The Bite Me Balance Cookbook: Wholesome Daily Eats & Delectable Occasional Treats

by Julie Albert, Lisa Gnat

Overview

Ditch diets forever because The Bite Me Balance Cookbook, chock full of easy, healthy recipes (and occasional treats), is sure to help you get (and stay) in your happy pants.

When the number one question you are asked is, "How do you eat dessert and still do up your pants?" you know that you have to share your answers. Enter Bite Me sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, the saucy siblings who have said buh-bye to the fad diet world, forced the food police into early retirement, and figured out the secret to waist management: moderation. While this mindful approach to eating is neither sexy nor a magic bullet, it works—and for a lifetime at that.

In The Bite Me Balance Cookbook, Julie and Lisa whip up 138 delicious, easy-to-follow recipes for breakfast and brunch, lunch, weeknight dinners, and special gatherings. No matter your challenge (you want healthy food that's scrumptious and satisfying, your friends are gluten-free, your mother-in-law's coming to dinner, your kids are famished and need to eat NOW) The Bite Me Balance Cookbook has you covered. Packed full of helpful tips and tricks, a wide array of foolproof recipes (75% healthy, 25% butter!) to suit every occasion, and belly laughs with these tell-it-like-it-is sisters, this book is guaranteed to set you up for success in the kitchen and at the table.

The Bite Me Balance Cookbook is what you've been waiting for: an approachable, fun, and funny roadmap to guide you towards a perfect healthy and happy balance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525610540
Publisher:	Appetite by Random House
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	879,972
Product dimensions:	8.06(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.86(d)

About the Author

Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat are the perfectly balanced (one's sweet, the other salty) sisters behind the popular blog Bite Me More, bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too, and Lick Your Plate, and digital agency Bite Me Creative. Julie attended McGill University, Keio University in Tokyo, and Ryerson School of Journalism. She lives in Toronto with her husband and three kids. Lisa studied Pastry Arts at George Brown College and ran a successful baking business before she started writing cookbooks. She lives five blocks away from Julie in Toronto with her husband and three kids.

Read an Excerpt

From the Introduction
 
How do you sum up a lifetime of belly laughs, of conversations spoken only with your eyes, of shared delicious, joy-filled meals, and family you've fiercely loved? It's not easy, but this natural give and take my sister Lisa and I have is what's always kept us balanced. We're sisters who know when to step in and prop the other up, and when to stand back and let the other shine. We cheer each other on, and we always have each other's backs (rolls and all). We cross our arms over our chests in unison not because we're closed off, but because it's comfy. We still get sent away from our parents' dinner table for being naughty, we're always on the same page (even when we're not­it happens, sometimes), we share a deep love for dogs, we talk endlessly about nothing, and together, we've built a business that caters to each other's strengths. My (being Julie's) deep love for the written word and design partners perfectly with the bionic palate that has helped guide Lisa in developing over a thousand unbelievably tasty and doable recipes in three best-selling cookbooks and on our Bite Me More website. She'd never boast about that, but I can.
 
WHY THE BALANCE? 
Since we both always try to tell it like it is. here's the skinny on our waistlines: we've sweated to the oldies. we've tried and failed to build buns of steel. and we ate fat-free for way too long. We fervently bought into (and boy, do we wish we could have our money back) the idea of the quick fix. the sure thing, and the next fad that would surely make us the masters of our thighs. But. eventually, too hungry and too tired. we waved the white flag, and shockingly, the moment we gave up on all-or-nothing extremism. everything fell into place. We had no idea how starving we were to be free of dodgy diet claims and constant fork-in­hand self-flagellation until we discovered that all that time wasted on calorie counting {btw. I'm superbad at math). obsessing over forbidden fruit (and. no. it wasn't apples). and holding our breath as we stepped on the scale would be way better spent listening to what our bodies were telling us about what we needed to be nourished. energized. and. of course. satisfied.
 
Here's the boring truth of our hard-won know-how: there's no magic bullet when it comes to health and wellness for either of us. and there's nothing sexy about our approach—moderation is the granny panties of the diet world-which comes down to a lifelong commitment to eating smarter and moving more. Yuppers. you read that right: eat smarter and move more. And while we haven't included our calisthenics routine in this book (though Lisa does dish on dips and I serve up some epic burpees). we can most definitely help you with the eating part. 

Finding the right balance between healthy and indulgent eating means different things to different people. but we're hoping to arm you with the tools (aka everyday amazing, easy, delicious. well-tested, healthy­ish recipes) that will allow you. and us. to bake that cake and eat it too.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

What's inside The Balance? 6

The Balanced Kitchen 8

Breakfast & brunch

Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries & Almonds 12

Tropical Mango Smoothie Bowl with Coconut Granola 15

Easy Banana Date Oatmeal Bowl 16

Nutty Maple Ginger Granola 19

Three Superb Smoothies 21

Grab Si Go Banana Breakfast Cookies 22

Zesty Zucchini Lime Muffins 27

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins 28

Glazed Blueberry Lemon Loaf 31

Cranberry, Orange & Ginger Scones 32

No-Bake Energy Bites 35

A Simply Sensational Shakshuka 36

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Salad with Pumpernickel Croutons 38

Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Frittata 41

Vegetable Hash with Poached Eggs 42

Savory Kale & Mushroom Strata 44

Gingerbread Waffles with Apple Cinnamon Syrup 47

Apple Pie French Toast Bake 51

Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Berry Sauce 52

Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake 55

Lunch

Green Minestrone with Kale Pesto 58

Tomato Basil Soup with Crunchy Garlic Croutons 61

Easy Thai Chicken Noodle Soup 62

Spicy Tuna & Cucumber Sashimi Bites 65

Fresh Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce 66

Berry, Baby Kale & Fennel Salad 69

Triple Dip Hummus 71

Fattoush Salad with Jammy Eggs 75

Vegetable Power Bowl with Miso Dressing 76

Quinoa Nigoise Salad 79

Italian Mason Jar Salad 83

Mediterranean Farro & Bean Salad 84

Lentil, Mango & Chicken Chopped Salad 87

Chicken & Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing 88

The Heartiest Vegetarian Chili 91

Takeout-Style Peanut Noodles with Tofu 92

Thai Chicken Wraps with Pineapple Salsa 95

Hoisin Beef Lettuce Cups 96

Steak Tartine with Caramelized Onion Jam 98

Weeknight dinners

Chunky Root Vegetable Soup 102

Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup with Kale Chips 105

Heal Thyself Chicken Noodle Soup 106

Spring Couscous Salad 109

Healthy Mexican Kale Salad 110

Protein-Packed Asian Chopped Salad 113

Charred Corn & Zucchini Orzo Salad 114

Tuscan Pasta Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette 116

Steak Salad with Ranch Dressing 118

Chopped Buffalo Chicken Salad 122

Crispy Baked Carrot Fries 125

Cauliflower Fried "Rice" 126

Easy Mexican Street Corn 129

Crispy Roasted Smashed Potatoes 130

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Creamed Spinach 133

Ginger Tofu Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice 134

Moroccan Couscous with Chickpeas & Harissa 137

No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pappardelle 139

Avocado Pesto Pasta with Italian Chicken 140

Zucchini Noodles alia Puttanesca 143

Autumn Pumpkin & Fresh Herb Fusilli 144

Healthy & Hearty Turkey Ragu 147

Vegetarian Eggplant Bolognese 148

One-Skillet Southwestern Chicken & Rice 150

Sticky Orange Chicken 153

Sesame-Baked Chicken Strips with Slaw 154

Greek Chicken Sheet-Pan Dinner 156

Chicken Pad See Ew 159

Maple-Chipotle Grilled Chicken 160

Addictive Chicken Tacos 163

The Ultimate Veggie Burger 165

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with Grilled Pineapple 169

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Avocado Dressing 173

Healthy Filet-o-Fish 174

Cod with Almond Horseradish Crust 177

Halibut Piccata 178

Shrimp Burrito Bowls 180

BBQ Sloppy Joes with Slaw 182

Ricotta Meatballs in Chunky Tomato Sauce 184

Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein 187

Banh Mi Burgers 188

Healthy Asian Meatloaf 190

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies 193

Oatmeal, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Blondies 194

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars 196

Carrot Layer Cake with Shortbread Crumble 199

Fresh Strawberry Pie Bars 202

Banana Sheet Cake with Banana Frosting 205

Speedy Cherry Berry Crisp 206

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake 208

Cranberry Date Oatmeal Cookies 210

Gatherings

Three Classic Cocktails 215

Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam Cheese Board 216

Butternut Squash, Apple & Fennel Soup 219

Easy Tofu Mushroom Wonton Soup 223

Kale & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad 226

Watermelon & Beet Panzanella Salad 229

Tabbouleh Salad with Israeli Couscous 232

Grilled Vegetable & Halloumi Salad 235

Quick Sesame-Soy Green Beans 236

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Harissa Tahini Sauce 238

Lightened-Up Brussels Sprout Gratin 241

Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables 242

Caramelized Fennel with Parmesan & Thyme 245

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Mashed Potatoes 246

Asparagus with Toasted Walnuts & Lemon Vinaigrette 249

Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole 250

Pomegranate, Feta & Black Rice in Acorn Squash 252

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna 255

Mushroom & Ricotta White Pizza 257

Saffron Risotto with Corn & Roasted Red Peppers 260

Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese 262

One-Pan Roasted Chicken Dinner 265

Za'atar-Crusted Chicken with Cucumber Salad 267

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Romesco Sauce 271

Chicken Scaloppine with Mushrooms & White Wine 275

Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Orange Honey Glaze 276

Citrus Herb Turkey with Gravy, Stuffing & Cranberry Sauce 279

Roasted Red Snapper with Asparagus Si Orange Fennel Salad 283

Sumac-Spiced Salmon with Almond Gremolata 284

Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon 287

Miso-Glazed Halibut with Soba Noodles 288

Mediterranean Cod in Parchment 290

Southwestern Flank Steak with Avocado Salsa 292

Moroccan Meatballs with Citrus Couscous 294

Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce 297

Mushroom-Crusted Beef Tenderloin 298

The Very Best Biscotti 300

Confetti Sugar Cookies 302

Easy Pecan Pie Bars 305

White Chocolate Shortbread with Pink Peppercorns 306

Frosted Brownies with Rocky Road Bark 309

Classic Apple Pie with Streusel Topping 311

Fresh Pear & Honey Galette 315

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cookies 'n' Cream Frosting 316

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes 318

Mocha Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting 320

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake 323

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing 324

Our Thanks 327

Index 328