The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes Cookbook Review

This post is made possible by publishing company Robert Rose, Inc.^[*]

I love to experiment in the kitchen just as much as I enjoy trying recipes from a new cookbook! Considering how much my family’s diet has changed in the past three years {from kosher to organic, then from primal to AIP paleo} I feel like I am always on my toes and looking for inspiration and new dishes to make. So I was happy to check out The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson.

Slow Cooker

Before diving into recipes, Finlayson reviews slow cooker basics. I love my slow cooker. I use it year round – especially in the summer! I beat the heat by getting the food prep done early in the morning before it gets too hot and by lunchtime, dinner is already cooking! Some of my favorite helpful slow cooker tips included in this cookbook are:

* Brown meat and soften vegetable for more flavor.
* Reduce the quantity of liquid, slow cookers generate liquid as it is.
* Use whole-leaf herbs and spices as ground spices may lose flavor during slow cooking.
* Pay attention to cooking temperature! Less tender cuts need that slow and low cooking {e.g. brisket}.

Paleo

The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook offers a fantastic introduction to eating {and cooking} paleo. In a nutshell, it is a hunter-gatherer diet in which you eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Paleo, by the way, is also completely gluten/grain free! Finlayson covers key points of the Paleo approach for diet. Allow me to summarize:

* Increase protein via naturally raised (pasture-fed) meat and wild (sustainably caught) fish and seafood.
* Limit carbs and eat fresh organic fruits/vegetables that are low in starch and nuts/seeds.
* Remove all “fat is bad” thoughts from your head. Natural, whole fats are good. Refined fats? Begone.

My family and I welcomed a paleo diet this year, mainly because I needed to eliminate glutens while still wanting to eat healthy, real food. After digging even deeper into autoimmune disorders, I eliminated more foods until it was what is best defined as an “autoimmune protocol paleo” diet. The rest of my family still eats a primal diet. I will say, it has been a long learning process, but such a worthy one! Confused yet? Don’t worry, the paleo approach to food is mind-numbingly simple and the proof is in this cookbook!

Savory Short Ribs ^[**]

For the first time this year we bought a half cow from a local farm. My freezer is stocked with grassfed/grass finished beef, including delicious short ribs! I have only cooked short ribs in the slow cooker, but I was eager to try a new recipe. I halved this recipe for my little family and will also note my AIP paleo modifications using the * below the original recipe.

Ingredients
1 TB cracked black peppercorns
1 TB dried thyme
1 TB fennel seeds {toasted and ground}
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
4-5 lbs beef short ribs
4 oz. bacon, diced
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 TB red wine vinegar
1 cup robust red wine
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, juice included {or sub 4 cups peeled, diced fresh tomatoes}
1 bouquet garni
1 cup chopped black pitted olives

* AIP modifications that I made: omit pepper, sub fresh organic tarragon for fennel seeds {or put it in your bouquet garni, sub fresh pitted, chopped organic cherries for tomatoes. I will note; I probably should have left out the wine and possibly the red wine vinegar, but I worried the flavor wouldn’t be nearly as good as the original!}

Directions
1. In a baking dish large enough to accommodate the short ribs, combine peppercorns, thyme, toasted fennel, and oil. Add ribs, in batches, turning until evenly coated.
2. Preheat broiler and position broiler rack 6 inches from the heat source. Broil ribs on both sides, turning once, until well browned, about 10 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Separate ribs if in strips and place in slow cooker stoneware.
3. In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring, until brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring until carrots are softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, anchovies, sea salt and 1/2 tsp peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and bouquet garni and transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until ribs are tender are falling off the bone. Stir in olives.

The verdict?

Divine. For those leery of those little anchovies, I can assure you, there is no fishy taste whatsoever. They simply add another layer of flavor and melt into the dish. The Mister was surprised when I told him I used anchovies. He also couldn’t pinpoint what I used instead of tomatoes. So, for those who cannot have nightshades; cherries are a fantastic substitution!

I am thrilled to have a new method for short ribs that does not involve me making barbecue sauce {no offense to my barbecue sauce, of course!}. Luv {my little primal kid} gobbled hers all up and asked for more, The Mister said, “This is ridiculously tender. You can cook this ANY time.” – even Bugsy happily nibbled on the Savory Short Ribs! This is definitely a recipe to make again!

Enjoy delectable meals with simple, fresh ingredients! Recipes that are great for entertaining are also noted, which is helpful. Here are just a few of the recipes I look forward to making for friends and family:

Starters and Snacks: Oh-So-Retro Swedish Meatballs, Maple Orange Pecans Soups: Fennel-Laced Celery Soup, Curried Parsnip Soup Poultry: Spicy Chicken in Coconut Sauce, Island-Style Chicken Curry Fish and Seafood: Indian-Spiced Salmon with Spinach, New World Bouillabaisse Beef and Veal: Short Ribs with Orange Gremolata, Country Stew with Fennel Pork and Lamb: Pork Roast with Chile-Orange Sauce Just Veggies: Parsnip and Coconut Curry with Crispy Shallots, Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry Desserts: Poached Quince, Gingery Pears Poached in Green Tea

Buy:

The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook is a welcome addition to my small cookbook collection. Whether you eat gluten-free, you are exploring the paleo approach, or maybe you are just caveman curious… I recommend you grab a copy for yourself! You’ll find it on Amazon and at a bookstore near you – retail price is $24.95, but I see that for Prime members it is just $14.97!

Win:

One lucky Eighty MPH Mom reader will win a copy of The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes!

Open to residents of the US and Canada – ARV $24.95 – Open until September 16 @ 9pm PST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

^{* [Erin received the mentioned product{s}, free of charge, to facilitate her review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only. Review product and giveaway prize provided by Robert Rose, Inc.↩
** [Excerpted from The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.↩}

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