NomNom Paleo

Hmmm...first impressions? Well, I must admit we were all very skeptical about this book. It is a complete departure from any of the other books we have reviewed to date. We found the design to be silly and cartoonish. Also, if you are not interested in eating Paleo, or have a vegetarian in the family, this is not the book for you. And sadly, even if you push aside the health and environmental benfits of eating a more plant based diet, there are far more interesting and exciting Paleo recipe sources out there than this NomNom Paleo.  While there is a lot of information in the beginning of the book about foods, it is not all based on sound or uncontroverted science.  

Over all, we found the recipes too easy.  There was little direction on how to use sauces, spices, veggies, etc.  Most of the more complicated recipes contained little in the way of technique instruction.  

We would not recommend this book.

BUILDING BLOCKS

Magic Mushroom Powder p35

Deb:  Tastes great, easy to make.  Mostly a mushroom seasoned salt with little/no direction as to how to use it.  You can toss it on anything that needs salt...

 

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes p38

Deb:  One of two or three keepers out of this book for me.  Super easy and lovely.  You simply halve tomatoes, sprinkle with herbs and salt, drizzle with oil and roast.  A great way to deal with tomatoes that are past the point of serving raw.  I like to toss them with pasta so that's not paleo...

Paleo Mayonaise - Immersion Blender Method p41

Deb:  Followed directions exactly.  Failed to come together.  Also, insufficient direction on how long to go at it.  What a waste of a lot of avocado oil and money.

Quick-Pickled Carrot Strings p50

Deb:  Second keeper.  Nice idea to use apple juice and apple cider vinegar together.  Easy and sweet brine that would work well for a variety of veggies.  Kids loved it.  Very easy once the carrots are julienned.

Spicy Pineapple Salsa p55

Bonnie:  A simple and fresh salsa, but definitely not life changing. I wasn't sure what the addition of 2 tablespoons of olive oil brought to the party. I would leave that out next time.

Avocado and Basil Dressing p61

Deb:  This is basically fat and not interesting enough for salad, but my kids like it on mexican food.  Easy - avocado, basil, garlic and olive oil.  You could work up a better version.

Roasted Rosemary Almonds p66
Bonnie:  LOVED the technique of frying these in Ghee. Absolutely delish!

SALADS & SOUPS

Classic Coleslaw p99

Deb:  This is the most boring coleslaw ever and I used store-bought mayo since the homemade didn't work.  It didn't even taste good - to anyone in our family.  Another recipe in the compost bin.

Bone Broth p105

Bonnie:  Bone Broth...also know as stock. What is this pretentious affectation all about anyway? My Nonna made 'bone broth' every Sunday with the bones from Sunday lunch roast. Anyway--the technique is sound and yields a classic, gelatinous, rich broth.

Carrot & Cardamom Soup p115

Bonnie:  A no brainer soup...but that tiny little 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom did absolutely nothing to change the flavour of this rather bland carrot soup. If you decide to make this, up the cardamom by at least 1/2 a teaspoon, if not more.

Furikake, Asparagus & Eggs p126
Bonnie:  So I kind of cheated with this one--I didn't actually have furikake seasoning, but still, the technique of cooking both the eggs and the asparagus in a cast iron skillet is brilliant. The eggs did not stick, and the asparagus was a lovely and toasted. I have made this quite a few times.


Deb:  This is kind of weird - eggs with tapioca flour, fish sauce and lime juice - but it puffed up nicely in the pan and tasted quite nice as well.  Calling 6 eggs two servings is a bit much, so I used the leftover in fried rice.  Would make again.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Frittata Muffins p134

Bonnie: I love these little flavour bombs. I actually froze 1/2 of the recipe and then popped them in a zip lock bag on my way to work for a quick, paleo breakfast on the go.

Zoodles p143

Deb:  This isn't a recipe and she acknowledges that.  How hard would it have been to make a few sauce suggestions?  I have a spiralizer and make zucchini this way. It is good and it is easy.

PLANTS

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower p155

Deb:  This recipe is easy (a trend) and quick.  And it tastes quite nice, but it cools down super quickly when compared with potatoes (especially since you take it off the heat to food process) and I don't think it tastes very nice cold.

Easy Cauliflower "Rice" p156
Bonnie:  Very plain and bland, but if you're subbing this for regular rice under something like a curry, this is an excellent way to cut the carbs in your meal plans.

Asian Cauliflower fried "Rice" p161

Bonnie:  Hands down this was my favourite recipe from the book. I have made this weekly since I tried it the first time. There is always a bowl of it in my fridge. It has become my favourite breakfast with a fried egg on top, or quick lunch. I had never used coconut aminos or coconut vinegar, but those two ingredients combined with fish sauce make for a very tasty dish.

POULTRY
Fiona's Green Chicken p193

Bonnie:  Basil, cilantro, mint etc....what could be bad about this recipe? It's simple and delicious.

Deb:  I'd make this again. Everyone liked it and it was an interesting mix of tastes.  It came together easily, and grilled well although my husband complained that it left a very messy grill.

Crispy Smashed Chicken p197

Bonnie:  Essentially a paleo version of chicken schnitzel, using coconut flour instead of wheat flower. It was quite tasty--especially with the pineapple salsa on top.

MEAT

Kabobo Koobideh p215

Deb:  Big fail.  The meat tasted good but there was no chance it would stay on a stick.  I made it as a meatloaf.

Vietnamese Lettuce Cups p239

Deb:  Making this for book club.  I'll let you decide.  It does not keep or reheat well.  The apples and herbs need to be raw for the full experience.  Boy child loved.

TREATS
Whipped Coconut Cream p253
Bonnie:  Yah...well...it's not whipped cream.

Mexican Chcolate Pots de Creme p256

Bonnie:  This is amazing! All of us loved this great dessert. Silky smooth, extremely chocolatey--you would never know it was not made with cream.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream p260
Bonnie:  Had a bit of a hard time finding coconut cream--not as readily available as coconut milk, but this ice 'cream' came together in seconds and it was delish!!