My friend Jennifer Robins has a NEW cookbook releasing on Sept 4th! Her 5th and final book is Affordable Paleo Cooking With Your Instant Pot, and what a way to go out with a bang!
Here's the inspiration behind this book: to make Paleo accessible to EVERYONE. Paleo does not have to be this elitist, expensive lifestyle that only affluent people with access to fancy organic markets can enjoy.
No. You can do Paleo if you live in the middle of nowhere and only have a conventional grocery store to shop at.
Of course there are benefits to choosing organic or locally grown options, but we all do the best that we can with what we have, and nobody should feel shame for what they can afford.
Conventionally grown meats and vegetables (aka REAL FOOD!) beat highly processed and refined frankenfoods (aka the bulk of the Standard American Diet) any day of the week.
The top 3 challenges that people tell me they face with this lifestyle are:
a) not being able to afford the ingredients
b) not having enough time to cook from scratch
c) difficulty finding the right ingredients for popular recipes
I hear you and I try to write recipes that are both fun and exciting replacements for old favorites AND everyday recipes that don't take a lot of effort (or money) to make.
And Jen sure heard all those too; she wanted to write a book that made all of those challenges irrelevant and she did a great job with her new book!
There are NO specialty ingredients in this book; in fact, you can purchase every ingredient in this book at any regular mainstream grocery store!
That also means there are NO specialty Paleo flours used in any recipe. And there are quite a few recipes that have gravy....flourless gravy is a beautiful thing!
By definition recipes cooked in the Instant Pot are typically simple (although that's not always the case), but Jen took care to make sure these recipes have quick and straightforward prep and cook instructions.
The recipes were also developed to suit a wide range of eating styles beyond regular ol' Paleo, just take a look:
Paleo, AIP, Keto, Low Carb, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, 21 Day Sugar Detox....that's a big variety! Plus vegetarian recipes so you can share with friends or family who don't adhere to the same eating style as you.
When I was thumbing through the book a bunch of things jumped out at me, but here is a quick slideshow to show you some of my favorites!
Want an even bigger peek inside? Check out this nifty video that flips through the whole book. Is your mouth watering yet?!
If you haven't yet, please go ahead and pre-order this cookbook! Pre-orders help us authors out a lot. It releases on Sept 4th so if you pre-order now you'll have a copy delivered to your doorstep on release day.
Popeye Soup Recipe Notes & Tips
The recipe that I am sharing with you from this cookbook is called Popeye Soup. I hear from a lot of y'all that eating more vegetables is a big concern, and this recipe makes eating more vegetables TASTY and EASY.
C'mon, cauliflower, spinach, AND broccoli in one place? I can't help but think of the classic George Carlin skit about cancer, broccoli, and cauliflower (warning: language, because, uh, it's George Carlin).
As written this soup is a great appetizer or side, but it is easy to dress it up into a full meal in a bowl.
Got leftover shredded chicken from a roasted bird? Or want to add quick protein by picking up a rotisserie chicken? Just add the shredded meat from one whole chicken to the pot and voila - complete meal!
I also love topping soups and congee with sauteed mushrooms. I buy shiitake and lion's mane mushrooms from a local mushroom farmer and add them as a topping to so many things every week!
Which Is The Best Instant Pot To Buy?
Can I confess something? I own 2 Instant Pots. Yup.
If you haven't yet purchased one for your own kitchen let me give you my two cents about which one to buy.
I purchased the 6 quart model (7-in-one) waaayyy back in 2014. It is still going strong! I even own 2 of the stainless steel liners and somehow find myself using them both in one cooking session often (e.g. making more than one dish for one meal).
But last year I finally grabbed the 8 quart model and it is now the first one that I reach for. I didn't think that with my family of 2 humans I would ever need those extra 2 quarts, but boy was I wrong.
I am all about batch cooking and eating from leftovers and being able to make bigger batches of meals makes a big difference.
And it maximizes the amount of bone broth I can make in one session AND it makes it easier to fit larger roasts.
My only complaint is that the power cord is annoyingly short on the 8 quart. But I manage!
Instant Pot Popeye Soup (Paleo, AIP)
Published 08/30/2018
This recipe is shared with permission from Jennifer Robins's new cookbook Affordable Paleo Cooking With Your Instant Pot.
Here's what she has to say about the recipe: "Look,
this beauty may not be the belle of the ball, but don’t overlook it just yet. It is beyond nutrient dense and tastes amazing too. It is quite literally power packed with all your favorite vitamins and is so delicious, the kids might just ask for seconds like
mine did!"
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped (florets only)
- 2 ounces (1 bunch) cilantro
- 12 ounces (1 head) broccoli, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 ounces baby spinach leaves
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk (or an extra cup of broth)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- Black pepper to taste (omit for AIP)
- optional: shredded chicken from one rotisserie chicken or sauteed mushrooms to top/mix in
Instructions
- Spoon the ghee into the stainless steel bowl of your Instant Pot and press the “Saute” button
- Introduce the onion to the ghee and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the onion does not burn (note from Amanda: this step is optional if you are pressed for time! But it does add flavor to the soup)
- Now place all remaining ingredients into the bowl, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button and secure the lid
- Now close off the pressure valve and then press the “Manual” button
- Adjust the time with the “-” button until it reads 5 minutes (note from Amanda: I only cook veggies for 3 minutes and it always works great for me!)
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete and then release the pressure valve
- Remove the lid when safe to do so and then use an immersion blender to completely puree all ingredients
- The soup should be thick and creamy. If you want it thinner, you can add more broth until the desired consistency is reached
- Serve topped with fresh herbs if desired (note from Amanda: I stirred in shredded chicken from 1 whole bird to make it a complete meal. I also served some topped with sauteed shiitake and lion's mane mushrooms and it was fab!)
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
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