The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods [A Cookbook]

by Sara Forte, Hugh Forte (Photographer)

Sprouted Kitchen food blogger Sara Forte showcases 100 tempting recipes that take advantage of fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins, and natural sweeteners—with vivid flavors and seasonal simplicity at the forefront.

Sara Forte is a food-loving, wellness-craving veggie enthusiast who relishes sharing a wholesome meal with friends and family. The Sprouted Kitchen features 100 of her most mouthwatering recipes. Richly illustrated by her photographer husband, Hugh Forte, this bright, vivid book celebrates the simple beauty of seasonal foods with original recipes—plus a few favorites from her popular Sprouted Kitchen food blog tossed in for good measure. The collection features tasty snacks on the go like Granola Protein Bars, gluten-free brunch options like Cornmeal Cakes with Cherry Compote, dinner party dishes like Seared Scallops on Black Quinoa with Pomegranate Gastrique, “meaty” vegetarian meals like Beer Bean– and Cotija-Stuffed Poblanos, and sweet treats like Cocoa Hazelnut Cupcakes. From breakfast to dinner, snack time to happy hour, The Sprouted Kitchen will help you sneak a bit of delicious indulgence in among the vegetables.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Foodie, Cuisine

252 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2012

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited to cook from this book and was hoping to give it a great review on Goodreads, but I was leafing through the recipes before settling in to give the book a serious read and stopped on a recipe for chocolate-drizzled oatmeal shortbread. "Huh," I thought, "sounds good and not horribly unhealthy." I shut the book after reading Forte's smug assertion that

I was a Girl Scout for years, and I definitely stood in front of markets and went door to door selling those popular cookies, which, now that I know better, I feel bad about pushing on people.

I'm sorry, healthy is awesome. I'm all for healthy. I'm all for cooking with whole foods. But I am not for self-satisfied, judgmental people who look down their noses at the unenlightened and unwashed masses. Thomas Keller can freely admit to his love for Oreos while still championing fresh foods for home cooks - now that's an unpretentious philosophy I can get behind. I'm just glad I borrowed The Sprouted Kitchen from the library rather than buying it.

[P.]

I'm not going to rate this because I didn't make anything out of it. It looks like it has some nice salad ideas, which is why I checked it out. But there's nothing in it that looks really exciting or a different taste combination. I mean, there's a recipe for french press coffee. But also nothing that looks terrible. I'll probably check it out again in the spring when I want more salads.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook, great photography. I really like cookbooks with little story sidebars.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whole food based cookbook with beautiful photography done by a wife and husband team. Most of the recipes fall under the term "California cuisine"

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this book out from the Chicago Public Library so many times throughout the spring + summer that I apparently hit the limit for how many times a single book can be renewed in a calendar year and I had to sadly return it for good. Sara Forte’s recipes are light, not fussy, usually involve minimal ingredients, and vegetable-centric. Thus, they are the perfect summer dishes. 4 stars because, unless I move to California, I can likely only make these recipes in the summer when all the ingredients are in season.

[Salina Salleh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read within 2 hours. Given free pages until 458 only. Table of content is perfect. Easy to find which menu to try cook first. The brief information on ingredients at the early pages for me is simple and easy to understand. You dont have to be an expert to understand that kind of information. People with less knowledge on nutritional education can easily understand. Recipe books that I had read before, not that thick and very less pages. The information at the early pages suit categorized this book not as a normal cook book.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has such a lovely personality but I'm less inspired by this book than her other one. Its still great for healthy meals but there are fewer recipes that I feel like I need to make.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some promising recipes, but I have yet to try them. 3 1/2 stars.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
not one recipe contains anything 'sprouted'!!!
the breakfast section was the only part with anything that looked good
big dessert section didn't interest me at all

[Anne Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have cooked my way through this entire book so many times! Wonderful and delicious recipes! My favorite!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!! Made multiple recipes

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own this one. I like it, but I haven't tried very many recipes from it. The ones I have tried are a couple of my favorites, but overall this book is not used often.

[BookBec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made a lentil soup and a cauliflower pasta from this book. Both were fine but left me still hungry after dinner.
Glad that this book wasn't all about sprouts!

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

No sprouted foods within the first chapter, stopped reading after that.

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent book of writing advice. I love Writer’s style. Highly recommend for other.

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library, but I am definitely buying it. Her taste and mine are the same. I first discovered her blog, sproutedkitchen.com,, and after trying out her recipes I decided to check out her cookbook. She has designed a book of healthy recipes, mostly vegan, that are both original and delicious. I was so happy when flipping through the book, I found recipes that allowed me to use some ingredients that I had, which I didn't know what to do with. I made:

- Cornmeal cakes with cherry compote
- Haricot Vert Salad with avocado goddess dressing
- Toasted Millet with arugula, pickled onions and goat cheese.
- Chipotle and Apple Turkey Burgers
- Lentil Meatballs with Lemon Pesto

All were successful, except the lentil meatballs but that was due to a mistake I made. I basically made a pulp of the lentil meatballs, instead of using the food processor a little, to make lentil crumbs. The result was dry lentil balls.

Thank you Hugh for taking my french press coffee making skills to the next level. Boy does it make a difference. I couldn't figure out why the expensive beans I was buying tasted shit. It turned out it was because of the brewing process.

