I was SUPER excited to cook through Danielle Walker’s Meals Made Simple: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime
I did run into a few kinks with the book – some of the cooking times (specifically for the meats/fish) were really off for me, and I found myself switching up a bunch of spices most of the time. This was really unexpected, since Against All Grain is such a star-stunning cookbook and I hadn’t run into these issues before!
There are some AWESOME recipes in this book, and great ideas for how to use up leftovers when you’re batch cooking (which the book encourages) so you don’t have to be cooking multiple meals every single day, without sacrificing flavor or variety. Some of these will definitely become staples in your kitchen, like the Paleo Ranch Dressing (p.247), Tuna Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette (p.112), and Roast Chicken with Thyme Gravy (p.118)
When I first went through to pick out which recipes I wanted to make this month, I nearly wrote down half the book. It was insane. Want to see which ones I made? Scroll down after this AMAZING recipe from the book for No-cook chocolate pudding!
A note from Danielle: “This pudding is a breeze to throw together and is packed with omega-3 and fiber-rich chia seeds. I have always been sensitive to food textures and typically turn my nose up at chia desserts, but when you grind them in the blender you get a smooth pudding instead of the lumpy and crunchy texture that is often associated with chia recipes!”
- 1 (13½-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup hot water
- 4½ ounces pitted dates (about 18 small Deglet Noor)
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- dark chocolate shavings, unsweetened coconut flakes, or fresh berries, for garnish
- Place all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 45 seconds.
- Pour the pudding into serving bowls, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Garnish with dark chocolate shavings, unsweetened coconut flakes, or berries before serving.
Make-ahead tip: The pudding may be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If a thin film forms on the top after chilling, remove it with a spoon before serving.
Here are the recipes I made from Meals Made Simple
! I put **stars** by all my favorites.
Simple Scrambles: Smoked salmon and sweet potato scramble (p. 78)
Vegetable biryani (p.216)
This was one of those recipes that I loved the concept of, but changed up the seasonings majorly to suit my tastebuds. Check out my Cauliflower Rice Biryani!
Thyme roasted carrots with orange (p.228)
Ranch dressing, champagne vinaigrette, greek dressing (p. 247)**
Tuna salad with champagne vinaigrette (p.112)**
As much as I love tuna salad, using the same old recipe can get boring. This one will change up your routine for sure, and you’ll keep coming back for more!
Roast chicken with thyme gravy (p.118)**
Hawaiian chicken burgers (p.124)
I loved the base for this recipe, so I switched it up and made it into my own recipe with different toppings and seasonings! Check out my Hawaiian Burgers with Pineapple-Ginger Relish!
California chicken wraps (p.128)**
These were RIDICULOUSLY good – I wish I had thought of this recipe so I could share it!! I used the Tortillas from Make it Paleo II for the wraps. Still dreaming about them.
Nightshade-free chicken curry (p.132)
Slow cooker braised pork shoulder (p.184)**
Cuban pork panini (p.188)**
Creamy dill salmon (p.198)
Poached cod with butternut squash and carrot purée (p.202)**
Real deal chocolate chip cookies 2.0 (p.280)** These cookies deserve their own 5-star review. They are out-of-this-world delicious.
If you want these recipes or more simple and super tasty ones like these, make sure you check out Danielle Walker’s Meals Made Simple
Hi, I have to say this no cook pudding was delicious! I received great compliments from the group I made it for. I wondered if I could make this using lo-fat coconut milk. I wouldn’t normally alter this recipe since it is wonderful as is but I forgot to pick up the full fat coconut milk and have lo-fat on hand.
Hi Colleen, so glad to hear that! The original recipe is Danielle Walker’s from Against All Grain, but I think low fat coconut milk would work. The result may be a little less creamy, and you may need to add an extra Tbsp or 2 Tbsp of chia seeds. I don’t think it will change the taste too much, but the consistency will be different. it can’t hurt to try it out! If it’s too thin at the end, add the extra chia seeds. Let me know how it turns out!