Part of being a food blogger is being lucky enough to meet and become friends with loads of other amazing and talented food bloggers, cookbook authors, recipe developers, food photographers, etc. It just sort of happens over time. Besides having social media feeds loaded with food photos and constantly chatting about what’s for dinner, it’s mostly just incredibly inspiring. Being surrounded virtually and in the real world with people that are passionate about food, eating and sharing this love and passion with others. It’s pretty darn amazing.

More and more of these talented folks are authoring beautiful cookbooks filled with their creative recipes. I now have bookshelves full of incredible recipe resources. In 2014, I got a bit behind on my cookbook reviews and I am working to remedy that this year. So, I am working on a new series I am calling Foodie Friend Fridays, where every other Friday (or there-abouts), I will share cookbook reviews and recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks, guest posts from incredibly talented friends, occasional giveaways and more! Some of the reviews will feature cookbooks that are paleo, some vegan, others just a general topic cookbook, with recipes that would work for us gluten-free folk, but be sure I will always share gluten-free recipes and I will always give you my honest critiques.

First up is Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker. It felt natural that this would be the first cookbook I’d review and share a recipe from, in this new year, as I had the pleasure of working closely with Danielle this past fall on the set of Access Hollywood.  Danielle was a guest on a segment promoting this book and she asked if I would work as her food stylist for the shoot. This meant I shopped for and made all of the recipes from her book featured on the episode, from start to finish, plating the dishes, getting the set all prepped for the shoot and making it all pretty. (watch the segment here, check out the sweet plating, the props from my home collection and the pretty flowers, too while you’re there 😉 ) It was an incredible experience and also a ton of work. I now have an immense amount of respect for people that do this on the regular. More than anything, I was excited to get to get my hands dirty creating 3 of the delicious recipes from Danielle’s latest NY Times Best Seller.

Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple features one hundred new recipes for weeknight meals that are free of grains, gluten and dairy ingredients. Additionally most recipes feature make ahead options, the book boasts 8 weeks’ worth of dinner ideas, there are nutritional facts for each recipe, shipping lists, ideas for leftovers, a ton of slow cooker and one pot meals and lots more! In a nut shell, Danielle just gets it. She isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel, her recipes are approachable, never pretentious. She literally created a bible of simple grain-free meals for everyday life.

On the set of Access Hollywood, I had the pleasure of cooking the Pepperoni Pizza Pasta (page 166), Chicken & Rice Casserole (page 140) and the Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies 2.0 (page 280) from Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple. Each recipe was a breeze to make and loaded with classic flavors. None of the recipes felt like I was eating allergen-friendly food! My favorite was watching the staff run off with the leftovers after the segment wrapped. Most couldn’t believe that what they were eating was grain and dairy-free and a few that already had to eat that way were happy to finally be able to eat food from a segment after drooling over it on camera.

I decided to try another recipe from the book to share here on the blog for you guys and I went with the Chipotle Barbacoa, made very simply in your slow cooker. This classic recipe reimagined is so easy to make and offers so many meals possibilities. You could load up lettuce cups or homemade grain-free tortillas (there’s a great recipe in the book) for tasty tacos or you could load up a salad. I decided to take this recipe a step further and I created these delicious burrito bowls, with some tasty cilantro lime cauliflower rice, one of my favorite one-dish meals.

Traditionally barbacoa is meat cooked over an open fire or a fire pit dug into the ground, so let’s just say this slow cooker version is far more realistic for those of us with busy lives that can’t find time for digging holes in the yard or open fires. These burrito bowls are a really great way to highlight the flavors in Danielle’s Chipotle Barbacoa Beef, but it’s also a great way to get tons of nourishing foods into your face. I made a batch of my cauliflower rice and added fresh cilantro and lime juice just before serving, as well as a heaping scoop of my homemade guacamole. I served it all over a bed of lettuce with a handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and a side of homemade salsa. (FYI – Danielle also shares recipes for her coconut cilantro lime caulifower rice and guacamole in the book.)

This recipe, as with all of the others I have made from Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple, was simple but packed a real punch of flavors. All of Danielle’s recipes always leave me feeling surprised at the level of flavors for something that was so simple to create. Bonus, besides the beed, you can also substitute lamb or pork in this recipe, too.

If you haven’t already grabbed yourself a copy of Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple, you must do so now! You’ll love every last page and every tasty grain-free recipe in it.

[print_this]Chipotle Barbacoa Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Lime Cauli-Rice {Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free + Nut-free}
from Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker

serves 6 • prep time: 20 minutes • cook time: 9-10 hours

• 1 (3-pound) center-cut beef shoulder roast (I went with 100% grass-fed, organic)
• 3 to 5 large dried chipotle peppers, seeds removed
• 1 small yellow onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup low sodium beef or chicken stock
• 3 bay leaves

For Serving the Burrito Bowls

• chopped lettuce
• Cauliflower Rice (stir in approximately 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice at the end)
• Guacamole
• cilantro, roughly chopped
• green onions, thinly sliced
• tomatoes
• salsa

Other Options:

• shredded cheese
• beans
• red onions
• corn
• black olives
• tortilla chips

1) Cut the roast into 2 piece and trim any fat. Place in a slow cooker.

2) Combine the chipotle peppers, onion, lime juice, tomato paste, garlic, vinegar, cumin, salt, oregano, and ground cloves in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.

3) Pour the pureed pepper mixer over the roast and add the stock and bay leaves.

4) Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

5) Remove the beef and shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours, until very tender.

6) Serve over a bed of lettuce, with a scoop of Cilantro Lime Cauli-rice, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, etc.

make-ahead tip: Prepare Steps 1 through 3 and store in an airtight bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up to 3 days before cooking. tidbits: A pork or lamb roast also works wonderfully for this recipe. [/print_this]

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