So there’s this totally awesome chick named Michelle Tam, you may have heard of her blog – Nom Nom Paleo? Yeah, maybe. Maaaybe. Or maybe you’ve tried (and become totally infatuated with) some of her most popular recipes, like Kalua Pig, Cracklin’ Chicken, Homemade Sriracha, Slow Cooker Roast Chicken & Gravy, or Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice.
But now? Get ready for some serious epicness with Michelle Tam and Henry Fong’s new cookbook: Ready or Not: 150+ Make-ahead, Make-over, and Make-now recipes by Nom Nom Paleo. Why no one had ever thought (or at least I’ve never seen) to structure a cookbook in terms of your readiness/amount of prep time you have available before you want to eat blows my mind. But the Ready or Not cookbook is totally genius, and I love it!!
Michelle and Henry’s first book, Nom Nom Paleo, is one of my all-time favorites and was instrumental in me actually learning to cook, plus her blog was one of my biggest inspirations in starting my own healthy living blog (aka she rocks, and #winning). Her flavors are always AMAZING, the step-by-step aspect of each one of the recipes, including photos of each step, makes the recipes essentially foolproof. I went to Michelle’s cookbook signing and she is just as amazing in person as she seems on her blog and in all her cookbooks. P.S., I got knee-high socks that say “Nom Nom Paleo” on them. I was pretty pumped, to say the least.
{Here comes the genius} the book is divided into 5 sections, depending on how much time you have to prep dinner:
- GET SET! These are recipes you’ll make and will repurpose throughout the week – like sauces, dressings, and kitchen building blocks like All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, Sriracha Ranch Dressing, and Duxelles!
- READY! Heck yeah, you have a little more time to prep in the kitchen, or you’re trying to wow some guests with a fancier meal. Winning! Some of my favorites here – Pressure Cooker Bo Ssäm, Buffalo Chicken Things, Slow Cooker Carne Mechada, and Bangin’ Baby Back Ribs.
- KINDA READY! These recipes are how Michelle normally cooks, on busy weeknights when she’s trying to get food on the table asap, when you have some building blocks from GET SET!, and teaches you how to transform leftovers in the fridge into something totally new! Try out Sriracha Sunbutter Noodles with Chicken, Macadamia-Crusted Sriracha Ranch Salmon, and Jibaritos (Fried Plantain Sandwiches).
- NOT READY! When you come home and are like umm I have nothing prepped, I’m freaking starving, and I need food in my belly NOW or else. This section is for “emergency meals” just like that, super-fast recipes like sheet pan meals and savory stir-fries. Try out Chicken Curry in a Hurry, Thai Roast Chicken, Nomster Burgers, and PB&J Energy Balls.
- BEYOND READY! You’ve prepped, you’re prepared, you’ve turned your leftovers into totally new and delicious dishes, and are basically a kitchen ninja. The recipes in this section are for when you want to take your cooking to a whole new level, for learning how to make dishes without a recipe, including weekly meal plans.
Not only are the sections color-coded, so you immediately know from the outside of the book where you should flip to, but in the index, all the recipes are first sorted into each one of those categories above (your readiness!) and then the recipe type: like asian flare, saucy basics, main dishes (poultry, beef, etc.), eat with your hands, soups, salads, and sides, and international flare, and many more. GENIUS. Check out the whole list of recipes for yourself here! And notice – you have more dietary restrictions? All the recipes are noted as whether they can be nut-free, egg-free, autoimmune-friendly, etc.
Current favorite part of this cookbook -all the instant pot recipes! I finally got one and can’t wait to actually figure out how to use it to cook some of these delicious meals, instead of trying to figure it out on my own – ha! Michelle also gives instructions on how you can switch between a slow cooker and pressure cooker (Instant Pot) for many of the recipes as well, which makes me love the book even more.
I’m gushing, it’s fine. But once you try a few of these recipes, you FOR SURE will be too. In fact, you don’t even have to own the book to try one of these babies out, because Michelle and Henry are the best, and they’re letting me share the All-Purpose Stir Fry Sauce + Paper-Wrapped Chicken recipe from the book!
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- ½ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce (see attached)
- 4 cups sliced bok choy
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small jar.
- Cover it tightly with a lid, and shake well to incorporate before using.
- This sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Don’t forget to
- shake well again before using it!
- Set the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle, and make All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce if you don’t have any. It’ll take less than 5 minutes.
- Grab 4 large parchment sheets, and fold each in half. Draw half a heart on each sheet so that when you cut them out, you get full hearts.
- Unfold the paper hearts and lay them flat. Place a cup of sliced bok choy on one side of each heart. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the bok choy.
- Salt and pepper the chicken, too. Than, place a piece of chicken atop each pile of bok choy.
- Top with mushrooms and shallots. Spoon 2 tablespoons of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce onto each mound.
- Fold the other half of each heart over the top. Tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top-center of each heart. At the pointed bottom end, twist the paper to seal well.
- Place the parchment packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- The breasts should register 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the thighs should register 165°F.
- As soon as the packets are out of the oven, carefully cut them open. Serve immediately.
Need some serious flavor (and time-saving recipes) in your life? Make sure you go check out Ready or Not Cookbook: 150+ Make-ahead, Make-over, and Make-now recipes by Nom Nom Paleo.
Happy eating, friends!!
