If you’re a paleo person, just starting out or a veteran offal eater – you’ve got to be familiar with the seriously popular site by Michelle Tam: Nom Nom Paleo. Michelle’s site is dedicated to paleo recipes, yes, but it’s oh-so-much more. That’s why when she broke the news that she and her husband Henry Fong were writing a cookbook I was ecstatic! Everything you love about the website is here in the book – Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans. I love that title. It’s so them.
We met Michelle and Henry for the first time in Boston at AHS12 – pigtails and all (that was Michelle, not Henry ;). Since then a friendship has formed – I can say that their sense of humor is the best out there. Just like their website, within the book Michelle and Henry blend together their personal and kitchen tales in such a way that you feel like they’re with you through the pages of this book. Oh, and did I mention the fabulous cartoons are all over this book? Yeah, sometimes even directions are in cartoons! I laughed out loud at so many of them.
Everything about this book is fantastic – from the easy-to-understand directions to the conversational tone of their stories. I personally love any of the cartoons about Lil-O & Big-O – those kids are hilarious. With the pictures, tales and quips, you’ll feel like you know the entire fam. I love that about them!
Now, for the food portion 🙂 The recipes in this book are fantastic – blending Asian, Californian and other cuisines into one fabulous collection of mouth-watering meals. Michelle and Henry waste no time in preparing you for your cooking adventures – with the step-by-step picture (or cartoon) directions, the visual learner in us will be knocking out fabulous dishes in no time. You’ll be able to cook a 5-course meal from this book and knock the socks off your friends and loved ones.
One of my favorite recipes in the book is for Cauliflower Asian Fried Rice. This is something that I have been working on myself and just never could get it right. After trying the method in Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans, it came out perfect. There is even a recipe for Paleo Sriracha that you can drizzle on top of this awesome dish.
I put my full recommendation behind this book and think it belongs in every kitchen! Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans hits store shelves on December 17th, just in time for the holidays – buy one for yourself and more as stocking-stuffers 🙂
- 3 slices bacon, cross cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into uniform pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbs ghee
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated (about 1 tbs)
- 2 tbs coconut aminos
- 1 tsp coconut vinegar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 scallions
- 2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
- Kosher salt
- fresh ground balck pepper
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it crisps up, about 15 minutes, transfer the crunchy bacon to a paper towel–lined plate with a slotted spoon.
- While you’re crisping the bacon, toss the cauliflower into a food processor, and pulse until it’s the size of rice grains. Pro tip: don’t overdo it. We don’t want liquid cauliflower.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the eggs into the hot bacon drippings, and fry up a thin egg omelet. Remove the omelet from the pan, slice it into ribbons, and set aside.
- Melt the ghee in the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the onions along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Once the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, throw in the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms are browned, add the grated ginger and stir for 30 seconds to incorporate.
- Add the cauliflower “rice,” season with a bit more salt and pepper, and mix the ingredients together. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook for about 5 minutes with the skillet covered. The “rice” is ready when it’s tender but not mushy.
- Season with the coconut aminos, coconut vinegar, and fish sauce. Before serving, mix in the scallions, cilantro, omelet slices, and the reserved crispy bacon.
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Recipe From Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong/Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC 2013