Overall rating: 9/10
I’ve been following and making Ambitious Kitchen recipes for years. They are always delicious and have a healthy foundation. When The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook came out I was very excited and ordered one to have a hard copy of recipes I’d been cooking from online blog posts for years.
Her Chunky Healthy Granola recipe is a firm family favourite! This is something I’ve made when we have visitors or even given away as gifts too.
When the recipe book arrived, I was not disappointed! One of my favourites from the book so far is the Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake. The flavours are amazing – it’s not too sweet but the crumbly topping makes it taste sooo good!!
If you’re a fan of vibrant flavors and creative twists on everyday meals, then ‘The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook’ by Monique Volz is worth checking out. Monique’s style is all about packing a punch—nutrient-dense and flavourful recipes that don’t just feed your body nutritiously but also cater to your taste buds.
The categories in the book are:
- change your morning change your life
- gotta love big salads
- damn good soup
- hearty vegetarian mains everyone will love
- handhelds every night!
- dreamy dinners
- ambitious sides
- the flavor bible
- your girl never forgets dessert
Monique enters the cookbook realm with the same energy and flair on her blog. Readers familiar with her blog might already have a sense of her commitment to creating meals that are as nutritious as they are delicious. The book comprises over 125 recipes, which means there’s plenty of variety to keep your culinary adventures interesting.
The best chicken soup you’ll ever eat recipe actually lives up to its name! It is filled with nutritious ingredients like fresh vegetables, ginger and turmeric but the pearl couscous truly makes the experience of eating it pop! The flavours are so good but the texture is amazing too – it’s also packed with chicken!
What stands out are the thoughtful considerations for dietary needs. Whether you’re gluten-free or dairy-free, or you just like your meals a bit lighter, Monique’s got you covered. The book has tips and tweaks here and there so you can adjust recipes to your liking. This adaptability makes it a handy resource for anyone wanting to experiment in the kitchen while adhering to dietary preferences.
From morning to night, the cookbook offers something for every meal. Breakfast boasts options like smoothies, healthy waffles and famous blender banana oatmeal pancakes, which are perfect for starting your day on a healthy note. For lunch, there’s Buffalo Chicken Salad and Roasty Toasty Tomato Soup, ideal for a midday pick-me-up. And dinner? You can choose from sheet pan meals like baked chicken tacos to crowd-pleasers like “marry me” Ropa Vieja.
Altogether, Monique’s cookbook aims to inspire readers, not just to follow recipes, but to creatively redefine their idea of health and flavour in the kitchen. It’s all about finding your own joy in cooking while enjoying these vibrant, balanced meals.
The Stars of the Kitchen: Noteworthy Recipes that Shine
The Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are amazing! They’re the kind of treats that make your taste buds sing and your kitchen smell heavenly. Making these is like giving yourself a warm, delicious hug.
The Tahini Brownies are absolutely delicious too. They are light and chocolatey but filled with nutritious ingredients too.
Her cakes that are healthy enough to eat for breakfast are absolute winners too! I love the one-bowl lemon poppy seed yogurt snacking cake!
And if you’re on the lookout for a savoury gem, consider the Baked Chicken Tacos. This dish is packed with flavour and offer something beyond your usual dinner rotation—a secret weapons for impressing guests or perking up a weeknight.
The cookbook also places a strong focus on sauces and dressings. Seriously, these are game-changers. They can elevate the most basic meals into something truly spectacular. A little drizzle here, a little dollop there, and your meal goes from meh to mesmerizing.
Last but not least, the sweet and salty Protein Bar recipe has people raving—easy to make at home and handy when you’re on the go. Imagine having the best snack bars you’ve ever had, minus the packaging and price tag from the store.
Balancing Praise with Critique: The Reader’s Perspective
Readers love the clear instructions in ‘The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook,’ making it easy to whip up a meal without stress. The pairing of beautiful photos with recipes really helps too, because who doesn’t want a little visual inspiration when cooking?
Despite the praise, some people have pointed out that a few recipes are a lot to handle in terms of ingredients. Not everyone has the time to spend hours gathering and prepping, especially on a busy day. So, it might be wise to save these for when you can kick back and enjoy the process.
The absence of nutritional information in some recipes is another sticking point for those who keep an eye on their intake. While Monique’s focus is on wholesome, healthful eating, it leaves some wishing for those numbers to ensure they’re sticking to their dietary goals.
There’s also feedback about some overly wordy recipe names. The creativity is great, but sometimes the names could be a mouthful before even cooking begins! It’s a small issue, but for some, simplicity in names could go a long way.
However, the cookbook’s warm, approachable style gets a thumbs up from the majority of readers. It strikes a balance between being accessible to new cooks while still offering a few challenges for those who know their way around the kitchen.
Conclusions and Culinary Inspirations
So, what’s the big takeaway from ‘The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook’? It’s all about finding your culinary groove, whether you’re just starting out or looking to spice up your usual meals. The book’s got this friendly vibe that doesn’t just tell you what to do but encourages you to play around and see what suits your taste best.
Monique Volz’s approachable writing style makes experimenting less daunting. Whether you’ve been cooking for years or you’re a newbie in the kitchen, the book provides room to explore. Each recipe doesn’t end at its final step; it offers paths for customization, turning each dish into your own creative playground.
Even if some recipes seem ingredient-heavy, it might work as a weekend treat where you unwind with a cooking session. That’s how you learn to layer flavors and develop your cooking instincts.
The cookbook inspires readers not just to replicate but to innovate. Many have found new joy in cooking thanks to its focus on health, flavour, and that extra touch of creativity. It balances familiar comforts with new ideas, encouraging you to build your own catalog of standout recipes.
Get the Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook on Amazon here.
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