Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for Balanced, Flexible, Feel-Good Meals

Food blogger Gerard (Half Baked Harvest Cookbook) ably delivers on her promise “to make food that is delicious, usually healthy... and always satisfying” in this excellent collection. Rather than educate readers on what they “should” be consuming, Gerard offers up a guide to “healthy-ish” eating with comforting recipes that find their “balance” in using nonprocessed ingredients. Even lighter fare—such as a spiced lentil soup with curried acorn squash, and gluten-free salmon cobb salad—prove gratifyingly flavorful. Throughout, Gerard employs simple tricks to revitalize classics: putting a healthier spin on Mongolian beef, she uses a leaner cut of meat and coats it in a “less-sugary-than-usual” sauce by replacing the brown sugar with a smaller amount of honey. Home cooks in the mood for something a bit more indulgent will find it in delectable dishes like her giant spinach and artichoke soft pretzel, and malted milk cookie dough cups made with almond flour. Meanwhile, those crunched for time will rejoice in specially notated dishes—including a sheet pan french toast with whipped lemon ricotta and berries—that can be ready in 30 minutes or less. A little adjustment goes a long way with these wholesome and mouthwatering recipes. Agent: Andrea Barzvi, Empire Literary. (Feb.)