The Paleo Healing Cookbook Review & Sample Recipe: Warm Chicken “Grain” Salad with Butternut Squash and Greens

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cookbook cover linked to sales page to buy the book

“Taste is the feminine of genius.”
~ Edward Fitzgerald


An AIP Foodie Cookbook

Just a few years ago, there were no cookbooks for the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). We had to adapt our own recipes and “wing it.” For a lot of us, that meant our food was pretty boring. Not any more! We now have enough books that people are starting to branch out into specialties. This is a cookbook for people who love food, love flavor, and want to ban boredom from their kitchen. What do I mean? Instead of a plain burger recipe, you’ll find Duck Fat Burgers with Mango and Avocado Spread. Instead of simple chicken breasts, try Chicken Street Tacos with Blueberry Salsa. Instead of sausage patties, how about Sausage Gravy “Benedict” in Portobello Mushroom Caps? Is your mouth watering yet? You can find the full recipe list here. And don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t just a paleo cookbook. Every recipe within it is 100% AIP.

The Mysterious Meatified

Do you follow the food blog, Meatified? There you’ll find gorgeous photography, creative recipes, a great sense of humor, and a mysterious author who keeps her name and photo off the blog. (Personally, I picture her with a cape, like a foodie superhero.) With this publication, she’s revealed her name (Rachael Bryant), but she still likes to refer to herself and her husband as Mr. and Mrs. Meatified. Like many of you, Rachael has Hashimoto’s, and she uses the autoimmune protocol to feel her best. Luckily, she’s also a fantastic cook. Seriously, if I lived nearby, I’d be one of those annoying friends who just happens to drop by at dinnertime….every day.

What Makes This Cookbook Unique?

  • Original Flavor Combinations: As I say in the introduction above, these aren’t recipes you’ll find elsewhere. Your tastebuds are in for a treat! I especially like the last section of the cookbook called “Add A Little Extra.” It includes a wide variety of sauces, spreads and spice combinations. These are used throughout the cookbook, but can also be added to any recipe you want to give a flavor boost.
  • What If I’m Not a Foodie – Are Any of These Recipes Quick? I’m the type of cook you might call a “fast foodie”. I love delicious food, and I actually enjoy cooking, but I don’t love long and complicated recipes. So, I flipped through this book to see how many could be prepared in 30 minutes or less. I found 50 that meet that criteria. The seafood recipes, salads, and condiments can almost all be made quickly. While some recipes in the book do take more time, it’s usually because they include one of her flavor-packed condiments, so it’s a few recipes in one.
  • A Gift for Seafood Lovers: Sarah Ballantyne recommends we eat a minimum of 3 servings of seafood per week, for the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. This cookbook has more seafood recipes than any other AIP cookbook (23 recipes).
  • Ethnic Menus: When we can’t have nightshades, often our favorite Thai, Mexican and Indian foods are off the table. Rachael missed those so much, she created AIP-friendly versions. At the back of the cookbook, she’s put together some party menus that highlight the variety of recipes in the cookbook: Indian Feast, Thai Takeout, BBQ and Fixin’s, Get Your Greek On, Fajita Night, Go Team!, Picnic Lunch, and Swedish Meatball Plate.
  • Mostly Coconut Free: Some people have a sensitivity to coconut, and since coconut is the darling of the paleo community, it can be hard to find recipes to eat. If this is you, today’s your lucky day. Most of the recipes in this cookbook are either coconut-free as written (89 recipes) or can easily be adapted, and she provides notes on how to do that (another 15 recipes).
  • What You Won’t Find: Many desserts. There are only 6 in this cookbook, and that’s brave, my friends! Bloggers will tell you that their cookie/cake/cobbler recipes get a million times more “hits” than their soups/salads/entrées. But if you saw my recent post on the AIP Food Pyramid, you see that desserts are at the top, which means they’re meant to be a very small part of the diet. This cookbook is all about nutrient-density. In addition to a wide variety of seafood and meat entrées, she has an “eat the rainbow” section full of creative vegetable recipes (the foundation of the AIP Food Pyramid.) There’s a reason it says “A Healing Cookbook” on the cover.
  • It’s the Prettiest Cookbook I’ve Ever Seen. Have you ever heard the phrase, “We eat with our eyes”? It means that we’re affected by the beauty of food presentation, which is why cookbooks place a priority on food photography. The recipes have to taste great (of course) but if the photos are beautiful, people are more likely to try them. Rachael has a gift for photography; the photos look like art. The cookbook is also printed high-quality – in hardcover, with thicker pages, and brighter print than most cookbooks.
  • 100% AIP: All 120+ recipes in this cookbook are written for the AIP as outlined by Sarah Ballantyne in The Paleo Approach. Sarah even wrote the forward for this cookbook, which is the ultimate stamp of approval.
  • Name Change: When this book was first published, it was called “Nourish: A Paleo Healing Cookbook”. They reversed the title when they printed the paperback edition, but it’s the same wonderful cookbook.

