Love & Lemons Every Day
Review By Maria Buteux Reade
More Than 100 Bright, Plant-Forward Recipes for Every Meal
Jeanine Donofrio and her husband, Jack Mathews, started their Love & Lemons blog in 2011, which feels like a lifetime ago, but somehow, she manages to keep her writing as fresh and zesty as her recipes. Love & Lemons Every Day, her second cookbook, provides inspiration for die-hard vegetarians and vegans while enticing omnivores to lean into their veggies, beans and grains. As Jeanine notes in her foreword, “This is not a book about becoming vegetarian, it’s a book about loving vegetables because they’re versatile and fun to cook.” Many of the recipes are vegan, gluten-free, or both; and if they’re not, Jeanine often offers vegan or gluten-free variations.
I happily worked my way through a number of recipes, and all proved winners. Among the most mind-blowing? Orange-Scented Cauliflower Rice Pilaf, which absolutely popped— and crunched—thanks to pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds and pistachios, fresh mint, parsley and cilantro. The dressing, a heady blend of olive oil, orange zest and fresh squeezed juice, rice vinegar, ginger and a splash of sriracha for a touch of heat, infused the sautéed cauliflower and shallot base. The entire dish was a festival of color, texture and flavor, perfect any season, on its own or as a side.
Soba Noodle Picnic Salad is pure rainbow-in- a-Mason-jar, a tangle of toothsome soba noodles atop thinly sliced red cabbage, kale, cucumber, carrots and scallions drizzled with sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, miso and grated ginger. Looking for something fresh, light and cleansing? Try the Lemon Miso Spring Greens Soup, composed of fresh peas, asparagus, scallions, kale, dill and mint pesto, with quinoa and chickpeas providing just enough body.
Sunshine Sweet Potato Curry, another house favorite, immerses tender sweet potato, red pepper, cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach in a curry built on coconut milk, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cardamom. The secret weapon? Soft roasted sweet potato flesh lends richness, and color, to the creamy sauce. Serve this golden- hued stew over basmati rice sprinkled with chopped cilantro and toasted cashews: sunshine in a bowl! Come high summer, I’ll make Sweet Corn, Blueberry and Arugula Salad, which also includes ripe peaches and pickled red onion tossed in a mustard herb vinaigrette.
When plants are the focal point of a dish, little touches make them shine. These recipes rely on just the right combination of citrus, salt, healthy fats and oils, fresh herbs, warming spices. Jeanine reminds us that “Salt is the ultimate flavor enhancer—it makes things taste like the best version of themselves.” And, “Healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, coconut oil) in plant-forward food makes you feel satiated.”
An author who names her cookbooks and blog after lemons certainly harbors deep respect for this ubiquitous fruit, an adept mediator. Dish too salty? Add a squeeze of lemon for balance. Need to liven something? Mix in citrus zest or fresh juice.
Her foolproof recipe for Quick Preserved Lemons celebrates the thin-skinned, sweetly fragrant Meyer lemon. Finely dice a couple lemons, skin and all, pack them into a small jar with a bit of cane sugar and sea salt, refrigerate for three hours or longer, et voilà! Mix a few tablespoons of the bright-yellow preserves into chopped parsley or basil with some capers, pine nuts and red pepper flakes, and you have Lemon Salsa Verde, ideal for topping roast veggies, plain pasta, fish or chicken.
Jeanine espouses a “waste not, want not” sensibility and honors the whole plant: stem, stalk and leafy top. Carrot tops can be blended into verdant chimichurri; radish greens can be sautéed with olive oil, garlic and lemon; folded into omelets; blanched and whizzed into green goddess sauce. Stem and Scrap Tzatziki is a vibrant mélange of chopped carrot tops, fennel fronds, mint, dill, cilantro, lemon and garlic stirred into Greek yogurt.
The cookbook includes several helpful reference charts. The Giant Grid of Salad Dressings, 16 in all, range from red pepper mojo, chipotle aioli, and ginger miso to lemon tahini, pesto vinaigrette, and healthy ranch. A definitive chart for roasting 32 common vegetables, from acorn squash to zucchini, lists basic preparation, oven temperature and roasting time. Another two-page spread compiles at-a-glance information on how to boil specific grains, rice, dry beans and lentils. One less thing to track down on the Internet!
Thirsty for a splash of healthy happiness? Dip into more than a dozen cocktails, some made with a variety of teas. Each uses natural sweeteners such as agave nectar or maple syrup rather than sugar. Try the Hibiscus Highball (gin), Matcha Mojito (rum), Orange Old Fashioned (bourbon) or Peach Tea Paloma (tequila). These colorful, refreshing libations are chockful of antioxidants, delicious with booze or virgin.
So whether you’re a committed vegetarian or just want to expand and brighten your plant-based repertoire, Love & Lemons cookbook and blog provide zesty and colorful inspiration in all seasons. Eating healthy never seemed so fun and easy!
