The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook: A Review

Tags

AIP, Angie Alt, Autoimmune Disease, Autoimmune Protocol, Diet, Elimination Diet, Health, Mickey Trescott, Sarah Ballantyne, The Paleo Approach

A picture I stole from Angie’s website – along with my favourite quote from her fabulous book
(Image from here)

Disclaimer: Before I begin this post, I should advise that Angie Alt and Mickey Trescott of Autoimmune Paleo are ‘shining lights’ in my Autoimmune Protocol world. They are two pioneers of kicking autoimmune issues into remission through adopting dietary and lifestyle changes. I am lucky enough to now be able to call them both blogging friends – perhaps with a small ‘f’, at this stage… 

I wish Angie had published her book two years ago. 

And, not because of the great recipes. Don’t get me wrong, they are great recipes (and there are more than 55 of them)…

Here are a few that particularly caught my eye and are currently bookmarked here at Casa TSL:

Pork and Sprouts Breakfast Skillet. Otherwise known as a fry up in this neck of the woods

“Cheesy” Chicken Bites with Pesto. And yet, not a hint of dairy anywhere in the recipe.

Bacon-Burger Mega Meatballs Cinnamon Meatball and Sweet Potato Soup. MEGA meatball. Need I say any more?

Turmeric and Ginger Roasted Cauli Steaks. Magic anti-inflammatory spices with my favourite vegetable.

Orange Blossom and Honey Parfait. AND – it’s 100% AIP compliant!

Rosemary Tea Time Biscuit. It’s a biscuit. On AIP. Yippee!

But, I really wish Angie had published her book two years ago because then I would have felt I had someone to hold my hand at the beginning of this wacky AIP caper that I’ve been on for the past year or so.

Autoimmune disease can be isolating and deeply private. It is also frighteningly common AND on the rise – 1 in 20 people in Australasia. Scary.

Within this growing community of autoimmune sufferers who are dramatically and positively affecting their health through making changes to their diet and lifestyle, Angie has a reputation for being one of the warmest and most responsive peeps around.

And, her book reflects this. It’s a personal insight into how she has successfully used Sarah Ballantyne’s Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to mitigate her Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome.*

Choosing to adopt AIP is literally a revolutionary act. You are making a choice for your health that is the antithesis of our culture right now. (Angie Alt)

The Autoimmune Protocol is hard work. And one of the most difficult parts of the process is the lack of understanding from others who don’t get how just changing your diet and making a few alterations to your lifestyle can materially affect your life.

But it can. I know it can. It has changed mine.

And, Angie shares how it has changed her life. But also, provides practical ways to implement the strict elimination diet that makes up the initial phase of the protocol, as well helpful pointers around how to start reintroducing foods.

She gives useful charts that break the protocol down into manageable chunks.

In addition, she offers insights into denial, anger, fear, grief and acceptance – all things she experienced as part of her autoimmune experience.

Angie wrote this book with her sister, Jenifer Beehler. For me, it makes the Autoimmune Protocol far more approachable.

When people ask me what books I would recommend to help in understanding how their autoimmune illness might be put into remission, I always suggest Sarah Ballantyne’s, ‘The Paleo Approach’ coupled with Mickey Trescott’s, ‘The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook’. They have been invaluable for me. Now there’s a third book on my list. Angie Alt’s, ‘The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook’.

*about 1/4 of all autoimmune sufferers will develop 3 or more autoimmune disorders

LUSCIOUS Lamington Cupcakes

Tags

AIP, Australia Day, Autoimmune Protocol, Dairy Free, Dog, Gluten Free, Healthy Lamington, Lamington Muffin, Paleo, Poodle

The TSL take on lamingtons in honour of Australia Day!
(Image by TSL)

There is no place in the world like Australia. Not even its beautiful neighbor New Zealand. (Henry Rollins)

It’s a drizzly and overcast old Australia Day as I write this. To be honest, it’s a wee bit of a welcome respite from the heat we’ve been having lately. For me, at least.

And here at Casa TSL, it has been a B I G day. Capital letters BIG. Today we met the newest addition to our extended family.

Fang, the black miniature poodle, has arrived at my sister’s. And she is meltingly cute.

Fang, the black miniature poodle pup
(Images by TSL)

We were invited to introduce Miss Bella, our 10-year-old pooch, to her sort of niece by way of a barbecue. It has to be said that Bella was singularly unimpressed with Fang. No matter. The rest of us fell head over heels in love… What a fluff-ball!

And, what else could I bring to an Australia Day barbie, but lamingtons? It would virtually be UN-Australian not to.

What is a lamington, you ask?

lamington

noun     AUSTRALIAN/NZ

a square of sponge cake dipped in melted chocolate and grated coconut.

(Image by TSL)

Of course, here at Casa TSL, a traditional lamington won’t cut it. After almost a year on the Autoimmune Protocol, we’re a 100% grain-free, mostly dairy-free household.

And, my sister and her partner are very similar, too.

