Last Friday evening, I stopped by my condo to check the mail and found a copy of the Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook waiting for me to review. What an awesome surprise! I quickly flipped through it and realized that if it did not say "Paleo" on the cover, I would not have known at first that it was a Paleo cookbook. What does this mean? Well, it means that these recipes are a collection of super delicious meals, snacks, and desserts accessible to ANYONE, even those who are not following a Paleo diet.
What is Paleo? Well, if you have never heard of the Paleo diet, I am glad you are here. The best way to explain it in a nutshell is that it is a diet rich in proteins and fat. A typical day for me is grass-fed beef or organic chicken, a TON of vegetables like broccoli, onions, and cauliflower, butternut squash (and any kind of squash you can think of for that matter, including PUMPKIN!!), a little avocado, bacon on some days, coconut milk, coconut oil, treats like cashews and dates, fruit (berries and citrus). I do have cheese (raw milk blue is my favorite!!), but I am going to dial that back in the upcoming weeks as I would like to lean out just a little bit more. To learn a little more about my diet, you can click here.
When I tell people that I don't eat bread, processed grains, or dairy other than raw milk cheese, I get a lot of resistance, almost like they are horrified at the thought of ever giving up those things themselves. I guess maybe it is a big deal to some people, but I am not sure why there is not more of a demand for clean and healthy food that doesn't make us sick. I am not sure why most people take medicine if they have heartburn or high blood pressure when they should first simply take a look at what they had to eat over the last month or year or even at their last meal and maybe ask themselves how long has it been since they walked or jogged a mile? I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just merely making a suggestion.
I am so puzzled by people who continue to shove known poison into their bodies for the sake of "it tastes good", "it is cheap", "it is convenient". I kind of have a rule for myself as far as what I eat now... usually if it has a commercial or a marketing campaign, I don't eat it. This pretty much means anything that comes in a package. If it has bright colors or loud fonts, that's another red flag.
Ah, I rant therefore I am.
The thing is, I am not going to convince someone who is already gulping down transfatty donuts and eating bags of chips and cookies (and oh yeah, those cute little sugar as crackpipe cupcakes I used to make not so long ago) and boxes of Little Debbies (WTF is in a "Star Crunch" anyway?!?) already on the crazytrain fasttrack to heart, colon, pancreatic, liver and kidney diseases. I guess if you are happy living that life, go for it.
But, if you are tired of feeling sick and tired, constantly on a diet and feeling starved all the time (with little to no results), and just frustrated with CONSTANLY CRAVING SUGAR and never feeling full or satiated...well, try dropping a few things from the rotation like the morning cinnamon roll... ;) Even the evil Weight Watchers has it in for you with their little processed snack cakes. I don't care if it is only one "point". ;)
Oopsy, ranting again...
The Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook is a great resource if you are already Paleo, or if you are just starting out. It has numerous meal ideas and tips, tricks, and even kitchen equipment suggestions to help you make the most of your Paleo cooking. You have no more excuses to eat poorly.
You can buy the Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook here on Amazon. So many great recipes in one place for under $20. What a bargain for your health and your loved ones who might resist the idea of giving up certain foods. This book is a great transition into the Paleo diet without the feeling deprived.
Just read some of the recipe titles: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Chunky Guacamole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Fried Chicken... does that sound like deprivation to you?
By the way, I made the "Paleo Spiced Nuts" on page 62 and took them along to 2 different parties over the weekend. Guess what? I didn't have to say, "Oh, these are Paleo" or "Oh, I made these because they follow my diet plan" I made them because I knew they would be freaking delicious!! Just take a gander at the recipe below (I added golden raisins to the mix, they were not a part of the original recipe):
.5 teaspoons chili powder
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
.25 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 cups raw nuts (NO PEANUTS! They are beans, far less nutritious, and not Paleo.)
Nuts to include the following: cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, brazil nuts.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil or organic butter
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup red wine
1. Simmer the raisins in the red wine to plump them up and drain them in a sieve. Set aside.
2. Mix the spices in a bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add nuts and toast until lightly browned, be careful not to burn.
5. Add the oil or butter and vanilla and toss to coat, then sprinkle your spices over the nuts and stir until well combined.
6. Spread the nuts out on a lined cookie sheet (easier clean up this way) and speckle them with the raisins--just place them wherever in little bunches on the sheet amongst the nuts. The raisins give a little sweet to the spiciness that I just love.
7. I set the cookie sheet back in the oven at about 150 to keep warm until I was ready to serve them. Be careful once again not to burn.
You can like Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook here or follow them on twitter here. Thank you, Julie and Charles Mayfield, what a great book and what awesome people you are. Saving the world one meal at time...
If you are Paleo and looking for mealtime inspiration, or if you are the opposite of Paleo, I encourage you to check out this book.
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