Cookbook Review: The Oh She Glows Cookbook

I love Oh She Glows.

I discovered this plethora of plant-based deliciousness several years ago, when I was avoiding animal products in my diet. Her website has concise recipes, beautiful food photography, cute commentary ... and the recipes DELIVER! There are so many recipes that I have bookmarked on my computer, and I refer to them frequently. Here are a few of my favorites:

• High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
• Two Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies
• Curried Lentil Soup

Angela Liddon is a self-trained chef, whom found herself seeking inventive and delicious ways to incorporate nutritious plant-based meals into her life. She had previously struggled with an eating disorder and chronic IBS, and had overcome these challenges and created her blog. Years later, she is now an author - and a mommy-to-be (her pregnancy updates are pretty darn cute - check them out here).

Thusly, I had high expectations for the cookbook. I was expecting the same beautiful photos, amazing recipes, and catchy commentary.

Visual Appeal

Beautiful photography. Throughout the book.

I wanted to eat the meals right off the page. Everything looks delectable!

Recipe Ease

I made two recipes for two separate occasions. The first was Luxurious Tomato-Basil Pasta ...

... and the second was Glowing Strawberry-Mango Guacamole.

The recipes are laid out in a simple manner, with clear instructions, and with tips for those who might want other alternatives. For the guacamole, I did not opt to add jalapeno!

Replication

The photo:

The reality:

The end results were not as glamorous as the photos from the cookbook, but they were attractive and smelled tasty. That was also the pasta sauce before the actual pasta was added - I promise it was much prettier when it was all completed!!

Flavor

Oops!

The Luxurious Tomato-Basil Pasta was so delicious, that my dinner partner and myself inhaled it before any photos could be taken. It was really that good. Creamy texture, flavorful, filling. I may have even had seconds!

The Guacamole was prepared the evening before a work potluck/BBQ. I prepared all of the ingredients and tossed them together before I headed for the gathering the next day.

It was a hit. I was told by several co-workers that they enjoyed the mango guacamole/salsa, which is an impressive feat considering the amount of cookies/cupcakes/dip, etc that was available.

Since I had doubled the recipe, I had some leftovers. I used them atop salad as a "dressing", and it was FANTASTIC.

Taste Test

The pasta was enjoyed by my dining partner, although he added some chili peppers to it. He tends to be fond of spicy foods, so I think it's more an ode to his own personal tastes than him disliking the pasta. 

The salsa was enjoyed by my co-workers. As well, I shared some with a friend who was raving that he enjoyed it - eating it by the spoonful, or with chips!

I continued to be impressed with the Oh She Glows cookbook, as I continue to try other recipes with great success. For anyone who's never been (you're seriously missing out!) - check out her blog as well: Oh She Glows

HIGHLY recommended, especially for anyone looking to incorporate more nutritious, plant-based meals into their repertoire that also tastes fantastic.