And, then there was the small fact that I didn’t actually have a lamington tin in which to bake my sponge…

Time to improvise!

Adapting a recipe I found on the VERY talented Teresa Cutter’s site (The Healthy Chef), I bring you these remarkably lamington-like healthy-ish lamington cupcakes.

Completely free of any grains or dairy… they’re bloody good, mate!

Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. (Charles M. Schulz)

• Servings: 10
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

6 x happy eggs
1 x teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 x Tablespoons raw honey
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 x teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserve*
1 x cup desiccated coconut for rolling
100 g best quality dark chocolate, roughly broken up
1/4 cup coconut milk

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 160° C / 320° F. Line a muffin tray with 10 papers.

2. Throw your eggs, vanilla and honey into your mixing bowl. Mix on high for 10 minutes until light and creamy.

3. While the machine is still running, pour in the macadamia nut oil. Mix well.

4. Add the coconut flour and baking powder. Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Using a 1/4 cup as a measure, pour lamington cake mix into your prepared muffin tray.

6. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until cooked through.

7. Fill a piping bag with raspberry jam. Stick the nozzle into the middle of each cupcake and fill with a healthy squeeze of raspberry jam.

8. While waiting for your cupcakes to cool, heat your coconut milk in a small pan until almost boiling. Turn off the heat and add your chocolate. Stir until you have a smooth silky ganache.

9. When your cupcakes are cool, spread a little chocolate ganache on the top of each.
Dip in coconut and pop onto a tray to set.

* check the labels for a preservative free, low sugar number

E N J O Y !

ROCKING Raw Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Healthy Drink, Paleo, Primal, Shake, Smoothie, Summer Drink

(Image by TSL)

It’s a wee bit sticky in Sydney at the moment. The sort of heat that has edged just past fabulous and moved towards slightly uncomfortable. At least, that’s how it feels to this little Kiwi.

And, while we’re in the middle of summer down here, many of my fellow AIP bloggers are writing about winter warmers.

The ever so talented Samantha over at Sweet Potatoes and Social Change has just posted about a lip-smackingly gorgeous-looking AIP-friendly Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate recently. And, yes – I did say AIP-friendly.

If there’s no chocolate in Heaven, I’m not going.(Jane Seabrook, Furry Logic Laugh at Life)

And, while I love a hot chocolate just as much as the next girl, the current temperatures in this neck of the woods definitely lend themselves to something a little more cooling…

(Images by TSL)

This is a special treat kind of smoothie. Really, it probably falls more into the ‘shake’ kind of territory. But, on a scale of naughtiness where a big fat portion of chocolate mud cake with whipped cream, ice cream and chocolate sauce is the king, this baby barely even rates a blip on the monitor. And, it tastes REALLY good!

Before I go any further, I should mention that I make this number with raw cacao. Cacao is off the table on the elimination stage of AIP. In the early stages of my AIP caper I discovered that carob is not my friend. For the longest time, I was off all things chocolate. It was a dark period, indeed.

Fortunately, cacao is now back on the menu. Carob and cacao are interchangeable in this recipe.

ROCKING Raw Chocolate Babana Smoothie

• Servings: 2
• Time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

2 x frozen bananas
4 x medjool dates, pitted
3 x Tablespoons raw cacao powder or carob powder
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 x cup water
4 x brazil nuts (optional, and only after reintroduction)
2 x large handfuls of ice

Method:

1. Throw your frozen bananas, dates, cacao/carob, coconut milk, water, optional brazil nuts and ice into your blender. Blend until smooth.

E N J O Y !

MARVELLOUS Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Broccoli, Grain Free, Greens, Paleo, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Whole 30, Zucchini

(Image by TSL)

At the beginning of the week, I roast a ton of vegetables so I can use them for the next few days. I also plan out meals in advance. (Gail Simmons)

I’m a wee bit like Gail Simmons. On a Sunday night (usually), I’ll roast a massive bunch of veggies – sweet potato, pumpkin, onion, leek, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi – I don’t discriminate. Whatever is in season and in the pantry. I’ll add some seasoning – most often a combo’ of fresh rosemary (I adore rosemary!), a little garlic and salt and pepper. It’s part of my weekly cooking regime.

And, the roasted veggies last a few days. They can be added to salads, simply reheated or made into hash. They are a trusty stand by.

Last week the unthinkable happened. Just back from our summer holidays, I roasted a chook. And I burnt it. Thinking I was having an off day, the next night I attempted to slow cook a couple of shoulders of lamb. Burnt again.

I thought I had lost my cooking mojo…

And then LM suggested it might not be me, it might actually be our oven.

Over the weekend we trotted out to acquire an oven thermometer. And what do you know? – when I set the oven for 180° C, my thermometer read 280° C!!! LM was right!

I think our oven thermostat has blown. And now I’m waiting for an oven whisperer.

So, necessity being the mother of invention and all that…

It’s true. My weekly veggie roast off has meant I haven’t been experimenting with my veggies as often as I should. So, this week, because I am sans oven, I bring you my Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice.

