Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking

by Donal Skehan, Jocasta Clarke (Photographer)

Keeping an open mind and a positive approach to what you eat is one of the most important steps when it comes to improving your health. The Good Mood Food approach to cooking is straightforward and full of health benefits by improving your mood, sleeping patterns, energy levels, and mental state. With delicious recipes for Gazpacho Salad, Sesame Chicken Satay Skewers, Real Baked Beans with Focaccia, Apple and Oatmeal Muffins, Ginger Lemon and Honey Tea, Baked Dill and Garlic Salmon, Baked Pears with Spiced Honey and Peanut Butter Cookies among others, Good Mood Food is a healthy delight! ""This book is a feast for the eyes. . . An incredible first cookbook."" - Library Journal ""Truly lives up to the promise of its title and is highly recommended."" -The Midwest Book Review

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking

290 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, healthy homecooking is exactly what you will find in Good Mood Food. The recipes are simple with easy to understand instructions and beautiful pictures. They use fresh, healthy ingredients and most are readily available.

The book is divided into sections such as breakfast foods, main dishes, snacks and desserts. I liked the layout. Each recipe was on one page on the right with a full color picture of the finished recipe on the left page. Turn the page and you move on to the next one. Unfortunately the type of binding used does not allow the book to stay open. A perfect cookbook, for me, is one that will lay flat on the table so I can reference the instructions and ingredients while I’m cooking.

This book was published in Europe so I had to translate temperature and measurements but that was not a problem and shouldn’t deter anyone from trying these recipes. I used one of the many conversion sites on the net, Traditional Oven is one of my favorites, to convert the measurements.

There are a number of recipes that I want to try. The first one I choose was Apple and Oatmeal Muffins. I made a few modifications substituting cow’s milk for goat’s milk and added a little more cinnamon. (I know goat’s milk is healthier but I didn’t have any in the house.) They were delicious.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently started checking out cookbooks from the library and this was one of the first. I loved his approach to the healthy side of eating. I tried several recipes from the book and enjoyed them. I even made the broccoli and spinach soup twice before returning the book. Some recipes are more labor intensive, while others are very simple. Note that if you are in the US you do have to convert the measurements but don't view that as a deterrent. This is definitely on my list to become a permanent member of my cookbook collection.

[Dodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy recipes, many familiar but with a fresh healthy twist. On my tape flag rating (recipes I want) - 13! That definitely puts this on the "to buy" list!

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really approachable food, lovely photographs, has a whole "kitchen party" vibe--

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of simple and healthy recipes for home cooks.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to use this book with a few modifications. Enjoyable. Great job Donal!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kid looks like he's 12. He also grew up in Howth, Ireland, so I am now disgustingly jealous.

The recipes seem pretty simple and down-to-earth, with only a few not-readily-available ingredients. This book also made me want a juicer because the smoothies look & sound amazing.

Recipes I might try:
Super Green Broccoli & Spinach Soup
Homemade Nutty Breakfast Bars
Roast Sweet Potato and Parsnip Mash
Wholegrain Apple Granola Crumble

[Gaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good basic recipes for beginning cooks

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, easy, healthy recipes! Yum!

[Rexanna Ipock-Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very tasty recipes that are labor intensive. Still, just thinking about the book makes my mouth water.

[Mary Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Donal doesn't even begin to compare to Jamie Oliver.

[Aiden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good recipes in the "Cleansing Foods" section.