[Disclaimer: I purchased the cookbook on my own and did not receive any monetary compensation for the review. My opinions are entirely personal. This post contains affiliate links.]
“Clever!”
That’s the first word that came to my mind as I browsed through the recipes in Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook last evening, after it arrived a couple of days following my order on Amazon.ca. The Canadian site put up the book for sale earlier than Amazon.com, so that’s great news for us in Canada. The 240-page, hardcover cookbook with over 120 Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) recipes is written and photographed by Rachael Bryant, creator of the popular recipe site Meatified, and published by Page Street Publishing Co.
Using the AIP to manage the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease, Rachael has a knack for creating bold and flavoursome meals with her innovative recipes while on the elimination phase of the AIP. The book starts off with a foreword by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Approach and The Paleo Approach Cookbook. Written in a casual and friendly style, Rachel keeps the background information pertaining to the hows and whys of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) concise before launching into the recipe part of the book, which is divided into 6 chapters, namely:
- Bring on Breakfast!
- Maximising Meat
- Super Seafood
- Eat the Rainbow
- How to do Dessert
- Add a little Extra
Most recipes are accompanied by a photo and each recipe starts off with a short description by the author and the number of servings or quantity (between 4 – 8 servings, usually). Total prep time and cook time are not mentioned. The sans-serif font employed in the cookbook is on the small side, so be certain to read and mentally visualise the steps before cooking! The full page photos in the book are gorgeous, and the foods pictured are appetizing and appealing to the modern home cook. Another much appreciated bonus [is the usage of both U.S. and metric measurements.
The recipes in the cookbook are internationally-inspired with Asian, North and South American, plus European flavours available to tempt the palate. This was a major draw factor for me to get the book, as I enjoy cooking dishes from around the world. Having said that, ingredients possibly unfamiliar to some are called for in several recipes, but no mention as to where to obtain them. A certain knowledge of cooking and sourcing of ingredients is required to execute some recipes successfully. If you are fairly adept at cooking, this won’t prove to be an issue, but if you are unfamiliar with cooking and just starting out on the AIP, you will probably have to do a bit of homework and read up more on stocking an international AIP pantry either from online or print resources. Wherever possible, Rachael provides alternatives to coconut-based ingredients for those with coconut sensitivities.
Bring on Breakfast!
This is a small chapter with 6 recipes, ranging from Coconut ‘Oatmeal’ to Plantain Hash Browns. I like how Rachael puts a different spin on foods one takes for granted and produces AIP-friendly creations. Her Sausage Gravy “Benedict” in Portobello Mushroom Caps is a fantastic example of that, drawing inspiration from classics like sausage gravy and eggs benedict.
Maximising Meat
Easily the ‘star of the show’, this chapter showcases Rachel’s talent at creating budget-friendly meat recipes (her site is called Meatified, after all), playing around with a variety of meats and cuts such as beef tongue, pork cheeks, lamb, and rabbit, to name a few. Her choices of flavour combinations are lively and far from boring, adding pizazz to familiar staples like chicken and steak. Classic dishes such as Baked Swedish Meatballs in Gravy, Chicken Curry with Creamy Spiced Pumpkin, or Quick Beef Noodle Bowl with Shiitake Mushrooms come in handy for times when we’re hankering for some old-fashioned comfort food.
Super Seafood
I was really stoked to see a chapter dedicated to seafood, with tasty recipes such as an AIP take on Thai-style Shrimp Cakes with Cilantro, Anchovy-stuffed Portobellos with Pancetta, and a really easy no-cook Smoked Seafood Spread with Sardines and Oysters. The recipes in this chapter are varied and filled with flavours interesting enough to awaken the most jaded palate, or tempt folks who don’t fancy the taste of seafood.
Eat the Rainbow
Having meals with a good variety of vegetables is essential while on the AIP, and the cookbook’s chapter on vegetables is made up with recipes featuring a good variety of cooking methods, from crispy Parsnip wedges with Garlic “Mayo” Dipping Sauce, crunchy Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp & Radishes, to velvety Sweet Potato Gratin with Caramelised Onions, or aromatic Indian Spiced “Rice” with Lemons and Raisins. Even veggie haters will find something tasty in this gem of a chapter.
How to do Dessert
This is a simple chapter with mostly no-cook fruit/ frozen desserts to provide a minimally sweetened and light finish to a meal. Once again, Rachael’s flair for combining unusual flavours is apparent with her Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Popsicles with Coconut Milk, Spiced Banana-Carob Pudding with Crispy Bacon, or Peach Granita with Thyme and Ginger. As she mentions at the start of this chapter, no unusual or expensive ingredients (which can be the case in AIP baking) are necessary to create the treats.
Add a Little Extra
The final recipe chapter in the cookbook, this collection forms the foundation of many recipes featured in the rest of the cookbook, with condiments, dressings, dips, and seasonings. Recipes for broth are also included. Some notable recipes include Smoky Avocado Spread with Bacon Fat, Creamy Artichoke Dip with Spinach, and Pita Wedges.
Instead of a meal plan, the cookbook includes a ‘Make a Menu’ section at the end with suggestions for themed menus using recipes in the cookbook, such as Indian Feast, Thai Takeout, or Fajita Night. I wished there were a recipe index for a quick summary and reference of all the recipes in the cookbook, though an index is included at the back of the cookbook. Perhaps a printable pdf recipe index with page references could be made available, Rachael? Your readers would definitely appreciate it. I know I would!
While not indicated at a glance, some equipment such as a blender or a food processor are required to make certain recipes in the cookbook. I personally do not own either equipment, so that limits the number of recipes I can make, though I’m probably in the minority group as a food processor is practically de rigueur in the kitchen, especially for AIP cooking! Recipes such as Thai Green “Curry” Paste, Plantain Croquettes, and Hot & Sour Soup with Shrimp “Dumplings” & Seaweed all appeal to the gastronome in me, so it looks like I’ll be researching on food processors soon! So bear in mind that a food processor is a must in order to get the absolute most out of this cookbook.
In Summary
Awareness of the AIP is gradually gaining and the increasing number of cookbooks dedicated to it is a testament of its potential healing capabilities. This is exciting news for folks on the AIP as hardly any recipes (let alone cookbooks) could be found just a couple of years ago. My family and I enjoyed the recipes we have tried so far and will be referring to it on a regular basis. Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook is a great addition to the AIP cookbook library, especially if one is likes aromatic flavours and international cuisines. If you are familiar with the protocol and are keen on cooking and experimenting with a wide variety of ingredients, this will be a very fun cookbook to have.
Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook is now out on Amazon.ca and will be available in Amazon.com and bookstores elsewhere on March 24th 2015.