{"id":48652,"date":"2016-03-29T07:15:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T11:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=48652"},"modified":"2021-05-06T08:10:57","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T12:10:57","slug":"andie-mitchell-cookbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/andie-mitchell-cookbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Kale and Cake: Inside Andie Mitchell\u2019s New Cookbook"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kale
Photos: Aran Goyoaga (left); Clarkson Potter, (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Need some motivation to cook more? Bestselling author and blogger Andie Mitchell’s<\/a>\u00a0latest cookbook might be the secret ingredient that\u2019ll help you rediscover the joy of cooking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take it from Mitchell, healthy living wasn\u2019t always quite so effortless. Growing up, she struggled with obesity, emotional eating and depression. At 20 years old and approaching 300 pounds, Mitchell decided to take control and set out to lose weight the old-fashioned way \u2014 by transforming her eating habits and committing to exercise.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 11 Non-Scale Victories That Are So Much Better Than Weight Loss<\/a><\/p>\n

Ten years and a bestselling memoir<\/a> later, Mitchell is sharing kitchen tips in her first cookbook, \u201cEating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook<\/a>.\u201d <\/em>Mitchell believes that a sustainable,<\/em> healthy lifestyle shouldn\u2019t mean skipping happy hour or staring longingly at your coworker\u2019s birthday cake. Instead, it\u2019s about fueling up on good-for-you eats while leaving room for sweet treats or a much-needed cocktail every once in a while.<\/p>\n

Daily Burn chatted with Mitchell to learn what \u201cmostly wholesome\u201d means to her, and how she hopes her new cookbook will bring inspiration to your kitchen, too.<\/p>\n

In the Kitchen with Andie Mitchell<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The title of your cookbook includes the phrase \u201cmostly wholesome.\u201d What does \u201cmostly wholesome\u201d mean to you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMostly wholesome\u201d is along the lines of the 80\/20 principle. Eighty percent of my diet is real foods, whole foods (like fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins) \u2014 stuff I know will be nourishing and good for me, and will make me feel really good.<\/p>\n

The other 20 percent is obviously the richer, more indulgent foods that aren\u2019t doing me a lot of favors nutritionally \u2014 the sugary things like cakes, and the higher calorie items in the \u201cFor Sharing\u201d chapter of the book. (Ed. note: There are mouth-watering options like Loaded Chorizo Nachos and Spicy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Do you follow this 80\/20 principle on a daily basis?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“After losing 135 pounds, I\u2019ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to maintain that loss.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On most weekdays, I eat a healthy, wholesome breakfast. A lot of these recipes are in the breakfast chapter of the book \u2014 standard breakfast items like oatmeal or an omelet.<\/p>\n

I love the idea of putting lunch on autopilot, and I\u2019ll usually have salad. I like the idea of making it so routine that you don\u2019t have to test your willpower. For a lot of us, lunch on weekdays is fairly routine \u2014 eaten at the same time, often in the same location \u2014 so why not make it healthy? I\u2019ve found that if I have a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch, I\u2019m much more likely to make a healthy dinner decision.<\/p>\n

I like keeping weekdays more wholesome because on weekends I\u2019ll often try a new restaurant. When I go to a restaurant, generally speaking, I get exactly what I want on the menu. I don\u2019t have any hang-ups about the number of calories because I know the healthy decisions I made throughout the week mean I can enjoy a more indulgent dish on the weekend. And I really<\/em> enjoy it. I\u2019m mindful when I\u2019m eating it so that I know to stop when I\u2019ve had enough. I\u2019ll always get a dessert on the weekends, too.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s kind of how balance works to me, but it can always change. The thing about balance is that it\u2019s important to know that it\u2019s not a place you arrive, it\u2019s a practice. Every day that I wake up, I have to choose that balance. It\u2019s about being mindful at every meal.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Ways to Stop Stress Eating From Taking Over Your Brain<\/a><\/p>\n

Is balance the same for every person? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

From talking to people who read my memoir and to people who have struggled with their weight or have food obsessions, I\u2019ve learned that we often have a relationship to food where we swing between two extremes \u2014 overindulgence or overeating and restriction or extreme dieting. It\u2019s almost easier to tell someone to go on a three-day juice cleanse than to eat moderately because we don\u2019t have a sense of how to be moderate. We don\u2019t have any of that middle ground.<\/p>\n

After losing 135 pounds, I\u2019ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to maintain that loss. I asked myself, \u201cWhat am I going to do to maintain my lifestyle? How do I find a place where I am healthy, but I\u2019m also happy, too?\u201d Stopping the swinging from one extreme to another is the only way that I can actually sustain this happy weight. I found a way to incorporate some of the indulgent foods, and a lot of the healthy foods, and have that middle of the road approach.<\/p>\n

