Cookbook Club: Love & Lemons Makes A Mean Kale Salad

Discover recipes that are crafted with spontaneity in mind, celebrating the possibility inherent in the beautiful fresh produce available throughout the seasons…

Whenever I’m feeling a dearth of inspiration in the kitchen, I know all I need to do to feel a fresh burst of creativity is crack open a new cookbook. New ideas hide between the pages, whether I choose to follow a recipe to the letter, or simply take note of the ingredients and put my own spin on what’s described; extra points if gorgeous images accompany each dish to entice me even further into whipping up something new. On rainy days, I’ve been known to put my novel or memoir of the moment aside in favor of curling up with a stack of cookbooks, pen, and notepad to mark down what I hope to soon make. Sometimes I actually manage to make the recipes on my list, sometimes I don’t, but I always walk away feeling full.

Recently The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio landed on my table, and it’s been the perfect addition for those busy fall days when making a meal from scratch just isn’t in the cards. Designed for impromptu cooking (or, perhaps impatient as the author describes), The Love & Lemons Cookbook is uniquely designed with the ingredients as the highlight for each chapter. Perhaps you arrived home from the farmers’ market with a gorgeous bunch of carrots, or a fat winter squash – there’s a chapter devoted to each (and more), and you’ll learn several different ways of preparing the vegetable in question, from breakfast to dessert. These recipes are crafted with spontaneity in mind, celebrating the possibility inherent in the beautiful fresh produce available throughout the seasons (avocados are so much more than toast, greens deserve more than the typical salad treatment).

Laid back and approachable, the recipes in The Love & Lemons Cookbook are ideal for any dietary preference. While the dishes are entirely vegetarian in nature, the author welcomes all – herbivores and omnivores alike – asking simply that the reader arrive with an appreciation for vegetables (and if the reader doesn’t arrive with that appreciation, I can guarantee they’ll develop one by the close of the book). Accompanied by mouthwatering photos, I can almost guarantee you’ll want to cook your way through this book. Need convincing? Try the sample recipe below! Filled with nourishing root vegetables and bright citrus, it’s the perfect way to support immunity and energy as the temperature drops and the days grow shorter.

Kale Salad With Roasted Root Veggies

From The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio…

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch cubes

2 small radishes, quartered

2 turnips, chopped

1 tsp + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 bunch kale

1 medium orange, ½ juiced, ½ cut into segments

1 tsp white wine vinegar

½ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (page 285)

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup sliced shallots

¼ cup hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts, toasted (page 285)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the sweet potatoes, radishes, and turnips on the baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the rosemary, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.

Tear the kale into 1-inch pieces, removing coarse stems. Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add orange juice, white wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Massage leaves until they soften and wilt down. Add orange segments, chickpeas, feta cheese, shallots, seeds or nuts, and red pepper flakes and toss. Set aside.

Let roasted veggies cool for a few minutes and then toss them into salad. Season to taste.

Find this recipe and more in The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio.

Do you have a favorite cookbook? Please share in the comments!

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Love the visuals. From what it sounds like, the cookbook is a great one!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

Anonymous
6 years ago

My favorite cookbook ever! Every recipe is health, fresh, and flavorful.

6 years ago

Thank you for sharing that lovely food recipe.I always love to eat these

type of food. This is one of my favorite dish.If you love these kind of

dishes then you may visit my website: https://www.tomatocafe.com which

is full of sweet dishes also.