5 15 Published May 04, 2016, Updated Jul 05, 2023 Since being home I’ve thumbed through the pages of the book multiple times and it’s ah-MA-zing. Seriously, Dana is a genius in the kitchen (and behind the camera) and the cookbook is filled with delicious, plant-based (vegan) recipes and most of them are gluten-free as well. I’m not sure if it’s the beautiful photos or the vast amount of recipes to choose from (there’s over 100), but I was having the hardest time deciding what to try first. I had Dana recommend a few of her favorite recipes from the book and finally narrowed it down to this Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip. If you’ve been reading EBF for any amount of time you know that I’m a sweet potato lover… especially when they’re roasted to perfection. As soon as I noticed that this dip called for roasted sweet potatoes with maple syrup and spices I was sold! The sweet potatoes get soft and caramelized and would honestly make an awesome side dish on their own. <— I ate far too many straight from the baking sheet while prepping the other ingredients. Oops! But as with any dip, the true star of the show is the sauce. This one is simple (with mashed avocado, oil, lime, maple syrup, salt and pepper), but it works wonders on the dip. I made this on Monday for a friend’s going away party. After sampling a bite I was tempted to spoon out half and save it as a salad topping, but I convinced myself to stop being greedy and take the whole thing. I’m glad I did because it was a crowd-favorite and the whole bowl was devoured pretty quickly. The best quote from the night came from one of our friends who came up to me and said, “That dip was banging.” So there you have it! This sweet potato black bean dip is a must-make. This just in —> Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and this recipe might come in handy if you’re planning a little fiesta. Just sayin’. I already spilled the beans on Insta, but I think we’re going to be having these clean eating turkey taco salad bowls for dinner tomorrow night. And I might make another batch of this dip to go along with it. If you’re on the market for a new cookbook, Everyday Cooking is one that I would HIGHLY recommend. The recipes are just like those you’ll find on minimalistbaker.com — inventive, delicious and approachable, even for a home cook or those that don’t eat entirely plant-based or gluten-free. Every recipe has a stunning photo to go along with it and nutritional facts are provided, which I know a lot of you will really like! As an added bonus, the recipes are pretty “minimalist” and either require 30 minutes or less to prepare, 1 bowl or pot, or 10 ingredients or less. I personally know that this cookbook will make it to the “favorite cookbooks” section of my bookshelf. I already have a laundry list of recipes I want to try including the toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Popcorn, Raspberry Spinach Ribbon Salad and the Banana Chocolate Pecan Muffins. Gah, can’t wait!