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the title of this book misleading. I was expecting to find a book of recipes that incorporated sprouts. Since I'm into sprouting I am looking at ways to use them in dishes. This is not that book! Ok. So I got over that, and gave the book a chance. The pictures are STUNNING (yet I still have to say, misleading)
Since there were no sprouts to be found in this sprouted kitchen, I expected this book to comprise of healthy vegetarian or vegan recipes. Instead I found some good recipes that are geared to the intuitive cook. It's very much a "I put this together and it tasted great so it made my recipe book" kind of book. . Nothing wrong with that at all. However, it is exactly how I cook so I do not need this recipe book.
The book is made more appealing because of the gorgeous photography. She can put together a great tasting meal and he can take a great picture. Voilà! You have this book.
Bottom line: I'm ever so glad I borrowed it from the library as I would not buy this for my collection.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous photography thanks to Sara's wonderful & talented husband, Hugh. Her recipes are really great, however, many of them are crazy expensive. Execution of the cookbook is wonderful. Typography is on point & the stories are cute to read. They're not annoying or grating like some are & the book doesn't look like a pioneer of rodeo circus (see what I did tharrr haaaahhh).

I'd recommend this book to any cookbook collector out there because this is the perfect book to have on your coffee table or shelf. There's a photo for ALMOST every recipe, but again, my biggest complaint is that many of the recipes will rack up quite a grocery bill. The book is really well thought out & well organized, I just can't give it 5 stars. It's worth more than 4, but it's not a complete 5 star cookbook to me. Many of the recipes are novel & original, but some of them are just so damn time consuming.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Mom gave me this lovely cookbook after she checked it out from the library and fell in love with the author and her photog husband (I have a photog of my own at home). Lucky me! Or maybe lucky Matt! I immediately made the red grape salsa (and goat cheese!) crostini, roasted cauliflower pasta, and grapefruit margarita for dinner tonight. Sooooo gooooood. And the pictures are really wonderful. Very fresh, very healthful recipes. I think I'm a pretty decent cook, but I have to admit that I had never used an Anaheim pepper before -- and isn't that the purpose of a cookbook, to inspire new meals and habits? Another thing I really like about this author's style is that although she offers some seafood recipes, a great number of them are vegetarian -- which is perfect for our mixed household also (Matt is veg). Love the cocktail section, too, of course. This is going to be fun!

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: Some interesting recipes that combine things that wouldn't occur to me (Strawberry and Leek Quesadilla?) and overall tasty sounding. I tried the Capellini with Roasted Cauliflower and the Acorn Squash with Balsamic Reduction. They were good but not great.
Cons: Vegetables that are not in season at the same time are used in the same recipe. (I don't usually cook this way so this is probably a minor issue for others.) also, she uses many fattening ingredients. I also don't necessarily have an issue with this as I don't use low-fat versions of food and I love dairy, but in this case she's pretty heavy handed with creme fraiche, nuts, cheese in order to add flavor.
The book has gorgeous photos.

[MiIler Devis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book because of the irresistible photography, it makes me hungry every time I look at it. I'm so glad I did. This is a quality book that feels good in your hands and is easy to navigate. The author sprinkles in what I consider to be just the right amount of her own voice and experience alongside the recipes. It's true some of the recipes are unnecessarily fussy, but she's good about telling you what matters for success vs. what is her preference. If you are an adequate cook willing to take initiate you should have no problem making the majority of the recipes suite your needs.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sara Forte has created a luscious cookbook full of beautiful photographs and interesting combinations which focuses on fresh vegetables and whole grains. Many of the salad ideas look excellent for summer when we are looking for lighter fair that requires little cooking. My complaint is the she often uses unusual ingredients which are difficult to find unless you live next to an extraordinary grocery. I wish she had recommended possible substitutions. This issue is major enough that I would not consider owning this cookbook.

[Drew Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another hit-or-miss cookbook from Sara Forte. I have made the almond cacao nib cookies (excellent) and the zucchini bread bites (challenging recipe not worth making, much too much liquid when using her suggested replacement of cooked and cooled quinoa). I have a couple of other recipes I want to try from this book as well. What I like about her recipes are that they are unique and simple. As a long-time cook who doesn't like complex recipes I appreciate that. It is frustrating that some recipes are great and some seem terribly off or bland.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspirational cookbook proving that "healthy" food is not so far out of reach for anybody. She writes this book with her husband by her side and the way she talks about him is absolutely adorable, like he hung the moon. They work very well together, the recipes are great and the pictures are fantastic. This a good book for anyone looking into whole foods. Some of the recipes are slightly out of touch with what I would enjoy but I found quite a few I cannot wait to try out.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely cookbook with various levels of complexity. Wonderful photos and easy to relate to commentary. There were several recipes that seemed to complicated for me to make in 30 minutes of less (which is my guide for adding recipes to my monthly menu plan). The snacks and quick meals really worked for me.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos. Inspiring recipes. I like the chatty style of the author. Not all vegetarian, but enough great recipes to keep my entertained. I borrowed the book from the library and copied a few recipes to try, and if they are tasty and not too time intensive, then this book will go on my Amazon wish list. Author has a great website, so I may use that as a reference rather than her cookbook.

[Melissa Baker Linville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great cookbook for those looking to incorporate whole foods and lots of vegetables into their everyday diet. The recipes are easy to follow and have basic ingredients, while still providing an innovative way to spice up your meals.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 stars because it was beautiful. However, there are very few recipes that would work for my current lifestyle and ages of my children. Still incredibly inspiring and lovely to peruse.

[Kelsee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and the recipes. Simply writte and gorgeously photographed, and I'm already enjoying the goodies within. The smoky red lentil soup was amazing! Perfect book for anyone starting to introduce more "whole foods" or focus on veggie-centric meals.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photography to go along each recipe---- for me, this is actually imperative for a cookbook to be engaging. Tried a handful of recipes, enjoyed them all. Am considering buying this for my own cookbook collection :)