Thursday, November 1, 2012

Make It Paleo

Earlier this month, I shared WIAW: Making It Paleo, where I told you about the Make It Paleo cookbook by The Food Lovers and showed you some of the recipes I tried out in my kitchen.  The response to the photos that I posted and have been tweeting and Instagramming have been great. People see these meals and think, "That's Paleo? That doesn't look so hard."  

And it's not! It's just delicious.  Now that I've worked my way through many of the recipes, I'm excited to give you a full review. 

I swear I only put Post-Its on recipes that
I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to make.

The book opens with a foreword by Mark Sisson. That was just about all I needed to see to be convinced that this would be a good book. He's one of my absolute top Primal/Paleo resources. When I have a question, I typically go to his site first; it is such a rich resource for all things health-related from a primal perspective, while still balancing out the "normal" of today's world. I highly recommend you check it out.

SO, the fact that he endorses this cookbook was a huge plus. Off to a great start.

Next, there is a very thorough, easy-to-follow Table of Contents listing the early resources and then all the recipes by type: Breakfasts, Appetizers, Entrees (meat, poultry, seafood), Salads, Soups, Sauces and Dressings, Side Dishes, Treats and Cheats.

The Introduction includes notes from Hayley's "Grandpa Buz" (a doctor) and from each author--Bill Staley and Hayley Mason.


Next, the book goes through an intro to Paleo, including... what it is, the food guidelines, a primer on meat and fish (the best way to go about purchasing quality products),
also on fruits and vegeatbles--suggestions for where to find the cleanest types, and a guide to seasonal produce.


There's also a really helpful guide to oils and fats. "Healthy fat is an essential component of the paleo diet," they begin, and then go on to describe the uses for various types of fats in cooking.  They elaborate even further on nuts and seeds and what types of "flours" you can use with them. There's also a table showing which herbs, spices, and seasonings go best on each: poultry, pork, lamb, seafood, and beef.

Then, after explaining some different cooking tools and tips, the recipes begin at last.

Almost 400 pages of recipes. Wow.

Asian Broccoli Slaw

Seared Artichokes!


More on this to come

Hello, delicious.
Banana Bread with date-mixture. mm mm 

Veggie Egg Bake

Brussels Sprouts!!! 

Butter Garlic Wings
I was never a wings person.
... until now? Wow.
The name of the recipe says it all.

Butternut Squash Soup
My first time making soup from scratch!
They made it so easy. 

Coconut-Nested Eggs
Creative and tasty.
I ate the first egg before I remembered to take a picture. 

Chocolate-Chip Cookies


Crust of EGGPLANT! 


Outrageously good zucchini lasagne

Coconut Flour
(Waffles and) Pancakes

THESE WERE SO GOOD.
The fluffiest Paleo pancakes I've had, yet. 
Make them.

Portobello Turkey Burgers 


I made the "Rosemary Roasted Turkey"
recipe with chicken breasts. Still good!

Paired the Rosemary Roasted Chicken with
Cauliflower Rice

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

Is that enough for you???? Believe it or not, that's only a small sampling of everything the book has to offer.  Nothing has disappointed so far.

The work concludes with "Menus for Special Occasions," with a complete meal menu for events such as birthday dinners, specific holiday meals, "Summer Cookout," "Tex-Mex Night," and "The Big Game."  These would be fun to use when hosting a party.



And that's it!  Bill & Hayley really walk you through how to Make It Paleo, with delicious recipes that will keep you interested and satisfied. These easy-to-make, delicious meals prove that paleo is possible for anyone.  Learn more about the book here or go ahead and buy your copy on Amazon!   

But wait! The authors have way more to offer, too.  They've got an E-book to help you through your first 30 days of paleo eating. Check it out here.

If you're interested in a free, versatile tool to take these paleo recipes with you wherever you go, download their MyKitchen App.  With it, you can browse and save recipes, create meal plans and shopping lists, and optionally sync these with your online account.  Definitely worth trying out.

Make It Paleo

But back to the book:  If you're looking to try out some paleo recipes or want to experiment with the diet, this is a great resource for you! I dare you to learn a little bit more about paleo eating and this cookbook today!


Which of these recipes would you want to make first?

Dislaimer: I received the cookbook free of charge to review, but the opinions expressed above are all my own.

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Good idea! Hope you get and enjoy! :)

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  2. does the book have a lot of pictures? like of every meal? and does it show you step by step instructions?

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    1. Yes, the book has loads of photos, for each dish, and includes an ingredient list and a "process" that walks you through the HOW to make :)

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  3. LOOKS AWSOME!! Love all the pics!

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  4. Ever since our chat in the park, I've been wanting to try some paleo recipes! That book sounds really helpful! I might have to check that out :)

    Hope all is well!

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    1. There are some tasty recipes for all! :)

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  5. The coconut crusted eggs or the eggplant crust pizza look really interesting...

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    1. Both were good, and both were unlike anything I'd had before.

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  6. This is one of my favorite Paleo cookbooks! I've been wanting to try those coconut egg nests forever! Were they amazing??

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    1. Yeah! I didn't quite know what to expect.. It added some crunch to otherwise fresh runny eggs. I'm not even a big coconut person, but they were tasty!

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  7. It's a very interesting concept... thanks for the info AND photos.

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  8. When I have a question, I typically go to his site first; it is such a rich resource for all things health-related from a primal perspective, while still balancing out the "normal" of today's world. I highly recommend you check it out. click here

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  9. I checked out from the library and also marked so many with stickies, it would be cheaper to buy the book instead of a new cartridge for my printer LOL My son got us interested in Paleo (he has been doing it for almost a year) so we're late getting started.

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