Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great Paperback – July 30, 2013

I've been trying Paleo/grain-free cookbooks since I first discovered this healthy way of eating earlier this year. . .and I've kissed a lot of frogs.

One sold here on Amazon Satisfying Eats: Grain Free, Sugar Free & Hunger Free Cookbook has a strange warm-and-fuzzy cult following and an undeserved rating (from her groupies, I think) that I fell for. First I bought the Kindle edition (for my iPad) that was so full of quirks and glitches that it was practically useless, so I ordered the hard copy only to learn that it (1st edition) was LOADED with mistakes. The author posted an errata on her website that was just as confusing as the mistakes in the cookbook. I should have sent it back. The few things I did make from the cookbook where an utter disaster, especially the bread/muffin/cookie things.

I also got the Wheat Belly Cookbook that's loaded with truly awful recipes, including the basic bread recipe that went directly into the trash after cutting the first slice. I sent this one back Make it Paleo: Over 200 Grain Free Recipes For Any Occasion because it was nothing special and hopelessly repetitive.

However, I've finally found my prince. This cookbook is a gem. The author's "World-Famous Sandwich Bread" is the new benchmark for all grain-free everyday sandwich loaves - it's as close to wheat flour bread as any I've tasted. And I could happily live the rest of my life eating only "Slow Cooker Sesame-Orange Chicken" over "Coconut-Lime Rice" (cauliflower rice like no other - you'll be fooled). Best of all, the Kindle version on my iPad works perfectly - no quirks or glitches. Every recipe has a picture, and even the index has a thumbnail picture of every single recipe.

If you get only one Paleo cookbook, make it this one.

PS -- A tip from me for a better-looking loaf of the "World-Famous Sandwich Bread" ==> Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum Bread Pan, 7.75 Inch x 3.75 Inch x 2.75 Inch is the PERFECT pan to bake the bread in - you'll get small square slices, instead of wide/shallow rectangular slices. Be sure to get the 7.75-inch x 3.75-inch x 2.75-inch size.

This is a great book! Very tasty recipes. We've had some that didn't work out unfortunately and k followed the recipes to a T.
Awesome:
Orange chicken
Shredded chicken tacos
Granny's spaghetti and meat
Cobb salad
Red curry salmon - only way to eat salmon!!!!
Ginger broccoli
Bbq sauce & bbq burgers - yummmmm
Fettuccine Alfredo
Breakfast sausage & apples - my kids fave breakfast!!!
Mashed faux-tatoes - soooo yummy
Almond milk
Blueberry preserves
Ketchup
Vanilla granola - buy the book just for this recipe. I make it weekly.

The not-so-good:
Mayonnaise - never works in a food processor had to use an immersion blender. Taste is great.
Soft graham cookies - couldn't roll them out, taste was not good and wasted a lot of honey
Sandwich bread - not worth it, especially using expensive cashew butter
Fruit roll ups - not worth the effort
Chicken tenders - just mediocre
Sweet potato fries not so great

I'm not one to review items online but I was so excited about this cookbook and I've been cooking out of it since it landed on my doorstep. I've been taking notes on everything I've made so far and it seems to have helped many on Facebook and pushed some to go ahead and buy this book. I figured I could help a couple more make their decision with my thoughts on the recipes. Sorry. I just copied this from my FB page. All names have been changed to protect the innocent and the punctuation is less than stellar.

My Big Fat Recipe Post - Today I decided to hole up in the kitchen and play....all day. I've been dying to try out so many recipes in the cookbook, Against All Grain, and today was my day to destroy my kitchen and fill some bellies. Here's what we learned.
Apple Sandwiches (p. 200) - both kids loved to eat this as I made them. There's no real secret here it's just an innovative use of an apple. We topped ours with peanut butter (yeah yeah not paleo,) raw honey and raw pumpkin seeds. I sent two to school with "M" as requested, even though I warned her they would brown a little from being cut. She said she didn't mind. She lied. Both sandwiches came home with one bite out of them. This made me NOT HAPPY. This will be an at home snack from now on.

