What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook – review and giveaway!

What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook by Hope Eagan and Amy Cataldo is full of tasty recipes in a convenient layout.

The authors acknowledge the fact most people just don’t have the time to spend planning, buying, and cooking meals, so these recipes are easy to fix and tasty to boot.

With ingredient options for variety and quantity ranges for sweeteners to allow for personal preferences, this cookbook was put together with lots of consideration.

Encourages organic food choices; whole grains over processed; high-quality meat in smaller amounts less often rather than commercial meat with each meal; yes to sea salt; avoiding GMO foods, antibiotics, and hormones in your food.

Endorsed by Rex Russell, author of What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, this cookbook follows these three principles:

Principle 1: Eat only substances God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food. Lots of vegetables in these recipes since most of us do not eat enough. Variety is key!

Principle 2: As much as possible, eat foods as they were created – before they are changed or converted into something humans think might be better. The authors are motivated to avoid processed foods and use as many whole grains and organic ingredients as possible. At the same time, they are realistic given most people’s lack of time for cooking everything from scratch, and use canned beans and tomatoes in these recipes.

Principle 3: Avoid food addictions. Don’t let any food or drink become your god. This is not hard to do if you follow the first two principles. Desserts are included, but they are healthy versions using honey or fruit or maple syrup.

Most recipes in What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook include a section called “Divine Design” where nutritional facts are shared – God’s amazing design behind your food. Variations are present in most recipes, as well as a “Love Thy Leftovers” section that suggests you turn your Basic Cooked Rice into Fried Rice.

What’s Inside – Brief Run-down

After a “seal of approval” from Dr. Rex Russell and an Introduction, there is a handy “Getting Started” section perfect for those new to healthy eating which includes a list of ingredients used the most in this book. Then we get to the nitty-gritty – the recipes!

• Chapter 1: Vegetables, Dressings and Sauces
• Chapter 2: Grains and Potatoes
• Chapter 3: Fish, Poultry, Beef and Lamb
• Chapter 4: Meatless Main Dishes
• Chapter 5: Soup, Stew and Chili
• Chapter 6: Breakfast
• Chapter 7: Desserts and Fruit
• Chapter 8: Appetizers and Snacks
• Appendix 1: Leviticus Chapter 11
• Appendix B: List of Clean and Unclean Animals
• Index
• author’s stories

Looking Closer -  Getting Started

This section in the front of What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook shares the authors thoughts behind the recipes. They suggest using canned or bottled items for convenience, but with the wise warning to check labels for God’s ingredients, not man’s.

Some Nonperishable Pantry Items the authors recommend: applesauce, beans, tuna, dried fruit, extra virgin olive oil, lentils, nuts, rolled oats, sea salt, honey, and broth. Although the authors suggest boxed broth over canned brother, a future edition should include instructions for making your own chicken broth since it’s so easy and how they did it in Bible times.

Some of the Perishable Pantry Items suggested are: fruit spread, butter (they strongly advice against using hydrogenated items), cheese, eggs (suggesting free-range if possible), lemons, milk (even from nuts), yogurt, tamari, and whole-grain bread.

On their “must have” list for spices: basil, chili pepper, cinnamon, cumin, dill, oregano, parsley, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme.

A handy list of equipment to have on hand includes the basics, plus handy items such as a food processor (which is a basic to me!) and a vegetable/rice steamer.

Looking Closer – Chapter 1 – Vegetables, Dressings and Sauces

I like that the chapter pages list all the recipes in the different sections included. Here are some of the recipes included in each section of Chapter 1:

• Salad recipes: Broccoli Peanut Slaw, Tomato Salad, Lemon Herb Bean Salad
• Cooked Vegetables: Maple Walnut Acorn Squash, Garlic Ginger Broccoli
• Dressings and Sauces: Raspberry Vinaigrette, Ranch Dressing, Pesto
• See also: this section contains similar-ingredient recipes that fit best elsewhere in the book. For this chapter that would be Gazpacho and Spinach Balls.

Each chapter includes an intro page with some background on the topic. Some of the thoughts shared for Chapter 1: Vegetables are good, although “we do not agree that God allows us to eat only plant-based foods.” The easiest way to eat veggies is in sandwiches, rice dishes, and casseroles.

Each chapter has a themed approach to the three Principles described above. This chapter shares:

• Principle 1: Thank God for giving you so many vegetables with so many tastes, smells, textures, colors, and benefits
• Principle 2: God gave you vegetables – including the peels – for your health. Keeping the skins on, choosing organic produce, and eating vegetables raw or only lightly steamed will help you reap the most of God’s intended benefits.
• Principle 3: Vegetables are the one food that is hard to eat too much of If you find yourself idolizing them, consider yourself blessed – but repent anyhow.

Looking Closer – Broccoli Peanut Slaw

Doesn’t this sound delicious? I thought I’d give a closer look at this recipe, since it shares some nice variation ideas and nutrition facts.

The title is easily read on the top of the page, with the number of servings marked underneath.

Easy to follow, the ingredients are listed on the left side, using dividing lines that correlate with the easy-to-read instructions on the right. Most recipes have five short steps, the most you’ll see is seven or eight steps.

Broccoli Peanut Slaw is made using shredded broccoli and carrots, some onion, and peanuts and raisins. I can almost taste it The dressing is a mixture of olive oil, honey, cider vinegar, celery seed, salt, mustard, and pepper.

Divine Design: “Every two minutes another woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. But God is the giver of abundant hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). He does not leave you defenseless. Add this custom-designed warrior to your daily veggie intake to use its powerful cancer-fighting attributes.”

Variations:

• Substitute 8 cups pre-shredded broccoli slaw or coleslaw mix for the broccoli and carrots, or substitute shredded cabbage for the broccoli.
• Substitute 3/4 cup sunflower seeds for the peanuts.
• Finely dice the broccoli instead of shredding it.
• Experiment by adding fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro or basil.

Love Thy Leftovers: “Add Basic Cooked Chicken (page 74) to leftover Broccoli Peanut Slaw. -or- Combine 1/2 cup leftover Broccoli Peanut Slaw and 1/4 cup Basic Cooked Rice (page 39) to make an easy lunch sandwich or wrap.

No photos, keeping the focus on the recipes themselves. The only thing I’d wish for is a spiral binding, but I do find that it lays pretty flat on its own.

Makes for a Great Gift

Everyone has someone that is hard to buy for. Maybe they would appreciate What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook. You can find this book on amazon, or in any bookstore. You can read more about this book on BSAcookbook.com. This book is published by Heart of Wisdom.

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