If you are looking to experiment with Indian flavors, this is your book. The author, provides the general population with delicious and easy to prepare dishes packed with flavor and sustainable ingredients. In Spices & Seasons, each recipe is carefully labeled as vegan/vegetarian and/or gluten-free. the back of the book is also separated as such; vegan/vegetarian index, vegetarian index, and recipe index! to be extremely helpful when trying to pick which dish to make. Saffron and Cardamom Rice Pudding by Jenny Adapted from Spices & Seasons Simple Sustainable Indian Flavors 4 cups unsweetened coconut milk 4 whole cardamom pods1/4 cinnamon stick1/3 cup organic short grain brown rice1/2 cup organic sugar1 teaspoon saffron threads1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apple Meagan Micozzi’s The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist presents not only a book full of terrific Southwestern recipes, but also a compendium of classic Southwestern elements, ingredients, and techniques, updated for the modern kitchen.

There is a whole section devoted to “The Southwestern Pantry” which describes appropriate spices & herbs, produce, dairy, pantry staples, and more. There is even a whole section devoted to chile peppers. The New Southwest is a very informative book, with lots of inspired recipes to try. The recipes are well-written, concise, and easy to follow. Adapted from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi To make the crust: Meanwhile, to prepare the cake: To prepare the soak: Many thanks to the publisher for providing copies of The New Southwest to 37 Cooks for review. Black Forest Honey Streusel Coffee Cake Adapted from The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist Adapted from The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist I was so excited when we were given the opportunity to review cookbooks! My choice was “Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats” by Debbie Adler. This book is filled with delicious sounding treats and what makes the book really special is that all of the recipes are allergy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan. 

For anyone who has a friend or family member with food allergy challenges, or a friend or family member who has made the decision to follow a vegan lifestyle, "Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats" would be a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection! My husband absolutely adores apple fritters but, let’s face it, they’re not exactly healthy, right? When I came across Debbie’s recipe for Apple Fritter Donut Holes I knew right away this would be my recipe. I did a little investigating and found a couple of websites that suggested making a slurry of flaxseed meal and hot water as a substitute for guar gum. I have flaxseed meal in the house all the time! For the erythritol in the glaze, I made the decision to go ahead and use powdered sugar. I did make my own sunflower butter from the recipe in Debbie’s book, and imagine my happiness when I discovered this as my new substitute for peanut butter, which I love but cannot eat, so I've avoided it for years. Sunflower butter is super easy and so delicious.

If you get Debbie’s book, be sure to give her recipe a try! Even though my recipe is not gluten- or sugar-free, or vegan (because I used honey), I do appreciate that I was able to make a healthier version of apple fritters. So here’s my twist on Debbie’s Apple Fritter Donut Holes! Apple Fritter Donut Holesby SusanAdapted from Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats by Debbie AdlerDonut Holes:1 1/2 cups organic all-purpose white flour 1/4 cup organic wheat flour (in place of buckwheat flour)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon flaxseed meal + 1/2 teaspoon hot water, made into a slurry (substituted in place of guar gum)1/4 cup plain rice milk (I made my own…lots of recipes online)1/4 cup oster hand blender 2605 revieworganic honey (in place of coconut nectar)2 Tablespoons sunflower seed buttervitamix blender vm0100a

I've recently done some vegan cooking, but I've never done any gluten-free and allergy-free baking so I was not surprised to find some ingredients in this cookbook that I'd never heard of. I am always up for a challenge and I am so glad I took this one! I now love coconut nectar, which I did not find to taste like coconut at all. wolfgang puck high performance commercial blender vs vitamixIt has the same consistency as honey or molasses, is mildly sweet, but has some extra depth to it. hamilton beach hand mixer 62005I used Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend (gluten-free) but there is a recipe in Sweet Debbie's cookbook so you can make your own if you want. blenders pride 90ml priceI made this recipe twice. black and decker blender bl5000 parts

The first time I omitted the guar gum just to see what would happen. Guar gum is expensive and I was trying to save a little money. Sweet Debbie also has a recipe for sunflower seed butter and chocolate chips in her book. I bought both at the grocery store and my chocolate chips were dairy, nut, and soy free and they were mighty tasty!waring 40 oz 2 speed blender wpb05 Adapted from Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats Comforting Slow-Cooked Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Ginger Adapted from "Comforting Slow-Cooked Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Ginger", Spices & Seasons by Rinku Bhattacharya I love being a part of both 37 Cooks and Good Cook Blogger/Kitchen Experts – and I love that they have combined forces for this event. I used the following items to create my Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes: Pineapple Corer/Slicer, Silicone Spatula, Chopping Mats, and Dessert Bar Pan. I loved using the pineapple corer/slicer – super easy to use, say good-bye to canned pineapple rings!