Happy Herbivore Light & Lean Cookbook Pre-Release Tour and Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I bet you are surprised to hear from me on a Sunday! I know it’s not my usual posting day, but I just wanted to pop in and share a little bit about another upcoming cookbook from BenBella Books. (The close dates of my review on The China Study Cookbook and then this post are purely coincidental and don’t worry about it becoming a regular occurrence… unless everyone likes cookbook reviews, and then I would consider doing them more often because I myself love them too. )

Getting onto the cookbook though, this one has actually not even been released yet, making it even more special and tempting. Once again I am featuring a new book from Lindsay called Happy Herbivore Light & Lean:

With easy, no-fuss recipes, the bestselling Happy Herbivore cookbooks show how easy, affordable, and delicious eating healthy can be. Now, in her latest cookbook, Happy Herbivore chef Lindsay S. Nixon provides recipes that put a special emphasis on weight-loss and a set of exercises that, like her recipes, are quick, easy, and produce great results.

Like all Happy Herbivore cookbooks, Happy Herbivore Light & Lean contains filling, flavorful, plant-based recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. But this time, Nixon takes healthy to an all-new level, with low-calorie, satisfying meals that will help you achieve your weight-loss goals—and without deprivation.

True to its title, Happy Herbivore Light & Lean also includes “recipes” for your body with basic workouts, plus tips and tricks that will inspire you to move more for a trimmer, more-toned you. As always, Happy Herbivore Light & Lean recipes are free from oils, processed foods, and diet chemicals such as artificial sweeteners.

Happy Herbivore Light & Lean keeps it healthy, keeps it simple, and keeps it delicious.

As the official release date isn’t until December 3, 2013 (although there is word that some people can get it earlier!), I won’t be able to include a review with this post. However, to give you a little insight into the world of The Happy Herbivore I was able to have an interview with Lindsay herself and ask a few questions:

Me: When movies come out there are so many behind-the-scenes promotional videos and backstage glances at what happens when the movie is filming. We don’t usually get to see those aspects with things like books and cookbooks. Some may not find it as exciting as watching Jennifer Lawrence practice her archery skills for The Hunger Games, but I think I speak for all of us food-lovers in saying that we’re very intrigued about the whole process! What have been some of the most exciting and/or terrifying times in the Happy Herbivore kitchen when working on your cookbooks?

Lindsay: I usually share a lot of behind the scenes stuff, actually 🙂 I’ve done videos and lots of pictures in the past — and I always tweet and Instagram pics of recipes as I’m writing them 🙂 and I love showing off photo bloopers from the shoots!

I’ve lit things on fire. Set the fire alarm off at least 5 times. burned and cut myself more times than I can count and stained my ceiling a not-so-nice shade of green when I used the blender without the top on… just to name a few 😉 (Me: Doesn’t it make you feel so much better that the professionals burn and cut themselves too?!)

Me: I’m so used to your past three books being entirely food-related that the additional exercise component in HH Light & Lean has definitely caught my attention. I remember you mentioning before that you used to be a personal trainer. Was that an influencing factor in your fourth book? Why did you decide to include “‘recipes’ for your body” this time with workouts and fitness tips?

Lindsay: I added memoir pieces to my third book, Happy Herbivore Abroad, and really liked that personal connection to my work. I knew I wanted to do that again in future books (and I did with Happy Herbivore Light & Lean, and I am now with my 5th book I’m currently working on). (Me: This mention of a 5th book has got me very excited!)

Happy Herbivore Light & Lean was very much inspired by my meal plans (getmealplans.com). The recipes in the book are different than what I provide my clients with my meal plan service, but the approach I use in the meal plans — caloric density; more food less calories—is what my focus was with this new book. I also wanted to make it about the whole body, not just what we put in our mouth 😉 so I added workout sections. It was nice to revisit (and incorporate) my past experiences as a trainer. Writing Happy Herbivore Light & Lean had a very full-circle feeling for me.

Me: One of my favorite features on HappyHerbivore.com is your Minimalist Monday posts. You provide some fantastic advice for creating the life that we want and deserve to have, without all of the unnecessary fluff and negativity. Where did you learn about minimalism and what tips do you have for beginning to incorporate it into our own lives?

Lindsay: My minimalism was, at least initially, forced on me. I lost my job. My husband was being laid off. We had to sell most of our possessions so we could move into a tiny studio that truly fit the definition of shoebox. We had no money, etc. It was means for survival at first, but I quickly realized how much happier I was living with less. Before long I was embracing minimalism. As our system improved, and it would have been too easy to slip back into old habits, our minimalism kept us grounded and has been one of the key ingredients to building the life we now have (and love). I talk about my minimalism and give tips every Monday on the blog. Click the “minimalist” tag on the blog to get the laundry list of all the old posts. I also did a “how to be a minimalist” blog post that’s a great starting point. (Me: I’ve included the links to these specific pages that Lindsay mentioned if anyone is interested.)

Me: For my final question I want to focus on food again, as of course we are here mainly to talk about your upcoming cookbook! Today as part of your pre-release tour I am sharing your Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. What are some of the other recipes from the cookbook that you are most excited for people to try, and which are your personal favorites?

Lindsay: Asking a chef to pick a favorite recipe is like asking a parent to pick a favorite kid 😛 (Me: Or a book lover to pick a favorite book… next to impossible! This was kind of an unfair question 😉 )

I’m excited for all of them 🙂

Every time I release a new book, I am certain which recipes will be really popular, and usually I’m right with most, but then there are a few that become crazy popular and I never saw it. I look forward to those surprises most.

And with that cue from Lindsay, I am happy to share today a recipe straight from the pages of her cookbook. One that I am sure will be extremely popular with her readers, and I hope with you as well!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16

Soy-free, Fat-free, Quick, Budget, Pantry

These are the best low-fat chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever eat! They’re ridiculously addictive fresh out of the oven. You’ve been warned.

 

 Ingredients:

• 1⁄3 c unsweetened applesauce
• ½ c light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ c nondairy milk
• 1 c whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• few dashes of ground cinnamon
• ½ c vegan chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, and nondairy milk.
3. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon together.
4. Transfer the dry mixture into the wet mixture in three batches. Stir until almost combined. Fold in chips.
5. Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake for 7–10 minutes for a soft and light cookie or a few minutes more for a firmer cookie, being careful not to burn.

Variation: 

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: Replace 2 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa.

Chef’s Note: 

For a firmer cookie, work a fresh banana into the flour (crumble it in until you have clumps). If your banana is ripe, reduce sugar.

Per Cookie:

Calories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Fat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7g

Carbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.5g

Fiber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0g

Sugars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.2g

Protein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0g

WW Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

My note: I haven’t personally had the chance to make this recipe yet, but here are a few others that I found online who have. And of course all of them gave it glowing reviews! The Healthy Vegan Plate, Veggie Burgher, Vegan Yogini, and many more…

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Thank you so much to both Lindsay and BenBella Books for allowing me to be a part of the pre-release tour for Happy Herbivore Light & Lean!

 

If you haven’t already seen it, I have also done a review of Lindsay’s previous cookbook Happy Herbivore Abroad last year.

She has four cookbooks in total now, and I would recommend that you check them all out!

The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, Happy Herbivore Abroad, and of course her newest.

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Questions for you:

Do you have any of the previous Happy Herbivore books?

Are you a fan of chocolate chip cookies?

How do you feel about minimalism? Do you try to practice it in your own life?

Are you frequently burning or cutting yourself in the kitchen too?