use the cookbook more as inspiration instead of strictly following the recipes.
The recipe section is separated into breakfast tonics and elixirs, breakfast food (energy bars, salads, granolas, omelets, etcs), smoothies, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts.
To properly review this cookbook I whipped up two recipes. I went for the quicker recipes as I was short on time, but I’m looking forward to diving deeper into this book for more substantial recipes.
Recipe 1: Balance Elixir
[oops, I deleted the finished product photos I took! Just picture a white smoothie :)]
Ingredients:
- Almond Milk
- 2 Seeded and chopped fresh dates
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 12 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Technically you should use homemade almond milk but I didn’t have time and I used vanilla extract because I couldn’t locate vanilla bean paste at the store. Will have to do another search for that.
What to do:
- Blend on high speed until smooth (2 servings)
Clearly a very simple recipe! It was a tasty little wakeup smoothie and something I’d happily make again.
Recipe 2: Cacao, Chia and Hazelnut Protein Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups hazelnuts
- 1 cup dried seeded prunes
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup brown rice protein powder
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon black chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder, extra
I made a slight edit, instead of prunes I used dates (because I forgot to buy prunes) and for my protein powder I used Perfect Fit Protein (and ignore the goji berries in the photo, I thought I’d use them but I didn’t). I added almond milk and honey, more on that in the description below.
What to do:
- Process the nuts, prunes, coconut, protein powder, syrup, cacao powder and chia seeds in a food processor until combined.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls, then roll them in the extra cacao powder, place on a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
The process was very easy but when I finished processing my ingredients they were very crumbly and I had a hard time forming the balls. I added a drop of honey and then a bit of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and then everything worked perfectly. I think because I skipped the prunes I was missing some of the stickiness.
These proteins balls are DELICIOUS. I’m really obsessed with them. They were super easy to make, all-natural and are the perfect energy boost or post-workout snack. I’m keeping them in the freezer to ensure I don’t eat them all in one sitting. There are some similar recipes from the cookbook (ginger balls, honey and sesame spirulina balls) that I will be trying next.
Overall, this book is really interesting and an educational read. For those looking to make healthy edits to their lifestyle, I recommend you checking it out. The only con to this book is some of the recipes seem complicated or include strange/expensive ingredients I don’t already own, however, I’m looking forward to challenging myself in the kitchen and don’t mind spending a little money for nutritious ingredients.
Interested in learning more about NOURISH? Want a chance to win your own copy of the NOURISH Cookbook? Join the Sweat Pink Community and Lorna Jane for a #LiveLoveNourish Twitter Party on 7/9 at 9pm EST, RSVP HERE. Chat with ya then!
*I received compensation for this review but all opinions are my own!*