Slow Cooker Sesame-Orange Chicken (p 130) with Basic Cauli-Rice (p.118.) It was SUPER easy and I already had most everything stocked except for the chicken and the cauliflower. THIS WILL BE MADE AGAIN!!! I served it to four children who eat actual food, (T Doesn't count) the hubs and my mother-in-law. They all loved it and most everyone went back for seconds. "MG" our niece, does NOT like cauliflower but she was willing to try and loved this version. Two forks up!

Fruit Roll Ups (p.204) - This is not a terribly original recipe but the picture looked good so I decided to revisit the making of the fruit leather for the sake of school lunches. I used half blueberries half strawberries. I think the pureed sauce would have been awesome on pancakes or as a spread. I didn't pour the mixture through a sieve either because I'm lazy and it didn't seem that important considering the consistency of the mixture. It was pretty thick. I have a circular dehydrator so instead of lining the trays with parchment I simply rubbed them down with coconut oil. I had a hard time getting the mixture thinned out evenly on the sheets so our cooking time was pretty much double what it called for in the book. The thinner areas around the outside of the ring did get a little crispy but I brushed them with water (as suggested) and that took care of that. After the mixture was done drying I peeled it off the tray and placed it on parchment paper and rolled it up and cut it in to strips. Perhaps a little less lemon juice next time. "M" said they were a bit tart.

Carne Asada Beef Jerky (p.66) - I put together the marinade this morning and the flank steak is still chilling in the fridge awaiting its delicious but tediously long transformation in the dehydrator tomorrow. I did, however, taste the marinade before adding the beef strips and it's delicious with a little kick of cayenne that I'm hoping "M" doesn't mind. More on this tomorrow. Follow-up -

Chicken-Zoodle Soup (p.198) - "M's" all time favorite soup, hands down, no exceptions, is chicken noodle. I make it for her all the time and she was a bit skeptical when I told her I was replacing her noodles with zucchini noodles. I'd have to say that your experience with this soup is TOTALLY dependent on your broth. I made my own from left over roasted chickens so it's flavored with garlic and a variety of other herbs as a result of its previous life. I used left over chicken from a previous meal instead of chicken breasts and this turned out pretty great. "M" thought it was delicious! She said the zucchini noodles had "a better texture and more flavor than regular noodles." A skeptic no more, she slurped down three bowls of soup with "Fauxdools."

Braised Chicken in Artichoke-Mushroom Sauce (p. 132) - I made this Saturday night and my feeling was and still is "meh." First, I didn't use home made broth, second, I didn't put in mushrooms (didn't have any on hand) and third I didn't used marinated artichoke hearts (mine were packed in water) but I did throw in a good dose of home made dry Italian dressing seasoning hoping to even the odds. I found it bland and uninspiring. I'm convinced I need to do over and use the correct ingredients this time BUT this did serve as the chicken for my Chicken Zoodle Soup so I don't regret the time and effort put in.

Mint-Chip Ice Cream (p.282) - "M" said this is not too sweet and it doesn't taste like honey like some ice creams we've made without sugar. It's refreshing with an icy milkiness that's appealing but not "creamy." There's no need for food coloring in my opinion. It came out a nice mellow green. We didn't let it sit in the freezer long enough to fully freeze so I won't know until tomorrow what its frozen consistency is but it certainly is delicious as soft serve.
"M" just requested bacon ice cream. I guess that's next.