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Sample Recipe

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Warm Chicken “Grain” Salad with Butternut Squash and Greens (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)


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  • Author: Rachael Bryant
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients


Instructions

  1. ROAST: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with some of the oil and half of the salt. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the squash out in a single layer. Roast the squash until it is tender and beginning to brown and caramelize at the edges, about 15 – 20 minutes. Reserve the cooked squash for later.
  2. COOK: Add the remaining  oil to a skillet over low-medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground chicken, breaking it into a few large pieces with your hands before dropping it into the pan. Don’t break up the chicken in the pan any further or it will overcook and become very dry. Sprinkle the remaining salt, garlic powder, sage and rosemary over the chicken and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the chicken, covered, until it is cooked through and there is no pink inside, about 5 – 6 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through. Do not overcook the chicken – it should release juices into the pan and still be tender when cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
  3. ASSEMBLE: Crumble the cooked chicken into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 – 5 times, until the chicken is broken up into little “grains”. Do not overprocess, or you will end up with a sticky paste! Finely slice the chard and spinach. Toss together the “grains”, roasted squash, chard and spinach back in the pan with the onion and all the pan juices. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the salad, to taste, and toss together to combine. The salad can be eaten straightaway, but also refrigerates nicely so you could make it ahead of time and serve it as a cold “grain” salad, too. 

Notes

  1. Time-saving tip: You can often find pre-cubed butternut squash at the grocery store.
  2. Variation: When it’s warmer, I like to swap the butternut squash for roasted asparagus, beets or summer squash and lighter greens, but the possibilities are almost endless!
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Main Courses
  • Method: Oven

More Delicious Recipes & Resources

Update: A giveaway was held to celebrate the publication of this book, and the winner was chosen with a random number generator. Congratulations to Alyssa Robertson! If you didn’t win, don’t despair. The book is reasonably priced and worth every penny. You can purchase a copy here.

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184 comments on “The Paleo Healing Cookbook Review & Sample Recipe: Warm Chicken “Grain” Salad with Butternut Squash and Greens”

  1. I’m new to this change in my life! It’s going to be a hard road cutting out all of the yummy things that I’m so used to eating…ie chilli!!
    I definitely need a book like that to help me with the challenge of finding new ways to make food interesting!

  2. I would love to win this book. I have just found this site, struggling with Hashimoto’s and a possible Pheochromocytoma and need to make a change urgently.

  3. Stephanie Boudreau

    I would love to win this, I was diagnosed with RA and PR and am having a hard time getting to strict AIP that I know will help. This book will help a great deal in getting there.

  4. I would love to win this cookbook! My family and I have been following a mostly AIP lifestyle for some time now. It took some tweaking to figure out which foods were triggers and setting off flares for me and my daughter but we have found diet to be truly the best medicine for us! No more pills and antacids–a true relief. I am also truly happy that this cookbook is NOT filled with desserts!!

  5. Thyroid Journey

    Dear Eileen,

    Thank you so much for your great blog. Like everyone else, I would love to win the book!

    Greetings, Esther

  6. I would love to win this book! I am itching to have some AIP cookbooks but they’re not in the budget unfortunately… thanks for the giveaway!

  7. Shelley Ottwell

    I want to win! I want to win! I have been AIP since January 29th. I have yet to venture very far out with my cooking.

  8. I would love a copy of this book. Since diagnosed with MS on 2013 I have been trying to live the Paleo/ AIP lifestyle.. Need new ideas to inspire me.

  9. I would love to win this beautiful book! I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and am trying to use more AIP recipes. I do feel much better! You have a wonderful blog!

  10. Tami Mandelbaum

    Thanks for the opportunity to win this amazing cookbook! And thanks for all that you do for the AIP community!

  11. I’d love to win a copy of Nourish! Seeing everyone’s dishes on Instagram has made me really want this book in my cooking library. 🙂

  12. Thank you Eileen for hosting this giveaway! I would be so thankful to win and would most like to get some fresh inspiration from the eat the rainbow section.

  13. I NEED to win lol. My little son and I have very complicated health issues. After being paleo forever we are beginning AIP today.

  14. I was recently diagnosed with Hashi’s, and I’ve been trying to really revamp my diet. I’d love to win this cookbook to help me out!

  15. oh i would love this cookbook. I’ve been seeing a lot of the recipes on Instagram from this cookbook. They looks really great.

  16. What a great review! I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes!
    I So want to win this book! My whole family is been eating AIP dinners without them even knowing. it looks like this book will make my life even easier!

  17. I love this site Eileen. You do a lot of work to make aip simple, interesting, helpful and tasty. Always look forward to your emails. Would love to win.

