Want to plan meals with flavor and fun? This bestselling cookbook is for the home chef.

No sooner was “Big Bites,” the first cookbook by , released on Jan. 23 than it hit the New York Times Bestseller list for Advice and How-To books at No. 7.

It was immediate confirmation that her push to launch the book in January was the right call. Ashmore’s publishers wanted it out for the holiday season. January is for diet books, they said, not one subtitled “Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun.”

But Ashmore knew better because she isn’t content to entertain with her recipes and videos, she’s committed to education.

“To me, eating better means a focus on whole foods,” she said in an interview from her Connecticut home. “It means lots of veggies and foods that will satisfy you with lots of color and texture.”

Post-holiday eating should not be about less but more, more nutrients and more good food, she said.

After training in culinary arts, Ashmore’s work was in food product management and design including a stint at Martha Stewart Living. She also produced food segments for the Martha Stewart Living TV show for a year.

Now she brings her recipes and lifestyle advice online to 2 million fans on and hundreds of thousands more on and as Kat Can Cook.

She’s a wife and mother of two small children and her struggles are those of everyone to cook healthy meals for a family. She offers her advice to plan weekly menus with a cup of coffee on a Sunday, not cook on the fly when there is stress to get dinner on the table.

“Be realistic, no one is at their most creative at the witching hour,” she said. 

Ashmore was mindful not to approach this book as much as a chef but as a home cook. A lot of her editing process was asking herself, “Do I need to use two bowls or refrigerate this for a half hour?” she said. That helped her make the recipes more user friendly.

The cookbook features recipes for breakfast, Snacks, Salads, Weeknight Meals, Veggies and Sides and Sunday Suppers. There are many gluten-free and vegetarian recipes.

Ashmore is most satisfied to have perfected Three-Year Gluten Free Bread. It did indeed take her three years to get this recipe right. It was the most requested one from her followers over two years. She reports the resulting bread is “crusty, tender and flavorful” and no one will even know it’s gluten free.

She can tell that her Orange Ricotta Company Cake is among the most popular no doubt because it’s made in one bowl and is on the healthier side. It’s one of two recipes from the book she shared.

Orange Ricotta Company Cake

3 large eggs, room temperature

· ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

· ¼ cup neutral oil

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· ¾ cup granulated sugar

· 2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 3 oranges)

· ½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 oranges)

· 1¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

· ½ teaspoon kosher salt

· 2 teaspoons baking powder

· ½ teaspoon baking soda

For the glaze

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

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Grease one standard loaf pan with nonstick spray and line it with a parchment paper sling for easy removal.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and ricotta until blended. Add the oil, vanilla, granulated sugar, orange zest and juice, and whisk again to combine.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until there are no traces of flour visible. The batter will be lumpy even now, but it’ll just be the curds of ricotta.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until puffed, and golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Cover and set aside until you are ready to glaze.

Using a pastry brush or spoon, cover the cake with the glaze, going over and over the cake until it is used up. Let the glaze harden for at least 5 minutes, then serve.

Makes one loaf.

The Ultimate Beef Meatloaf With Caramelized Onions And Horseradish

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced (about 2½ cups)

1 celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

½ cup bread crumbs

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 pounds ground beef (85% lean)

3 tablespoons good-quality ketchup

Fill a baking dish with water and place on the lower third rack of the oven. This is going to help keep the meatloaf moist and prevent cracking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, stirring, for 20 minutes until caramelized. Add in the celery, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for another 3 minutes until the vegetables are translucent. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature while you proceed.

In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, eggs, horseradish, Worcestershire, 1½ teaspoons of salt, the pepper, and 1 tablespoon of water. Fold in the cooled vegetables. Add the beef and mix gently to combine. Shape the meatloaf into a 7-by 4-inch log and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush all over with the ketchup.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the internal temperature is 160°F and the meatloaf is cooked through.

Let the meatloaf rest, tented with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing it and serving hot. Leftovers make a delicious sandwich with some mayo on toasted sourdough bread.

Makes 8 servings.

Excerpted from “Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun,” by Kat Ashmore. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.