A few weeks ago, I received an amazing gift – Danielle Walker’s Meals Made Simple. It has been such a special blessing to me, especially since this summer was so difficult and I wasn’t eating as well as I should. That’s why I recently started the Whole30 program – in an effort to hit the “reset” button and get back on track with my health.
So when Danielle’s beautiful new cookbook arrived, it truly was God’s perfect timing! I’ve been so excited to share this helpful new resource with you and so I’ve put together a little photo tour of why this book is so special to me!
Yet, before I launch into my absolute adoration of Danielle and begin gushing over her amazing new cookbook, I wanted to first share just a little with you about why she has been such a huge inspiration to me personally, and to so many others who struggle with chronic health issues.
As many of you know, in the spring of 2012, I made the commitment to go gluten-free in an effort to better manage my chronic autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. And although I did see a huge improvement in my health, I still continued to struggle with recurrent episodes of painful digestive issues and fatigue. It wasn’t until the Lord graciously let me on a path of discovering the grain-free lifestyle that my health truly made a dramatic turn for the better.
As a result of the knowledge shared by many talented grain-free bloggers like Danielle at Against All Grain, I learned how the grain-free lifestyle was radically transforming lives by helping so many who were suffering (just like me, and many of you) to find relief and hope!
Personally, I find that to be the most endearing quality about Danielle – her passion for sharing hope. She has a real gift for encouraging and inspiring others by sharing her personal health struggles and her talent for making grain-free living so incredibly delicious and simple that you truly do not feel like you’re missing out on anything.
So that’s why I have been an avid fan of Danielle’s and was so excited to purchase her first book Against All Grain, you can read my review of her first book here. Then just one year later, she far surpassed the bar she raised with Against All Grain in bringing us another soon to be NY Times Best Seller – Meals Made Simple.
What I love about Meals Made Simple is that it completely lives up to its name. Each of Danielle’s recipes are simple, yet delicious and best of all – they’re family-friendly too! What better way can I express how much I love this book, then to give you a little photo tour that highlights just a few of my favorite recipes and helpful features of this amazing grain-free cookbook.
As a busy mom and wife herself, Danielle knows firsthand that we could all use more simple healthy recipes for easy weeknight cooking. So she pulled out all of the stops and has delivered more than 100 delicious and nutritious recipes that include everything from simple comfort foods to easy-to-make gourmet delights.
But the wonderful thing is … she doesn’t just stop there! Instead, (as shown above) Danielle also includes an 8-week dinner meal plan with shopping lists, quick meals, and make-ahead meals to help us save time, money and stress. (You know how much I love meal planning!) She also includes her personal tips for managing a food budget, stocking the pantry, and lots of other helpful tips & tidbits that make cooking and planning meals a snap!
Shown above are a few of my favorite recipes from Meals Made Simple. With more than 100 delicious recipes, it isn’t an easy task to pair down my favorites list to just a handful, but for the sake of time, below are just a few of our very favorites!
Breakfasts – Danielle shares a bunch of delicious breakfast ideas, but my favorite by far is her section on quick & healthy egg scrambles. She provides so many great ideas for whipping up tasty, healthy egg dishes – I promise you’ll never get bored with eggs again!
Salads – I must admit, I’m not a huge salad fan, unless they are truly hearty. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Danielle’s salad recipes to be a meal in themselves. Especially her amazing Buffalo Chicken Salad. Oh my, it’s truly remarkable! Even the strapping young lads in my home loved it.
Dinners – My family can attest, there really hasn’t been a single dinner of Danielle’s that we haven’t enjoyed. But our hands-down favorite so far is her spicy, flavorful Chicken Verde. I love that I can pop it in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious dinner ready for my whole family to enjoy.
Sides – As I’ve made my way along the grain-free path, I’ve often found myself craving rice. It’s really the only grain that I miss and one that I’ve been reluctant to replace. So when I saw Danielle’s section on how to make a variety of cauliflower “rice” dishes, I was a bit skeptical. But thank goodness my curiosity was greater than my doubt, because I truly enjoyed this newfound alternative – especially her flavorful Saffron Cauli-Rice.
Zoodles (a.k.a. veggie pasta) – Yes! You know my passion for spiralizing, as evidenced by my How to Spiralize Series this past spring. Well, I’d never have thought to create Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, but thank goodness Danielle did. This crazy-good recipe captures all the flavor of a meat-lovers pizza.
Desserts – Anything lemon immediately catches my eye, since I adore its tangy citrusy flavor. I’ve been wanting to create a grain-free lemon pudding cake recipe for months, but there’s simply no need to now. Danielle’s light and luscious Lemon Curd Cake is a delicious dream come true!
A Treat for the Eyes – Of course, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention Danielle’s amazing talent for food photography. As you flip through Meals Made Simple, it’s like being transported into real foodie heaven where each recipe looks absolutely divine. So perhaps the only drawback to this book is that it may leave you (like it did me) feeling a bit overwhelmed in not knowing which recipe you should to make first! So, I decided that I will just enjoying making them ALL! Problem solved.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of a few of my favorites from Meals Made Simple and that it’s helped you to see what a wonderful resource this book truly is! Of course, you can always take a more extensive peek at Danielle’s Meals Made Easy cookbook on Amazon using the “Look Inside” feature.
If you are living gluten-free, grain-free or simply want to reduce your carbohydrate intake and eat healthier, Danielle’s Meals Made Simple cookbook is a helpful, practical resource full of delicious, easy-to-make recipes. I simply cannot recommend this beautiful, helpful book more!
Thanks, Danielle, for sharing your God-given talents with us. You truly are a blessing and are making a tremendous difference in so many lives!
And thank you, dear readers, for allowing me to share yet another wonderful healthy lifestyle resource to help you in living a more nourished life!
P.S. If you’d like to join me on a 30-day whole food grain-free journey, be sure to check out my post “Ready to Jumpstart Your Health: Join Me for Whole30.” This post outlines how you can take charge of your health and discover the many benefits of the grain-free lifestyle. So please join me!
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