Real Food Resources

Chana Dal and Roti (Indian flatbread) from Leanne Brown's Free Cookbooks.

I am writing this blog post ahead of time in an effort to keep from skipping out on writing during busy weeks.  Today, I was surfing the internet and I came across a website that is run by a food studies scholar named Leanne Brown.  She has generously put together two completely free cookbooks on her website which look phenomenal.

Brown's newest book called Good and Cheap, is a collection of real food recipes designed for families on SNAP (aka food stamps).  Don't get me wrong though, these recipes are not just for those on SNAP.  They are healthy, simple, REAL FOOD RECIPES that anyone can make.  The added bonus is that they can be made for very little money.  In fact, according to the author, these recipes fit into a $4 per day food budget.

The author apparently wrote this cookbook for her capstone project while getting her Masters degree.  After it received positive feedback online, she decided to launch a kickstarter campaign in order to get this book into the hands of those who need it and may not have access to a computer.  How wonderful is that?!?!?!  The author states on her kickstarter page:
      "It bothered me that so many ideas for fixing the food system leave out the poor: it seemed like they didn't have a voice in the food movement. I wanted to create a resource that would promote the joy of cooking and show just how delicious and inspiring a cheap meal can be if you cook it yourself."

I agree with her wholeheartedly.  The poor are almost always left out of the discussion and often, they are the ones most affected by "junk" food because it is so cheap.  Have I mentioned how awesome I think this is yet?  

Rolling out the Roti.  

My absolute favorite part of all of this though, is the fact that the author is addressing eating real, wholesome food on a budget, while utilizing less meat and more filling vegetables and fruits.  As we all know, I am a huge proponent of at least being conscious of your meat intake, while substituting fresh fruits and vegetables.  But, I think that the most important thing you can do for your health and the health of your family is to cook your own food from scratch.  There is no better way to find out exactly what is going into your body, and this helps you to make healthful decisions.  

The first cookbook that Brown wrote, From Scratch, is also a great looking read.  She says on her website that "From Scratch is a vegetarian cookbook intended for people just becoming comfortable in their own kitchens".  Most of you may have noticed that I am very comfortable in the kitchen, but I still thoroughly enjoy the recipes and ideas that she has presented here.  Again, all of these recipes utilize real, whole food ingredients to make delicious looking, nutrient rich meals.   

Closeup of the dal with kale stems.

The great thing about both of these books is that Brown explains how to cook for yourself.  She gives ideas for substitutions and teaches you how to make things from what you have in your own fridge or pantry.  This is super important because, too often, people try to change their eating habits too drastically, which, in turn, often leads to failure.  When people learn to look at a recipe and substitute the ingredients that they like, they will find it easier to stick to a real food plan.      

I have to mention that the photographs in both of Brown's books are amazing!  After looking through these books, my mouth is literally watering.  It might also be dinner time, but the fact remains, I want to try out every single one of these recipes.  Well, maybe not the roasted chicken or the pulled pork, but almost all of them.    

Chana Dal cooking away.

You can download both of Brown's cookbooks for free here.  If you feel so inclined and can afford it, I encourage you to check out her kickstarter campaign here as well.  I hope you all enjoy her cookbooks as much as I do.  

Note: I made Brown's version of chana dal with spinach and roti last night for dinner and it was phenomenal.  Even though I made a rookie mistake and used yellow split peas instead of actual chana dal which is apparently a split chickpea.  Whoa!  Anyways, my pictures are not nearly as pretty as hers, but I have included them in this post for some added color.  The only substitution I made was to add some extra water and to use kale instead of spinach because that is what I had this week.  In case you are wondering, the recipe for the chana dal can be found in From Scratch on page 67 and the recipe for roti, the Indian flatbread can be found in her other book, Good and Cheap on page 104.    

~Donna