Caramelized brussels sprouts w/lime & shallots ~ Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook Review

WOW. Just wow. Is all I can say.

I’m trying to think of short ways I can describe Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook, by Rachael at Meatified.

Totally unexpected and delicious?
Bursting with flavor?
#mindblown.
Taste bud explosion?
What are you waiting for?
Go get it NOW!

I’m running out of adjectives for how amazing this book is and how much it (unexpectedly) blew me out of the water.

Here’s the deal with the autoimmune protocol, and cookbooks that go with it. If you’re not super creative with the flavor combinations, it’s pretty easy to eat plain food all the time. When you can’t eat spices and a ton of condiments that us in the paleo/real food world tend to rely on, like salsa, hot sauce, peppers, and many spice blends, (and EGGS!!) things can seem kind of bleak. Especially if you don’t have a knack for coming up with ridiculously tasty flavor combinations that aren’t just herbs, garlic, salt and lemon on your roasted meats, salads, and sautéed veggies. (which is delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it gets a little old after a while.)

Until Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook came along.

Sure, there are some fantastic autoimmune cookbooks out there. But none of them has gone this far with the crazy flavor combinations, even recreating things like BBQ sauce, thai curry paste, taco seasoning, salsa, mayo, and indian-inspired curry sauce…all that are autoimmune friendly.

Say what?!

As much as I LOVE peppers, tomatoes, spices, and other non-AIP foods like eggs and chocolate, I do feel much better when I’m not eating them so often. Which is really hard for me, considering my family is part Italian and we grew up eating pasta…a lot.

But with Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook, I didn’t even miss those foods. And how could you, with recipes like these? Chicken street tacos with blueberry salsa and avocado cream? Loaded sweet potatoes with BBQ chicken and “cheese” sauce? Rosemary flatbread with prosciutto and plums?

Um, hello. Pork belly carnitas with apple? I’m there.

I loved this cookbook so much I made 23, yes, twenty-three (you read that right) recipes from it in one month. That’s dedication people, especially when you run a food blog and have to come up with all your own recipes all the time too. But I just couldn’t get enough! My only quip with the book is that it doesn’t include cooking or preparation times at the top of the recipe, which threw me off sometimes when I was trying to meal plan or start cooking dinner, only to realize I should’ve had something done hours before.

Rachael (the author, who blogs over at Meatified) is a total sweetheart. She sent me a personalized package with some finishing salts and a hand-written card along with the cookbook!! How adorable is this?

All this to say, whether you follow the autoimmune protocol or not, this is a cookbook you should go buy, no, NEED to go buy and add to your collection.

Now enjoy this delicious recipe from the book! And scroll down to see more of the recipes I cooked through this month!

Caramelized brussels sprouts with lime and crispy shallots

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

From Rachael: Mr Meatified still says he hates Brussels sprouts. But he loves them when they’re cooked like this. Slicing the Brussels sprouts super finely makes them caramelize all over instead of just on the outside and the lime juice creates a tangy glaze. Topping them off with crispy shallots makes these “mini cabbages” crispy-crunchy and downright addictive! Brussels are packed with vitamin K and vitamin C, to boot, making them a badass vegetable when it comes to potent anti-inflammatory benefits!

Dana: Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 shallots
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut or avocado oil, divided
• 1 lb (454 g) brussels sprouts
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

Directions

CRISP

1. Peel the shallots and cut each in half. Slice the shallots finely.
2. In a large skillet over low-medium heat, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil.
3. When the oil is hot and beginning to shimmer, add the shallots and toss them in the oil to coat, then spread them out in a single layer. Cook until golden, stirring frequently to avoid burning, about 5 – 8 minutes.
4. Once the shallots are golden-brown and crispy, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Watch them carefully as the shallots will burn easily – it’s better to take them out when then still look a little underdone, especially if you’re cooking them in a black skillet!

CARAMELIZE:

1. Cut the stems from the bottom of each sprout and discard. Pull off any loose leaves and slice the rest of the sprouts finely.
2. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high.
3. Add the loose leaves and the sliced brussels sprouts to the pan, along with the salt. Cook until the brussels sprouts begin to caramelize at the edges, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the lime juice and toss to coat.
5. Continue to cool until caramelized and just tender, about 8 minutes.
6. Top with the reserved crispy shallots and either serve immediately as a side, or let cool slightly and use as a salad base.

3.3.2998

Warm chicken “grain” salad w/ bnut squash & greens (p.44)
Rachael has the recipe for this one on her website! Check it out! 

Mango & Lime glazed chicken wings (p.63)

Braised spring chicken with artichokes & olives (p.79)

Chicken curry with creamy spiced pumpkin (p.83)**

Pork belly carnitas with apple (p.39)**

Grilled thai beef skewers with pineapple and green onions (p.49) with Thai green curry paste (p.202)

Duck fat burgers with Mango with Smoky avocado spread (p.50 & 199)

Teriyaki glazed salmon (p.112)

Poached cod with blueberry salsa (p.112)

Sneaky tuna salad (p.131)

Parsnip wedges with garlic mayo sauce (p.136)**

Caramelized brussels sprouts with lime and shallots (p.140 – see above!)

Sweet potato gratin with caramelized onions** (p.143)
Served this for easter brunch and this got rave reviews from everyone!

Herbed spaghetti squash with bacon (p.144)

Roasted asparagus (p.148) with Double apple dressing (p.198)**
De. LICIOUS. Almost gobbled up the whole bunch in one sitting. 

Plantain croquettes with pancetta (p.151)
These were fun to make, and really tasty, but they’re a bit difficult! 

Indian-spiced cauliflower rice (p.163)
Perfect with the pumpkin curry chicken recipe!

Chicken bacon bites with green onion & sage (p.87)**

Garlic-lovers roasted beets (p.174)

Quick caramelized onions (p.210)

Go get your copy of Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook! You won’t be disappointed, whether you follow AIP or not!

What do you guys think? Have you tried the autoimmune protocol before?