What sets your cookbook apart from ones that only offer healthy takes on classic recipes?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I want this book to serve as a testament to a balanced life. It includes five essays about shifting my mindset and relationship to food. In some ways, the book is as much about sharing the recipes as it is about why balance matters, and why it\u2019s OK to incorporate those more indulgent foods that you love.<\/p>\n

And although I do lighten things like chicken tenders and fish and chips, I would never lighten a dessert because I don\u2019t find the same level of satisfaction in lighter sweets. On my journey, the more I restricted my diet or the more I ate only \u201chealthy\u201d or \u201cclean,\u201d the more I felt this sense that I was just white-knuckling it until next time I could eat a cupcake. And then I would have 18! I would have a binge that was much grander than I ever wanted it to be.<\/p>\n

Writing a cookbook requires lots of recipe testing. How did you maintain your \u201cmostly wholesome\u201d balance while testing the recipes?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“It\u2019s a really nice feeling for me to be able to eat cake, to prove to myself that I can eat foods I love in a balanced way.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s not easy. The reality is that you don\u2019t want to eat all of the recipes you make right when you make them. You\u2019re making so many more dishes than you could ever eat in a day, or a week, or even month. I\u2019d be making three or four recipes in a day!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m no longer a member of the clean plate club. I recognize that everything that I eat or don\u2019t eat is going to show up somewhere on me. I would taste every recipe, but I would not go so far as to think \u201cI have to finish this meal.\u201d That would have been punishing!<\/p>\n

Portion size was really key when you were initially losing weight. How did you incorporate that into the cookbook?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ten years ago when I first stared losing weight, I had to learn what a real serving of chicken or cereal looked like \u2014 I had no idea. I included the nutrition information on each recipe to show people what I\u2019m recommending as a reasonable serving size, and readers can do with that what they will. It was so important to me when I was changing my life so I\u2019m always mindful of it now.<\/p>\n

Also, save those indulgences for times you care about. Something more indulgent can be shared and maybe should<\/em> be shared, and that\u2019s a great way to be moderate about portions. It\u2019s also about saving those indulgences for important times. Instead of indulging in a cookie at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, consider special occasions instead.<\/p>\n

What’s your favorite way to indulge now?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Definitely dessert. Probably cake, because I love frosting. It\u2019s something that I have always shared with my mom, so it is very nostalgic for me. Even now when I go home, we will go to our favorite bakery and have a cupcake or a piece of cake. It\u2019s a really nice feeling for me to be able to eat cake, to prove to myself that I can eat foods I love in a balanced way.<\/p>\n

What do you think is the most important first step for someone just starting to develop healthy habits?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step is honestly recognizing that your relationship to food might not be working. Back<\/a> to that relationship where you\u2019re swinging from one diet extreme to the other \u2014 the first step is realizing that it doesn\u2019t work. Deciding that you want to have a better feeling about your relationship to food is the real place to start.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re there, you start practicing. You start realizing that you want to feel healthy and be healthy, so maybe you have to eat clean or wholesomely most of the time. But you still want to incorporate the foods that you love, because that\u2019s going to keep you happy. Give it some time, and practice it. If you can, keep doing that and see how long you can get and how it\u2019s bettering your relationship with food and probably yourself.<\/p>\n

\"Chicken
Photo: Clarkson Potter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cashew and Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe<\/h3>\n

Mitchell just had to recreate the incredible lettuce wraps she tried at a Chinese restaurant. “The wraps manage to strike a delicate balance between sweet and salty, crunch and tender, rich and refreshing,” she writes in\u00a0Eating in the Middle<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>One glance at that mouth-watering\u00a0photo and we’re sold!<\/p>\n

[skinnybox]<\/p>\n

Serves 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/h3>\n

1\/2 cup unsalted cashews
\n1\/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
\n3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
\n2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
\n1 teaspoon sugar
\n1 teaspoon cornstarch
\n2 teaspoons canola oil
\n2 garlic cloves, minced
\n1 pound ground chicken breast
\n2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
\n1\/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Spread the cashews on a baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop the cashews and set aside.<\/li>\n
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, hoisin, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch.<\/li>\n
  3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.<\/li>\n
  4. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.<\/li>\n
  5. Add the scallions and the hoisin sauce mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and cashews.<\/li>\n
  6. To serve, divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates and spoon the chicken mixture into each of the leaves.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Want more delicious recipes from Mitchell? Get your own copy of Eating in the Middle<\/a>, on sale\u00a0starting March 29.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Because nobody eats kale salads for every meal. We chatted with Andie Mitchell about her latest cookbook and tips for healthy living. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[428,23,7,9,18],"tags":[204,39,341,388,285],"class_list":["post-48652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dessert","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-recipes","category-weight-loss","tag-cooking","tag-dessert","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48652\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}