Zucchini Bread (P.236) - I had some small local zucchini that needed a purpose in life so I cleaned up the kitchen a bit and started over. This was my last adventure for the evening. I don't have a stand mixer so all of my mixing was done by hand. I was also out of usable baking soda so I subbed two teaspoons of baking powder and sifted the almond flour to break up clumps. After the prescribed time in the oven it was done but slightly more moist than "M" finds palatable so I sliced off the ends to share with the kiddies and put it back in the warm but no longer "on" oven. "T" liked it. No surprise there. This was easy just like everything else and I'll certainly make it a repeat. I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow. Follow-Up. I've fed this to many people and ALL of them, regardless of age or diet have found it delicious. I even had a friend sub zucchini for mashed sweet potato and some walnuts. She let me taste it this morning and it was heavenly!!! I'm thinking some pumpkin and pumpkin spice for fall is definitely going to happen...oooh, maybe I'll put it in muffin tins and top with the buttercream frosting I have yet to make. OH THE POSSIBILITIES!!!

Here's Round 2 of recipe reviews:

Carne Asada Beef Jerky (p.66) - Follow-up
This smelled delicious when I pulled it out of the bag in the morning and prepped it for the dehydrator. I'm not sure if I sliced it too thin but the drying process only took 3 hours instead of the recommended 6. It's not tough and super chewy like store bought jerky which is nice considering "M's" lack of teeth right now. After cooling for a bit it did take on a more chewy texture. The taste is much milder than I expected but is still quite good. Perhaps some smoky chipotle pepper next time =-)

World Famous Sandwich Bread (p.226) -First thing. THIS BREAD WILL CHANGE YOUR GLUTEN FREE LIFE! It's Amahhhhhhhzing. It tastes like honey wheat but without all the grain. I've made several gluten free breads and this is the ONLY one that is anywhere close to actual flour/wheat bread. No lie. NO LIE...sooooo.... "T" helped me make this one =-) He wanted a peanut butter (yeah yeah) and honey sandwich. We didn't have bread....so we baked some. How Suzy Frighin Homemaker is that?! Anyhow - It's a pretty speedy put together. Prep time says 20 minutes. I'd say that's about right-on if one has a four-year-old spooning things out in measuring cups. The hardest part was witnessing "T's" sad face at having to wait so long for it to cool.

Marinated Artichoke Hearts (p. 76)
I didn't use frozen (as the recipe specified) but instead used up a MASSIVE (Cost-Co) jar that I had left in the fridge from a previous meal. The smell while they simmered caused some serious salivation and these might be used in....well, everything. Restaurant quality yumminess is now residing in my fridge. Actually, that's a lie. I ate the entire jar while sitting on the couch watching Glee reruns. Don't judge. We all have moments of weakness.

Sweet Potato Chips minus the cilantro-serrano dipping sauce (that's another adventure) - (p.86)
My mandolin got a workout on this one =-) These are a little tedious and time consuming...and I burned them time and time again. WATCH THESE LITTLE SUCKERS CAREFULLY!! The ones I didn't burn were as expected. Not totally crispy but definitely a snack the kids will enjoy. I decided to up the ante and try them in the dehydrator. Fail. They were small, chewy and are still sitting in my fridge.....guess I should clean that thing out.

Vanilla Bean Hot Cocoa (p. 340) - It was an oddly cold August evening and quite drab at that so I decided the kids and I needed a warm cup of hot chocolate on the couch with a good movie. Simple recipe. Easy enough....just don't walk too far (like to switch over laundry) as this seems to boil quickly (or perhaps I spent too much timing patting myself on the back for such effective stain removal in said laundry room.) At any rate, mine boiled over and that's no good for anyone (including the person who gets to scrub the burned milk off the stovetop...me.) After straining the milk I washed the pot before returning the milk to the pot and finishing up the cocoa. To me it didn't make sense to strain something and return it back to the pot with stuff you want out of the cocoa still stuck to the sides of the pot. I used Lindt 70% cocoa even though the recipe said 85% or higher because we don't have an issue with dairy and it's what I had opened already. My unsweetened cocoa was also out of date.....by a lot (yeah yeah.) End result? Lovely, creamy, mostly dairy free hot chocolate that beats the pants AND the socks off anything you could get in a tiny little packet. "M" liked it and so did "T" (who refused to try any until he was satisfied with the list of ingredients I supplied him.)
Sidenote - do you remember when Starbucks used to sell Chantico, the "drinking chocolate?" This reminded me of that.