  18. Hi Eileen
    I would love to win this book, always seeking amazing AIP resources and this sounds perfect!
    Thank you for reviewing it too.
    I hold both you and Sarah highly for your opinions and knowledge.
    Thanks for the opportunity
    Naomi

  19. OOOH yum! I would absolutely love to win this cookbook. I’m new to AIP and would love some more recipes to add to my repertoire. I love your recipe roundtables.

  20. Is this where you comment to be entered in the cookbook give-away.?
    I am not sure how to do this. But, I would be most grateful to win such an amazing cookbook to help me with my autoimmune diseases!

  21. I got into a rut with my eating and it caused paleo cheats. I would love a copy of this cookbook so I can both eat well and get back on track!

  22. I hope I win this cookbook..my favorite thing to do is look at recipes..love, love your website…thank you so much.

  23. Would more than love to win this book…I need all the help I can get with my ailments that are destroying my body…

  24. Your description of this book is so enticing!
    I would love to use it to increase the nutrient density of the food we prepare for our family. At least two of us have autoimmune conditions. We never eat dessert at all, unless you count plain berries!
    We all need to eat nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory foods, don’t we?

  25. This looks amazing and I would love to win a copy of the book. I enjoy your blog so much, your knowledge of the big picture shows through with consideration for issues other than just your own…thanks!

  26. I have found great value in your blog and look forward to, amongst other things, the recipe round ups.
    This cookbook sounds great and of course I would love to win it!

    Thanks for sharing all you do, Eileen.
    Linda

  27. I would love to win this cookbook hoping it can help me get back on track. I have Lupus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s Disease, CFIDS, untreated Sleep Apnea and work 2 jobs and having trouble sticking to AIP due to energy and time constraints.

  28. Thanks Eileen for all you share! Diagnosed w Hashi’s last year & PhoenixHelix is my first go-to sight for info & recipes. This book sounds great & I could use some fresh inspiration, would love to win! Thanks for offering.

  29. I would love to win this book! I am new to AIP, and would love to make a home for this beautiful book in my kitchen.

  30. I have Lupus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Raynaud’s, Fibromyalgia, CFIDS and untreated (so far) Mixed Sleep Apnea and work 2 jobs and am really struggling to stick to the AIP Protocol due to time and energy constraints. I would love to win this book since it just may help me get back on track and prepare some quick and easy meals!

  31. Sherrie Bradley

    I just started on this great way of eating to make me feel better. My biggest challenge has been finding recipes that have great flavor! This sounds like it is the answer to my prayers!! I would love to win!!

  32. YAY, a cookbook that is mostly coconut free. I just finally figured out it was the culprit behind my flairs – dag-nabibit! Thanks for offering a giveaway!

  33. Mary Ellen Prentice

    I would love to win this cookbook. The sample recipe, ‘Warm Grain Chicken’ looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!

  34. I want to win the book, and will definitely buy it if not! Thanks for letting us known about it-paleo eating has saved my health.

  35. I really enjoy your recipe round ups! Even if I don’t cook half of them it’s great inspiration for those times when i don’t have any vision in the kitchen. Thanks for taking time out of your busy life to bring all of us survivors/thrivers together.

  36. Thanks for the review, Eileen. It’s interesting that there are coconut free recipes and alternatives for those sensitive to coconut. It would be great to win a copy.

  37. This would be a creative joy to have on my AIP journey! Plus today is my birthday and I will be missing my Indian food tradition.

  38. I would absolutely love to win a copy of this book! I have had thyroid and celiac disease most of my life and was struggling with arthritis. I am only 25. I have been on the AIP diet for 5 weeks now and feel the best I have EVER felt…my whole life…thats huge for me!

  39. The AIP has done me a world of good. I’ve been on it for a year!

    I would love to win this cookbook. It sounds awesome. Thanks!

  40. this sounds like the cookbook for me!! Beautiful photography….prepare in 30 minutes!!!! No nightshades!! Whoo hoo!! Crossing my fingers for a win!

  41. I would love to win this book. I am struggling with AIP at the moment, and this recipe book looks like great inspiration / motivation. Thank you

  42. Hi Mrs Laird!

    I’ve been in ups and downs trying to personalize my AIP diet for the past 1 year by randomly picking articles and recipes whenever I have a lil energy. Living in Indonesia is quite a battle to purchase AIP-related-books as they are quite pricey. I do wish to have a copy of AIP cookbook to ease my tiring online readings. I love your website for it’s simple, richly informed and easlily understood by non English Speakers.
    Thank you.

    Mrs. Ali

      1. Oooooh! I love that you have a phoenix tattoo. (No worries to all the other entries. The winner gets picked with a random number generator.) 😉

  43. I want to win! This sounds like just what I need – I have enough dessert recipes but I am often stumped for new ways to eat veggies that are easy, quick and taste delicious. Thanks for giving us more options to let us do just that!

  44. I’ve been following AIP for almost 6 months now and I could use some new ideas in the kitchen – my go-to flavor combos are getting a little old. This book looks like it could be just the thing I need! I would love to win a copy!

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