Power Plates

My blogger bud Gena Hamshaw (of the Full Helping) has done it again! She's come out with another amazing cookbook — Power Plates: 100 Nutritionally Balanced One-Dish Vegan Meals. Her first book Choosing Raw was so awesome that I used it to guide one of my January resets a few years back. And I think I love this new book even more!

Why, you ask? Well, I'm all about a one-dish meal. I'm a busy lady, and I rarely cook a meal that has more than one dish. Sure, I'll often pair a one-dish meal with a salad or steamed veggie, but I'm typically not going out of my way to prepare a meal with multiple dishes. Gena's book makes that easy since her recipes are nutritionally balanced. And in true Gena fashion, everything is super-healthy and wholesome without being boring.

I'm especially into her breakfast chapter because, like me, she prefers a savory breakfast over a sweet one. There are a few recipes for sweet things, like muesli and whole grain waffles. But there are even more recipes for savory treats, like breakfast tostadas with refried beans, root vegetable hash with tempeh, and cauliflower scramble. I made her Savory Breakfast Oats (in two ways!).

I had the Savory Turmeric Chickpea Oats on a workout rest day since this bowl is higher in fat, thanks to tahini and cashews on top. The base recipe is seasoned with nooch, salt, and pepper and has wilted spinach, and then the variation called for turmeric, chickpeas, scallions, cilantro, tahini, and cashews. YUM!

I had the Savory Mediterranean Oats after Friday morning bootcamp. Same oat base but with tomatoes, white beans (I used chickpeas), parsley, and Gena's Savory Tempeh Sausage (seasoned with fennel and sage). The recipe called for sundried tomatoes, but since it was for post-workout, I opted for fat-free fire-roasted tomatoes instead. I could only find the oil-packed sundried tomatoes at Kroger.

Last night, I made Gena's Black Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Butternut Squash for dinner. The enchiladas are stuffed with a mixture of black beans, kale, onions, and butternut squash, and they're topped with a homemade sauce that's out of this world. Loved this dish so much!

My tortillas cracked because they were a little dry (a few weeks past the expiration date but not moldy!), but after topping with the sauce, the dish was really moist and delicious. Gena recommends topping this with avocado and cilantro, but I forgot to pick up both at the store earlier in the day. So I added parsley and topped my serving with some Daiya. Gena doesn't use processed vegan cheeses in her recipes, but I'm a fan of using them in moderation. And this was delicious! I'll try it with avocado instead tonight though.

I can't wait to try more from this book, like the Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils, the Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Seared Tofu, White Chili with Butternut Squash, Golden Rice Bowls with Tofu Paneer & Vegetables, Sweet Potato Falafel Bowls with Freekah Pilaf, Roasted Zucchini Tacos with Corn and Tofu, and Spinach & Gnocchi with White Beans, to name a few.

There are no desserts in this book, but I'm totally fine with that. It's about meals, not treats. And honestly, I'm not into daily sweets so I don't make dessert unless it's for a party or potluck. Typically, my dessert is a square of chocolate, or a bowl of ice cream!