Cristina Curp’s new Made Whole Cookbook is a long time coming, and much needed addition to the sea of paleo, keto, and autoimmune books out there today. As you guys have probably seen, keto has exploded in the past year, and in my opinion, a lot of the books out there are totally butchering the original intention of the diet – kind of like what has happened with paleo, the Whole30, and pretty much any dietary/lifestyle shift out there that has become popular in the last few years.
Recently, with keto, while people are trying to clean up their diets in favor of a higher fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate approach – instead of leaning on vegetables, well-raised proteins, and healthy fats (which you would think would be a very anti-inflammatory diet), people are going hard on all kinds of dairy, artificial sweeteners, keto desserts, even making cocktails keto – and in my opinion, it’s getting pretty out of control. Don’t get me wrong, the ketogenic diet can be used in great ways as a therapeutic intervention for many health conditions, especially blood sugar related conditions, autoimmune conditions (as Cristina talks about in her book!), weight loss, and inflammatory conditions. But the way a lot of people (and cookbooks!) today are advocating people eat is taking them in the complete opposite direction.
Thank the universe for this new cookbook. Instead of being filled with keto treats, oodles of dairy, artificial sweeteners like erythritol, xylitol, and whatever else the keto kids are using these days, Cristina’s new book is focused on whole, real foods, with a keto/autoimmune paleo spin on them, which she has used personally to help put her autoimmune disease in remission (Hidradenitis Suppurative), a debilitating autoimmune skin condition.
You guys know I’m not keto by any means, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Cristina’s recipes. Her family is Cuban and she’s grown up cooking amazing flavor profiles – plus, I know from experience that one of the best things you are forced to learn when on a restrictive diet for healing is how to be creative with limited ingredients. You won’t even notice what ingredients are ‘missing’ from these recipes with a paleo/keto/autoimmune spin on them because they are seriously exploding with flavor.
Want some previews of what’s in the book?
- Everything Bacon
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Curried Crab Cake Salad
- Kailua Breakfast Bowl
- Pad Thai Sheet Pan Dinner
- Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo
- Vaca Frita
- Cauliflower Carbonara
- Mini Pumpkin Waffles with Blueberry Compote
- Chocolate Pudding Mug Cake
- …and SO many more.
So yeah. Flavortown much? You bet. I’ve already made the pistou, the Fricase de Pollo and Zucchini Latkes and I cannot wait to make more!! This cookbook feels so down to earth, so no-frills-necessary, without sacrificing on flavor. These are (gorgeous) recipes you could make any night of the week without crazy ingredients or time requirements – which is how I love to cook every single day.
AND because Cristina is the bomb.com she’s letting me share one of my favorite recipes in the whole book – the Fricase de Pollo, which is a chicken and vegetable sauté that simmers in a delicious sauce until tender and mouthwatering…and will probably make you want to hide the leftovers from your family because it’s so dang good.
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil, ghee, or lard, divided
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3-inch strips
- 2 tsp fine himalayan salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- ½c bone broth
- 2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
- Heat 2 Tbsp of the avocado oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the sofrito (carrots, celery, onions and garlic) is very fragrant and the onions have become tender and translucent.
- Remove the sofrito from the pot and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of avocado oil in the pot and add the chicken. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano sprigs. Stir to combine. Cook until the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.
- While the chicken browns, place half the sofrito in a blender with the broth and blend until smooth. Once the chicken is browned, add the rest of the sofrito and the sauce you just blended back to the pot.
- Stir well, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. You will hear bubbling and sizzling from the pot. Remove the lid; if the mixture has a lot of liquid, reduce over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If not, stir well, garnish with green onions, and serve hot!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes to reheat.
So what are you waiting for, silly? I know you’re drooling (it’s okay, same). Go grab yourself a copy of Cristina Curp’s new Made Whole Cookbook and try out these recipes for yourself!
PS – want to learn more about the cookbook and Cristina’s journey? Listen to my podcast episode with her here: Cristina of the Castaway Kitchen on AIP & Real Food Keto for healing Autoimmune Disease!
