Preggos everywhere will agree: eating great food while pregnant can be a challenge. Not that there aren’t plentiful options – it’s just that some of our favourite meals always tend to include a taboo food or two. Which pregnant lady hasn’t experienced the following scenario when eating out:
Goat cheese pizza? Er – is the goat cheese pasteurized? Um, you know, heat processed? Can you please check?
Is the Ceasar salad dressing made in-house? Does it contain raw eggs? Cause, you know…
Uh… it says here the western omelette contains ham. Has that been fully cooked until steaming? Like, zapped with heat until all the listeria is killed? Never mind…
Sometimes it’s just easier to eat at home. And that’s why I love The Gourmet Pregnancy. The cookbook was created to celebrate food during pregnancy, and provides simple, easy to follow and delicious recipes that any expectant mother can make with pleasure.
Though author Leah Douglas was thrilled to find out she was expecting, she soon found herself longing for the days of cooking and eating whatever struck her fancy. Now that cocktails, sushi, and nights on the town were out of the question, she decided to search for new ways of experiencing food, friends, and fun. With a few tweaks, she discovered guilt-free – and doctor approved – gourmet meals that made her feel sexy and confident in her changing body.
Mom Central generously sent me a copy of the cookbook, in addition to a $50 PC Gift Card to grab my groceries and create a meal. And after flipping through the book just once, I was hooked. Apart from the wealth of recipes guaranteed to make anyone drool, I loved how the book was laid out. The cookbook began with the section “not invited to the party,” which included a list of foods that should be avoided in pregnancy (and thus were omitted from all the recipes inside).
Following the taboo foods was my very part of the cookbook – the “what are you craving?” index. Here you will find all the recipes in the book categorized by cravings – chocolate, salty snacks, red meat, tangy or tart foods, fruits, etc. It’s ingenious! You simply have to decide what floats your boat at the moment, et voila! An entire listing of recipes at your fingertips, all designed to satisfy and nourish. Love, love, LOVE this feature.
If you’re not craving anything but good food, the cookbook is laid out by breakfast and brunch, snacks and sidekicks, appetizers, lighter fare, entrées, desserts and drinks.
Shall I tempt you? How about such recipes as Sourdough French Toast with Blueberry Creme; Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle Aioli; Sun-Dried Olive and Tomato Tuna Zucchini Rounds; Lemongrass Tiger Prawn and Chickpea Salad; Apple and Anjou Pear Beef with Smashed Yams; White Peach Crumble Pie with Caramel Drizzle; Fresh Mango Strawberry Lemonade… okay, that’s enough teasing for now!
For dinner this evening, hubby and I were feeling like something on the lighter side, so we settled on a Grilled Pear and Thai Basil Sandwich with a side green salad. Incorporating Thai basil, Bosc pears, premium aged cheddar and sourdough bread, we were anxious to sample the medley of flavours.
The prep time was less than 10 minutes and before we knew it, we were sinking our teeth into one of the best dinner sandwiches we’ve had in a long time. The saltiness of the aged cheddar paired perfectly with the sweet pear, and a fresh burst of Thai basil came shining through with every bite. Mike theorized that this meal would make the cut on any bistro menu, and even I had to agree that this wasn’t “pregnancy gourmet” – it was everyday gourmet.
Although I’ve got just about a week to go before baby is due, I can easily see myself drawing inspiration from this cookbook at any time. Don’t be fooled by the title – the recipes inside will satisfy every palette!
The Gourmet Pregnancy is available online at Chapters.ca or Amazon.ca.
Or… you can win a copy for yourself here!
Mom Central, in association with John Wiley & Sons Publishing, is generously offering one Listen to Lena! reader the chance to win The Gourmet Pregnancy! You should definitely enter this contest if…
a) You’re pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant
b) You have friends who are/will be pregnant (makes an awesome Congratulations! gift)
c) You’re not (and will never be) pregnant – but love gourmet food that is quick and easy to make
So essentially… EVERYONE!
To enter, simply leave a comment telling us your favourite gourmet meal to prepare at home (mine is Fillet Mignon with Balsamic Truffle-Butter Sauce). I’ll draw for a winner on May 31st. Good luck everybody!
My favorite gourmet meal to prepare at home is roasted chicken with couscous.
Favorite Gourmet meal to prepare . . . garlic herbed tilapia and rice. Seriously, I would love this cook book just because I LOVE food! And I really do like to cook!
What a great idea for a baby shower gift! I'm not pregnant, but there's always hope for baby #3!My favourite home cooked meal? Pan seared pork tenderloin cooked in homemade tomato sauce served over linguine. Potato leek soup is a close second.
Favourite gourmet meal to prepare is cheese soufflé. However, expecting our first child in October has made my favourite gourmet food to prepare anything quick! Trust me, this looks like the ideal cookbook for my life as I currently know it! :-)
My favourite is my veal scallopini with sauteed mushroom and garlic sauce and a fresh Italian loaf of bread for dipping into the sauce…this book looks AWESOME! :-D
Grilled chicken with spicy thai marinade with lemon mint quinoa and salad with homemade dressing
Hmm… I don't know what the formal definition of a gourmet meal is, but perhaps Chicken Provencal with garlic mashed potatoes?
Slow cooked ribs with mango sour cream sauce <3
Baked salmon and garlic sauteed spinach. Simple easy and delicious!!
I love seafood! One of my favourites would be Garlic buttered prawns with roasted baby potatoes and fresh steemed veggies
Grilled chicken and mashed potatoes. fresh salad on the side is always a winner
favorite meal is breaded chicken and sweet potatoes.
Quick and easy to make is homemade pizza – gives you the protein, starch and spice all in one quick meal – and so easy to make the dough – pour on some sauce (or make your own with tomato sauce, spices and some oil) and buy a bag of shredded pizza/mozzarella cheese. Quick prepare and bake time.
This book looks amazing- awesome contest…I would want to make gourmet burgers:)
Our gourmet meal is grilled salmon, grilled asparagus and a grilled caesar salad. Fantastic!
You had me from: Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle Aioli ;)The Brother (a dude/frequent reader of this blog):c) You're not (and will never be) pregnant – but love gourmet food that is quick and easy to makeWho doesn't love a good pork crown roast with roasted seasoned potatoes and sauteed asparagus? Shhhh…don't tell anyone this dude likes to cook and try new recipes!
How did I miss this post? That sandwich looks great – preggo or not!
I remember paying $20 for a sandwich like this downtown, all in this cost us $2 per person…what a great recipe and how simple?
grilled halibut with herb & caper vinaigrette, foil wrapped grilled potatoes, green and white asparagus salad and strawberry crepes with strawberry liquor sauce…paired with a sauvignon blanc white wine…..great dishes for this time of the season
Our gourmet meal is stuffed trout with grilled or roasted vegetables on the side.arctic_teacher AT yahoo DOT ca
Wow, gourmet meal…in our house the closest thing to me preparing a gourmet meal in my house is my specialty " Chicken in the Red sauce". Everyone in the house eats it and it's the fanciest thing I know how to cook! I could use all the help I can get :O)
Apparently, I need some help with gourmet meals. The only "gourmet" meal I make is maybe stuffed pork chops with mushroom sauce. This book sounds amazing!