The Greenhouse Cookbook: Plant-Based Eating and DIY Juicing

I recently purchased a juicer so was drawn to this book as it is versatile, combining both creative juice recipes, with plant based food recipes so I figured I would get a lot more use from it with both components.The book was derived from the Greenhouse Juice company and associated blog; and contains over 50 recipes for juices and the same for plant based dishes; however, the authors recognize that people have different tastes and perspectives; so, as they state, if you are entirely plant based you could cook anything from this dish, but if you plan to use this as a foundation to a healthier lifestyle you can adapt and add ingredients that peak your interest.It begins with a quick guide to pantry essentials but then dives right into the book which I love, as I own so many plant based books, I am starting to be really bored with more than a quarter of the book reviewing gadgets, gizmos and techniques -so these authors just get right to the point of what to make and I love that. I also love the fact that they offer so many creative breakfast ideas, as I am always trying to send my kids off to school having had something healthy that they will enjoy so the berry bowl and peach crisp smoothie bowl were both hits and quick to whip up in the morning. I also really liked their recipe for chocolate hazelnut spread as previous versions I have tried were a fail.The lunch and dinner section was more creative than many I have seen and most recipes called for easily sourced ingredients. It was nice as an example to see spaghetti squash in a Filipino inspired dish as opposed to the usual Italian version or the spiralized zucchini mac and cheese.Bites include beet hummus and an amazing raw carrot chipotle dip (made in seconds once you have presoaked the cashews); but as a parent of hungry swimmers, the protein ball recipe and chia energy bars are great ideas that I can make on the weekend and use between practices to give the kids energy without a bunk of junk ingredients; I also take the chocolate hemp peanut butter balls from the dessert section which are delicious though I do use regular chocolate in my version. There is a mouthwatering selection of desserts too though looking at them, I think several require more skills or patience that I have.Then we go to juices milks and drinks -I loved this as honestly, I thought creating more own juices would be easy but to date many have been too sweet or too bitter. This was quick and easy to follow, as they have already achieved success with a juicing business so the recipes have been road tested and are good. I have only tried a few but so far am liking the OZ, a green juice with heat from the addition of ½ jalapeno. They even suggest some juice cocktails such as margaritas or a Dark and Stormy. My favorite section however is the tonic section at the end, as to date my only go-to here was my ginger, lemon, cider vinegar concoction so it was helpful having some new ideas.These recipes are easy to follow, generally simple ingredients and they are accompanied by stunning photography! Great addition to my cookbook collection with juices incorporated too!

The food recipes I feel I could find with a quick Pinterest search. True hipster food without much of a "twist" to justify the price.However, a good primer for those interested in juicing. The back half of the book focuses on the juice the authors have grown into a thriving business. I'm a big fan of the elixirs - highly concentrated juices of turmeric, ginger, lemon, bee pollen, etc.This book is nothing groundbreaking but I don't regret reading it.

This is a great healthy and tasty recipe book! The recipes are easy to follow and are family friendly - my 2 year old loves even the green juices!

