Cookbook Review: Make Ahead Paleo by Tammy Credicott

Title: Make-Ahead Paleo: Healthy Gluten-, Grain- & Dairy-Free Recipes Ready When & Where You Are

Author:  Tammy Credicott

Category: Cookbook – Paleo

Published: September 3, 2013 by Victory Bell Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Add: Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon | Indiebound | Book Depository

I love bread and pasta and would eat spaghetti with sauce for lunch and dinner every day of the week if I could. But I know I need more veggies and protein, which is why I’ve been picking up paleo cookbooks and recipes lately- with their emphasis on meats and vegetables, on real food, it fills in the gaps for me and lets me not feel guilty about eating that huge plate of pasta with marinara at my favorite Italian restaurant.

Four things I love about Make Ahead Paleo:

1. The photos are gorgeous and full-color. They make me want to eat the food.
2. It really is make ahead. There are sections for prepare and freeze, slow-cooker, even easy one pot meals that they suggest using for travel, but work nicely for me for busy weeknights.
3. The treats. The other day having one of the granola bars I had made from this book saved me from eating way too many of those mini-cupcakes somebody brought to work.
4. The recipes are not complicated and for the most part have ingredients I can find at my local grocery store.

One thing I wish was different: I would like some side dish suggestions.  Cocoa Spice-Rubbed Ribeyes look delicious but what do I serve them with, beside a salad?

I’ve tried a few recipes so far. The homemade not-free granola bars were delicious and easy, but this instagram photo doesn’t do them justice. My husband liked them too.

The Oregon pork was a hit at our house too, with its mushroom red wine sauce.  We weren’t thrilled with the Citrus Red Onion Slaw with Grilled Chicken, but it might be partly because the onion I had was really oniony. The dressing was yummy though.

I’ll leave you with the recipe for those granola bars, mostly because I’m thinking about making another batch today or tomorrow. I know it’s a long list of ingredients but some I just always have around.

Nut-Free Granola Bars

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 TBSP coconut nectar (I actually used honey. I’m not sure if that’s a decent substitute or not, but it’s what I had.)

1/4 cup sunbutter (no sugar added, creamy)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds (I used kernels)

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 TBSP sesame seeds

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 raisins

1/2 cup coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper, and grease it with coconut oil.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut nectar, sunbutter, and vanilla extract. Stir occasionally just until the ingredients have melted and mixed. Set the mixture aside to cool, about 15 minutes.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (both roasted and raw), sesame seeds, chocolate chips, raising, and coconut flakes.
5. Pour this coating mixture over the bar mixture in the saucepan. Stir to combine all ingredients.
6. Spoon the bar mixture into the prepared 8” x 8” pan. Place a sheet of wax paper over the top and press down firmly with you hands to compress and even out the top of the bars. Remove the was paper.
7. Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and golden.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars.
9. Let cool completely. Place the bars in an airtight container and refrigerate them to fully firm them up.
10. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.