Blueberry...well...just "Waffles." (p.36)
It's Sunday morning and it's raining. We need waffles. This recipe was a whirl to put together, literally. I made it in the blender. We left out the blueberries because, like my sister, "M" doesn't care for cooked fruit and I used maple syrup over honey (both are listed as options in the recipe.)The first waffle came out as first waffles do in this house...in about a zillion pieces. Despite the sad state of the first waffles they did taste good. Slightly sweet, soft. Don't expect any crisp here unless you coat your waffle iron in butter prior to pouring in the batter. Mine also took significantly longer to cook but that's probably due to my waffle iron. The second batch came out whole. I called the kids in for breakfast and rave reviews all around. This pleases me very much because "M" can be quite picky about her waffles and pancakes. I used to make whole wheat versions with wheat germ, protein powder, oatmeal and just about anything you can imagine thrown in. She turned up her nose at those after awhile and preferred "Daddy" pancakes made with Bisquick. To have her so excited about this version warms my little heart. "T", who will pretty much eat anything in bread version, didn't even question the recipe. This recipe made 6 WHOLE waffles and two sad little messes (also known as "mommy waffle.)

Chicken Broth (p.316) - Normally I roast chickens and then save the carcass (sounds like something a hyena leaves behind. *shudder*) and the drippings to make broth. This results in a rich but very "roasted" tasting broth. "M" loves it as do I but sometimes I think there's a need for a cleaner tasting broth. Besides, I needed more broth (after the Chicken Zoodle Soup of last week), I had a chicken, I had a recipe, and so I made broth a different way; with the WHOLE chicken. This had more steps to it and I simmered this lovely smelling broth on the stove for a day instead of in the crockpot for 24 hours like I normally do but it's delicious and clean just as I expected. I started out with 12 cups of water and ended up with a bowl full of chicken and 10.5 cups of "tastes just like chicken" broth for the freezer. This is good. Winter is coming.

Hamburger Buns (p.242) - It's gloomy out but we're supposed to go to a block party tonight and I thought "what a perfect time to try the hamburger buns!" I'm surprised at how easy and quick most of these recipes are. Once you've got the staples in stock and a couple good appliances it takes so little time to create one of Danielle's masterpieces. This one was just as easy and just as quick. In order to make this recipe dairy free it calls for palm shortening (which I can't find in less than 5 lb quantities online) or ghee. I used butter. We don't have a problem with butter. Some people can't handle the lactose at which point I would strongly advise you get your hands on or make some ghee and if you find palm shortening that comes in a smaller, less expensive quantity let me know. After these were down I met my mother-in-law at Five Guys (party was cancelled due to rain.) Ordered up a lettuce wrapped burger and then tucked it between my home made hamburger bun. YAY! It's been a VERY long time since I've had a hamburger with a bun. =-) I took two with me thinking the MIL might want to be adventurous. She poked at it, smelled it and then discarded her "five guys" bun in favor of my home made one. WIN!

Korean Beef-Wrapped Asparagus (p. 74) This is listed as an appetizer but my daughter earmarked it as a dinner she would like to have. I cut the steak a little thicker since we were using it more as a main course and the asparagus that I could find were the tiny little stalks so I grouped those together in stalks of three or four. Again, another easy recipe with flavor to spare. My 6-year-old kept saying "oh my gosh this is SO good" between bites and scarfed down all of the left over bits of steak that I couldn't wrap around the asparagus but had sautéed to put in eggs for tomorrow's breakfast. So much for that grand idea. Delicious and a great way to not overeat on steak. A little steak goes a long way with this recipe.

I've got SO MUCH more cooking to do! Thank you to Danielle Walker for all of your hard work and for sharing it all with us.