The first time I heard about The Greenhouse Juice Co. was from some Toronto friends. The GJco. had just opened near them and they couldn’t stop talking about their “neighbourhood juice bar.” Could anything sound more wonderful than having an organic juice bar within a stone’s throw of your house? But in my mind Toronto is like that — neighbourhoods full of farm to table shops and restaurants, juice bars, coffee shops, collectives— and, although Halifax has equally wonderful neighbourhoods and establishments, the grass juice is always greener, eh? I am definitely one of those people who mark my travel by what I eat and the restaurants I visit and I know the next time I’m in TO I’ll be planning a visit to The GJco. but until then I’m going to be enjoying their new cookbook, The Greenhouse Cookbook.Personally I find that cookbooks that come from restaurants fall into one of two categories: beautiful souvenirs full of dishes too complex or difficult for the average home cook to replicate (sorry Momofuku!) or generous volumes meant for daily home-use, full of the best of what a place has to offer (the latter category is where The Greenhouse Cookbook falls. Although I own both of those books I have never been either place). When I started to try recipes from The Greenhouse Cookbook I felt as if I finally understood what my friend’s liked about “their” juice bar. With the first recipe I tried — their Almond Milk — I was hooked! Decadent and substantial is what was promised in the recipe’s head notes and the resulting milk completely delivered. To say that almond milk is almond milk simply isn’t true until you’ve tried their recipe. It had a lush, silky quality — not too sweet and with a hint of vanilla. It had both flavour and depth which is what many homemade recipes and almost all store-bought varieties lack.This review is a little different because many of the recipes I’ve tried were on the advice of the author Emma Knight who I had the opportunity to meet while she stopped in Halifax on her book tour. Not sure what to expect (so few things that have to do with my reviewing happen IRL) I headed over to the Bayer’s Lake Chapters to attend my first book-signing. To be honest, she was very kind and gracious and when I mentioned that I was going to review the book she was excited. Which made me nervous. Most of the time I receive books in the mail from publishers, I try recipes, photograph the results, write a review and that’s how it goes. Emma on the other hand shared a list of her favourite recipes which made for the perfect starting point for my review.Since this cookbook is part DIY juicing I was happy that they devoted a couple pages to explaining the types of equipment one could use to make juice. Since I don’t own a juicer I was able to use my Vitamix to make their recipes. When I made The Good my husband insisted on drinking his avec pulp but I carefully strained mine through the cloth I use to strain jam. The resulting green juice was beautiful — not swampy-tasting but vital and citrus-y. Very refreshing and quite different from the fruit-based juices I’ve tried. Rabbit, Run (pictured right) was really great too — the carrot-ginger-apple combo had a mild sweetness with that spicy ginger zing! Another juice on my list to try is Wake Up — what my friend heads down to The GJco. to get. I really appreciate the ease in which these recipes can be made at home (the only thing missing is that great bottle!). I also found the same thing with their smoothie recipes — delicious and easy to make. They’ve even included information on their juice cleanses and how to get started on them if you’re so inclined.One of the things that makes The Greenhouse Cookbook so special is that it really is a community effort — all of the recipes in the book came not only from Emma Knight, but also from Hana James, Deeva Green, and Lee Reitelman. When I met Emma she didn’t speak of her book but of theirs. Maybe it’s because they all have similar views that the recipes work well together to create a cohesive vision. It’s interesting to me how their travels and experiences permeate the book — from the Very Veggie Curry w/ Exploded Yellow Lentils to the Scottish Oatcakes there is a world of flavour. While the juice and smoothie recipes are quick to make I found that some of the recipes took time, though not in a bad way.Plant-based eating can look and taste like a lot of different things. Sometimes it’s minimal or “healthy” in a flat and self-deprived way (not the case with this book) and sometimes there’s a beautiful complexity to the look and taste of a plant-based dish (totally the case with this book). Take the Spicy Mushroom Tacos w/ Crispy Tempeh (and Umami Spicy Sauce — pictured left) — so wonderful. Crispy, creamy, spicy, crunchy — all found on one plate (the corn tortillas were made by my daughter and I as a little side project but ended up really elevating the final photo and taste of the dish). I think people who don’t follow a plant-based diet (or juice cleanses) worry that in order to enjoy this diet it’s an all or nothing prospect. But as Emma points out in her introduction it’s all about balance and (b)alance looks different for everyone. So if you want to use dairy — go for it! Add chicken to the salad — why not? Dip those Scottish Oatcakes in chocolate for a little Maritime twist? YES! It takes the pressure off so that you can enjoy this book as you’d like. Their sole purpose in writing this book is to help people see that it doesn’t take living in Toronto to enjoy delicious food or juices but wherever you and your kitchen call home.Normally this is where my disclaimer goes when I’ve been given a review copy but this is one book that I purchased (not from Amazon)— maybe this adds extra weight to my review? To see that I put my money when my mouth is. All I know is that I’ve enjoyed this book immensely.

As an older medical professional I am always looking for better and healthier ways to eat well, and try to beat the pitfalls of aging and concurrent health issues. I was first introduced to Greenhouse plant based beverages about a year ago, and now I am hooked. Not only do they provide energy and healthy nutrition, but they also taste amazing. Now with the new Greenhouse Cookbook on the market, I am excited to try not only the new recipes which are equally healthy and nutritious but also try my hand at juicing myself. The snacks and desserts like Za'atar Kale Chips and Key Lime Cups will be great for entertaining guests.Thank you Emma Knight for this Lovely and informative guide

What a beautiful cookbook. The Greenhouse Cookbook is full of many delicious recipes ranging from savory juices to tasty main dishes. It is amazing what I can prepare when I have a beautiful guide, such as this cookbook. My personal favorite breakfast dish is the Moroccan Sweet Potato Hash. I would highly recommend that you add this cookbook to your kitchen essentials! I am excited to try more of the many yummy recipes in this cookbook.

Such a beautiful book, I love everything about it. Used to live in Toronto and miss their juices! Have picked this book up almost every day since I got it.

What a great cookbook! I've tried several recipes and they've all been good so far. All recipes are guilt-free, including the desserts. I like that all recipes have photos and more importantly, don't require ingredients that are hard to find - these ingredients are very familiar! Thank you to the writers - I'm really loving this cookbook.

I bought this book for the Nut Milk information and Smoothies ideas, and for the imaginative ideas for plant-based eating. Pure plant-based eating is a new thing for us, and I was looking for recipes that I could visualize working for us. The beautiful photos help with that visualization, and the recipes I've made from this book so far have been delicious.

Is is in great shape. I am very pleased with my purchase ❤️

Have already tried out several delicious recipes from this beautiful, informative book - and so many more to go!! I really love the introductory sections on equipment and the benefits of many key ingredients - I've been wanting something like this for ages!