Review: Mediterranean Paleo Cooking by Chef Nabil Boumrar, Caitlin Weeks and Diane Sanfilippo

I received an advanced review copy of this book from Victory Belt Publishing.

My Review:

When I tell people that I follow the paleo diet, the most common remark I get is, “Oh I could never give up pasta or bread.”  But when you find foods that nourish your body and make you feel great, then grains and pastas are something you no longer crave.  This book is full of Mediterranean cuisine that includes healthy replacements even for pasta and pizza.  So if you are someone who believes that you could never give up carbohydrates, then try this book first when you attempt the paleo diet.

All three recipes that I tried in this book were one dish meals.  The first recipe I chose to make was “Lamb-Stuffed Chicken Thighs.”  I actually did not have any lamb in my freezer, but I did have plenty of ground pork and that worked just as well.  One of the nice features of this cookbook is that it is versatile and you can make substitutions without ruining a recipe.  I chopped carrots and zucchini into long, thin slices and layered them first in the pan.  The drippings from the chicken and the pork gave the vegetables a great depth of taste.

Next, we were in the mood for a stew, especially since it has been so cold here in New England.  I don’t make lamb very often, so I chose the “Lamb and Vegetable Tajine.”  This is another great meal that can be cooked all in one pot and includes meat and veggies.  I also liked the fact that instructions are given for making it in a stockpot on the stovetop, or for making it in a slow cooker.  The blend of carrots, turnips and zucchini were perfect with the lamb.

Finally, I made the “Cabbage and Meatball Soup.”  For the meatballs I used 2 pounds of grass fed beef and seasoned the meat with the herbs suggested in the recipe.  For the base of the soup I used a homemade bone broth and a mix of spices.  The soup did turn out a little spicy because of the addition of chili powder that the recipe called for.  But, once again, you can adjust the level of spices to your own tasting and the soup will be just as good.  What I enjoyed about this soup is the layering of different flavors, from the bone broth, to the spices, to the meat and cabbage.  We also heated it up for lunch the next day and once the flavors had a chance to meld the soup was even better.

This time my taste tester was a friend of mine that does not follow the Paleo diet at all and she raved about the stuffed chicken and the soup.  MEDITERRANEAN PALEO COOKING is a great resource for anyone who follows the Paleo diet or not.  I will definitely be reaching for the recipes in this book again and again and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Mediterranean food.

This is the third paleo cookbook I have received to review from Victory Belt Publishing and each book has been fantastic, with great recipes, information and pictures.  I highly recommend you look at their page and see all of the books they have to offer: www.victorybelt.com.