(Images by TSL)

I don’t want any vegetables, thank you. I paid for the cow to eat them for me. (Douglas Coupland)

Unlike Mr Coupland, I want LOTS of veggies in my day. I want extra veggies with my veggies.

And, unless you’ve been living under a rock in the past year or two, you’ll know that cauliflower rice has become a mainstay in the grain-free world as a rice alternative. It’s such a winner that conventional eaters have been adopting it as another way to eat veggies AND it has brought the humble cauliflower into the spotlight.

Suddenly cauliflower is sexy!

We eat an awful lot of cauliflower here at Casa TSL. It probably won’t surprise you to know that my favourite way to eat it is in fact: roasted.

(Image by TSL)

But this week, I had some lovely organic broccoli and zucchini that I had picked up at the markets on Saturday. Clearly roasting is currently out. And the idea of stir-frying them wasn’t pushing my buttons. I hit upon the idea of ricing them like cauliflower…

And it works!

And although the recipe is not particularly difficult, there is some chopping involved. Namely of the zucchini. I didn’t actually test my theory, but I think whizzing the zucchini in your kitchen whiz might not work because of it’s high water content. Do let me know if you’re feeling adventurous…!

Anyhoo – don’t quote me on it, but in ‘chef-speak’, I think this fine chopping might be known as ‘brunoise’…

brunoise
noun
finely diced vegetables used to flavour soups and sauces.

Brunoise of zucchini – I could be a chef!
(Image by TSL)

Not a bad wee alternative to cauliflower rice!

Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice

• Servings: 4 - 6-ish as a side
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

1 x large onion
1 x large head of broccoli
2 x zucchini (I used one enormous one!)
2 x Tablespoon fat of choice (I used duck fat)
2 – 3 Tablespoons bone broth (water will do at a pinch)
a generous handful of mint, finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (not for the elimination phase of AIP)
Optional: 1/4 cup activated almonds, chopped (not for the elimination phase of AIP)

Method:

After chopping up the cauliflower…

1. Wash and coarsely chop your broccoli. Throw it into your kitchen whiz (food processor) and pulse until ‘rice-like’ in texture

2. Dice your onion finely. Heat your fat in a large frypan. Add onion and saute on a low-medium heat until translucent.

3. While the onions are cooking, wash and finely dice your zucchini. When the onions are softened, add your zucchini and broccoli. Stir thoroughly.

4. Add your bone broth and season with salt.

5. Cover the pan for 7 – 8 minutes to allow the vegetables to cook through.

6. When cooked, stir through chopped mint. Taste for seasoning. Garnish with nuts (if tolerated).

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

Taking a Social Media Holiday…

Tags

Boating, Great Barrier Island, Huaraki Gulf, Kawau Island, New Zealand, Running away, Social Mdia Holiday

Sunset at Kawau Island
(Image by TSL)

I’m back from running away to New Zealand.

Well, I didn’t really run away. I just took a long break. A break from all things social media. And maybe, to some extent anyway, from my world of Autoimmune Protocol stuff.

And, it was good. I can definitely recommend it!

Taking a technology break had unexpected benefits.

It made me look up.

I wasn’t constantly checking email. I wasn’t blogging. I wasn’t on Facebook. And, for a large part of my time away, I had no access to the internet, so I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. 

Granted, I was in New Zealand. Hardly a difficult part of the world in which to connect with nature and steer clear of all things social media…

Lone Pohutukawa at the entrance to Fitzroy, Great Barrier
(Image by TSL)

There’s a real purity in New Zealand that doesn’t exist in the states. It’s actually not an easy thing to find in our world anymore. It’s a unique place because it is so far away from the rest of the world. There is a sense of isolation and also being protected. (Elijah Wood)

Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier
(Image by TSL)

And, because I wasn’t in my own home (or kitchen), I had less control over my diet. Not that much less, to be honest – my Mum is seriously accommodating when it comes to my dietary requirements. But there are definitely fewer options on a boat. Not a high-speed blender in sight! I got very organised and made bulk almond milk before freezing it into portions!

I also became slightly obsessed with an Al Brown recipe for a roasted cauliflower salad that I have modified to fit my needs. Watch this space – it’s a winner!

Anyhoo – back to running away and my social media holiday.

I think the biggest takeaway for me, is that I didn’t really get just how addicted to checking my in-box I had become. Out on the water with a cheeky glass of red*, watching the sunset with people I love helped me appreciate how important connecting with both nature and loved ones in REAL time can be.

En Route to the Coppermine at Kawau
(Image by TSL)

View to the Coppermine at Kawau
(Image by TSL)

They say there are wallabies at Kawau.
LM remains unconvinced!
(Image by TSL)

So, if you didn’t get the chance to take some time out over the silly season, I’m going to suggest you have a good look at your diary and see when you can run away. Just for a wee while. It makes coming home all the sweeter.

Coming home…
(Image by TSL)

*Did I mention I loosened the reins on my AIP stuff a little?