Deliciously Ella Every Day

I LOVE easy recipes. If a cookbook has the words Quick, Simple or Everyday on the cover I’m all about it. Those of you that used to binge watch 30 Minute Meals know what I’m talking about. I want easy meals that I can make after work when I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking and I want them healthy. Enter Deliciously Ella. To be clear I’m not a health food fanatic. I’m not a vegetarian and I’m not vegan but I have been incorporating more plant-based meals on the regular thanks to Deliciously Ella. Her blog is full of helpful information on nutrition. She talks about different ingredients and their health benefits. It’s a wonderful resource for anyone into plant-based cooking.

Ella’s story is so inspiring and she’s gorgeous, supermodel gorgeous. And to elaborate further here are a few reasons why I love her cooking style. First, she loves to use lemon in her cooking. Me too; I put lemon juice on practically everything. She loves sweet potatoes and includes them in many of her dishes. Her smoothies and juice recipes are dynamite. Try the Date Shake, you won’t be sorry. Her salad recipes are delicious. They’re hearty and filling and that’s a big deal for me because I’m not much of a salad eater. For lunch, I’m ordering the burger and fries. And finally she likes to cook with Tahini; I don’t know many people that do, big Tahini fan over here!

A few recipes that are heavy on my meal rotation are the Cannellini Bean Stew, the Chickpea, Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Salad and the Sweet Potato and Carrot Mash Bowl. All of these dishes are tasty and easy to make.

Quick, Easy and Healthy

Recently I purchased her second book Deliciously Ella Every Day: Quick and Easy Recipes for Gluten-Free Snacks, Packed Lunches, and Simple Meals. The words Quick and Easy sparked my interest but mainly I was searching for a cookbook that had good lunch and snack recipes. The cookbook is divided into Breakfast, Healthy eating on-the-go, Salads, Easy Weekday Dinners, Big Batch Cooking and Simple Sweets. In addition, she talks about how to prepare in advance as well as tips on shopping and storage. What I like best is that it’s not full of crazy ingredients that are hard to find.

My favorite recipes are the Chickpea and Squash Salad, Pasta Arrabbiata, Warming Pesto Lima Beans, Wilted Spinach Black Bean Salad. The Bright Pink Soup is almost too pretty to eat. Brussels sprouts can be a hard sell but her Roasted Maple Sprouts are so good it will convert anyone who doesn’t like them.

There are a few awesome recipes for dips and hummus in this cookbook. The Mango and Avocado Salsa is scrumptious. It’s a light cool dish perfect for hot summer days. And for breakfast, the Sweet Smoothie Bowl, yum. These are truly fuss-free recipes that are delicious and healthy. Win Win.

You don’t have to be Vegetarian to enjoy this cookbook. It’s ideal if you’re trying to cut down on your meat intake and looking for a fresh take on how to prepare vegetables. And you don’t have to be gluten-free either. I’m not gluten-free, the majority of these recipes I follow to a T and some I make my own. For example, if you don’t like brown rice use white. Ella says in the cookbook that balance is everything. It’s not about depriving yourself; it’s about finding what works for you, I couldn’t agree more. I wholeheartedly recommend this cookbook and if by some slim chance Ella is reading this:                                                                                                          

Dear Ella,

Please open a Mae Deli in Miami.

Sincerely,

Milly