If I were going to make a cookbook focusing on a single grain, I might write Rice, Rice, Baby, Wheat Pray Love, or Corn Star. None of these would be cookbooks you’d want to read.
A cookbook you do want is OATrageous Oatmeals, by Kathy Hester. Kathy is a vegan cook and the author of The Vegan Slow Cooker and The Great Vegan Bean Book, just to name two. I met her this summer on a tour of a pepper farm, and was lucky enough to see her again last month at the Food Blog Forum in Asheville, North Carolina.
OATrageous Oatmeals is Kathy’s newest offering and is available for preorder ahead of the September 16 launch date.
The cookbook contains dozens of Kathy’s tried and true recipes that go far beyond a morning bowl of porridge. There are recipes for meat replacements, grain milks, pancakes, smoothies, granolas, soups, savory entrees, desserts, as well as things whipped up for pet treats or a beauty treatment.
Before reading Kathy’s cookbook, I never imagined there were so many uses for this humble grain.
I loved the gorgeous full-page photographs by Kate Lewis that accompany almost every recipe. I need pictures with a recipe! I swear it helps me cook better.
Also, the recipes are totally vegan, and include many soy-free and gluten-free recipes.
While an oat in the field is naturally gluten free, oats can be contaminated with gluten when they are processed in a facility that also processes wheat.
If you are celiac, Kathy recommends a brand like Bob’s Red Mill, that process its oats in a manner safe for celiacs.
Want to test drive one of the recipes?
Here’s Kathy’s recipe for Chickpea Veggie Soup, perfect for the cooler fall weather. Recipe courtesy of OATrageous Oatmeals by Kathy Hester and printed with permission of Page Street Publishing
CHICKPEA VEGGIE SOUP RECIPE
by Kathy Hester from OATrageous Oatmeals
gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free option*
This healthy soup tastes like you slaved over a hot stove all day but comes together fast enough to eat any weeknight. Sweet potatoes, carrots and kale make this delicious. Using steel-cut oats as your grain of choice makes the soup thick and hearty too!
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil (*use broth or water instead)
1/4 cup (50 g) minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
11/2 cups (270 g) diced sweet potato
1 cup (110 g) chopped carrots
1 can (15 oz [425 g]) chickpeas
6 cups (1420 ml) water
1/2 cup (40 g) steel-cut oats
4 tablespoons (24 g) nutritional yeast, divided
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary
11/2 cups (270 g) chopped kale or other green like chard or collards
salt and pepper, to taste
Add the olive oil to a soup pot and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add onions and saute’ for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the sweet potato, carrots, chickpeas and water, then turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, turn to low and add the oats, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the nutritional yeast, marjoram, smoked paprika, basil, thyme and ground rosemary. Cover and simmer until the oats are thoroughly cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Add in the kale and the other 2 tablespoons (30 g) of nutritional yeast. Cook about 5 to 10 minutes until the kale is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Per serving: Calories 177.6, protein 8.1 g, total fat 5.3 g, carbohydrates 24.2 g, sodium 41.9 mg, fiber 6.1 g
Hungry for more? I’m GIVING AWAY A COPY! Just leave me a comment below and on September 17th, I’ll use random.org to select a winner in the US or Canada. I’ll email you and you’ll have 48 hours to reply or I’ll draw another winner. Sounds good?
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This cookbook sounds perfect for me. I’m so glad I stopped by to read your review. Now I also want her other cookbooks!
I have obviously been eating too much Texas BBQ and Torchy’s chips and queso because my bad cholesterol has doubled the last two years. It’s time to eat more veggies. This would really help!
Oh, this sounds like a great recipe book! And, that soup looks delicious.
I collect cookbooks and really want this one too! I love that all the recipes are so clean and real 🙂
We LOVE this cookbook! The “Sausage” Oat Crumbles are amazing! I haven’t tried the Chickpea Veggie Soup yet but now I have to!
I love new cookbook finds–thank you so much for sharing! The soup sounds fabulous– might even add it to the meal plan for the week!
Sounds like a great cookbook! We are big OAT fans in this house.
Also, that first paragraph? Corn Star? Genius 🙂
I’m trying to eat healthier, so thank you so much for this recipe! 🙂