Cookbook Review: The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth

I was in Toronto visiting my family over the weekend so not a lot of cooking was accomplished. Well that is only partly true – I cooked a bunch of things for a brunch yesterday morning including a scrumptious avocado,corn and tomato salad from Martha Stewart, a cucumber and pineapple mint honey salad (both inspired by my good friend Laura), turkey dairy free gluten free nachos, and an avocado + pineapple guacamole – but none of which I am going to detail in this post. Luckily there was a tiny bit leftover that I could take on the train to have for dinner.

Instead of sharing a recipe, I thought a short book review would be good and since I very rarely look at a cookbook twice, this once deserved a post. My cookbook shelf is very jealous of this gem.

Claire introduced me to the concept of Clean Eating several years ago but more recently lent me this book: The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth. I have made the one recipe Low Sugar BBQ Pulled Chicken and I am now embarrassed to return it to Claire because there is dijon mustard, ketchup and a touch of chili powder smeared on the page. Luckily, she bought me my own copy for my birthday last week! Thanks Claire:)

The authors, Jonny Bowden, board-certified nutritionist and Jeannette Bessinger, Clean Food Coach, have put together a magical book of easy healthy slow cooker recipes. There is some information about the health benefits but I haven’t found the time to actually read my cookbook. I get down to business when I put it off the shelf – hungry tummies need to be fed (well in 4-6 hours when the slow cooker is finished it’s job). The meaty recipes call for grass-fed organic meats but I have not found it in our budget yet to buy these types so maybe I’m not making the “healthiest slow cooker recipes on earth” but they’re close and most certainly delicious.

After I tried the bbq pulled chicken, I thought I would try to try the Sesame Teriyaki Low-Carb Lettuce Wraps which also calls for pulled chicken and it was a hit. It was flavourful and filling.

The other thing I like is that it opened my eyes to a bunch of other recipes that you can make in the slow cooker besides stews and chili – including stocks, desserts and dips.

So pull out your slow cookers and get cooking. If anyone in Ottawa wants to borrow it, I’ll lend it to you but only as long as you promise to splatter something on the pages of your favourite recipe.

-Daria

What the heck is “paleo-ish”?!

Mmmm….steak!

If you happened to read the About Us page, you might have noticed that I referred to myself as “paleo-ish” and be wondering what that’s supposed to mean. I tried to make this brief, but that obviously didn’t happen, so here’s my (wooly) mammoth explanation. Fairly recently, after being tired of feeling sluggish and tired all the time, and experimenting with a few different types of eating plans, I started hearing more about the “Paleo” diet, and thought it might be worth a shot.

I have never been a huge fan of dairy, and I know that I never feel great after eating meals with a lot of wheat in them (the good news is, I will never need to use sleeping pills because a bowl of pasta will knock me out for the night instantly), so honestly, cutting out dairy, wheat and grains wasn’t that hard. Legumes are another story – being the half Mediterranean gal that I am, beans have always been a major staple in my diet, but I’m willing to go without for a while to see what the outcome is.

I have always been a protein lover, and find it really easy to digest (Pierre thinks it’s hilarious that I can eat a steak, then go play sports an hour later) so frankly, any dietary lifestyle that allows (nay, encourages) me to eat a ton of meat sounds pretty fantastic! I found some great resources to get me started, and have been doing it for a few weeks. The difference in how I feel is incredible. I have WAY more energy and am much more clear-headed. I’m finding myself more productive throughout the day, and never feel bloated or gross after eating. I convinced Pierre to try it with me, and he says: “Wait, is this going to be posted on your blog?..Hmm, I’ll have to think of something witty and charming to say.” Since we don’t have time to wait on that you’ll just have to trust me – he feels great too.

Sounds like I’m totally paleo and loving it right? So what’s the deal with the “ish”? Well, while I’m really loving the benefits I’ve been experiencing, I do like to allow myself some flexibility, after all, it’s my body and I can eat what I want. I see the “ish” as a kind of disclaimer. The more I learn about the paleo lifestyle, the more I see how incredibly serious about this some people are, which is great (for them), but not for me. Also, I don’t want to be arrested by the paleo police for eating “illegal” foods. So, “Paleo-ish” it is.

Another interesting thing I’ve found about my new lifestyle is the questions I get from people:

Q: I don’t buy the “ish” business. Are you really just a big paleo faker?
A: No…at least I don’t think so. I guess it depends on who you ask. A paleo purist might call me a faker I suppose, but I’m not eating any dairy, grains, legumes, sugar or processed food for the most part. Do I occasionally have a small portion of one of these foods? Yep! Did Pierre and I get lazy and order pizza on Saturday? Sure did! Did I fall into a “bad food” coma right after and not wake up until the next day? Absolutely. Will this happen on the regular? No way. I think that about sums it up.

Q: Remember how you used to LOVE pizza? So are you telling me you’ll never ever eat it again?
A: No, see above. Same goes for ice cream.

Q: I’ve heard about these “paleo people” they only consume grass-fed organic meats, isn’t that expensive?
A: Yes, so expensive. Especially when you’re trying to feed a family, which is why I’m not super strict about this. I’d love to only ever eat grass-fed organic meat raised on a farm down the street. But let’s be honest, until I win the lottery, that’s not going to happen. So I do what I can.

Q: Aren’t you hungry all the time? How can you possibly be full without a giant side of pasta or rice or bread with your meals?
A: Trust me, I wondered the same thing. But I’m still eating a lot. For example, a typical dinner might be a steak or chicken breast with roasted sweet potato and broccoli. How is that not filling? I just don’t have to take a nap after. In fact, I served a whole paleo meal (cedar plank bbq’ed salmon, coconut milk mashed sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus, with fresh berries for dessert) for my in-laws the other weekend and everyone was stuffed and no one noticed it was paleo. So there.

Q: Umm..why can’t you just eat like a normal person?
A: What is normal anyway? When it comes to food, people have all kinds of different tastes, preferences and dietary requirements, so one person’s “normal” is another one’s “weird”. And frankly, if by “normal” you mean the average North American chemical-laden diet that (according to the Public Health Agency of Canada) has made ¼ of Canadians obese, then I’m ok with being a weirdo.

Q: Aren’t you worried about being a pain in the butt when you’re eating out with other non-paleo people?
A: Nope. It’s my body, I think I have the right to fuel it with things that make me feel good rather than awful. If you don’t like it, tough noogies

Q: How do you eat out at restaurants?
A: It can be kind of tricky if I just want to grab something quickly, and post-softball nachos are out of the question so that’s a bit tough. I try to make sure I have snacks in my purse to tide me over in emergencies. When eating in restaurants, it’s easy to make friends with your server and ask if you can sub your rice or potato for extra veggies or sweet potato or salad. Again, this is where the “ish” comes in handy. I know a lot of strict paleo people wouldn’t dare eat a burger off of a potentially peanut oil greased grill…but I give myself some wiggle room to stay sane. I’ll be posting reviews of places in the Ottawa area, and anywhere else my travels take me, so sit tight, and make sure to check back regularly.

Q: You work out a lot and play lots of sports – don’t you find you need carbs for energy?
A: I still am eating carbs, silly! I eat sweet potatoes and veggies and fruit. A banana and almond butter gives me plenty of pre-sports fuel if I feel like I need it.

Q: Are you forcing poor Pierre do this with you against his will? What about Lily? Isn’t she too young?
A: No, MOM, I’m not, he is doing it with me because he wants to feel good (and not just because I cook our food). Also, while Lily is eating mostly what we eat at home, I’m obviously not asking her daycare to only give her paleo food…and she loves goldfish crackers and cheerios too much – so, no she is not paleo, but there are plenty of children who are, and they seem to be doing just fine.

For anyone who is interested, here are a few resources that I’ve been using over the past few weeks that I think are pretty great:

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
The Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet – A basic guide
PaleOMG – Juli is hilarious and her recipes are delicious!
Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations – Lots of great recipes to try