The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook:100+ Nourishing Allergen-Free Recipes

by Michelle Hoover

The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook revisits all of the fun comfort foods you love with a healing twist. Every recipe is autoimmune protocol compliant—free of gluten, grains, eggs, dairy, nightshades, legumes, seeds, and refined sugars—but still tastes like the foods you crave.

Enjoy these amazing dishes with nostalgic family members, picky kids, or oblivious party guests that will be none the wiser! Including classics you know and love, like cupcakes, lasagna, waffles, and more, this cookbook features over 100 recipes that are anything but boring.

You'll find recipes for breakfasts, appetizers, soups and salads, crazy good sides, classic Sunday night dinners, holiday favorites, easy one-pan meals, decadent desserts, and more! The recipes are both delicious and easy to make for hard-working moms and busy families.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2019

About the author

Michelle Hoover teaches writing at Brandeis University and Grub Street, where she leads the Novel Incubator program. She has been the Philip Roth Writer-in-Residence at Bucknell University, a MacDowell Fellow, and the 2005 winner of the PEN/New England Discovery Award for Fiction. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and published in Best New American Voices. Her debut novel, The Quickening, was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction's Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, was a Finalist for the Indies Choice Debut of 2010 and Forward Magazine's Best Literary Book of 2010, and is a 2010 Massachusetts Book Award "Must Read" pick. Her second novel, Bottomland, is the 2017 All Iowa Reads selection. For more, go to www.michelle-hoover.com.

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to get my hands on this cookbook. 👐 Since being diagnosed many years ago with PCOS I am always on the lookout for good specialty cookbooks. 🍴 Every recipe featured is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, legumes, and refined sugars (just to name a few). ⛔ A little more limiting than I am used to, I still found plenty of yummy sounding recipes to choose from. 👍

-- CHICKEN BONE BROTH 🍗
-- NIGHTSHADE-FREE “TOMATO” SAUCE 🍅
-- BLUEBERRY WAFFLES 🍪
-- BANANA BREAD FRENCH TOAST 🍌
-- CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ 🍗
-- PLANTAIN CHIPS (loved this recipe) 🍟
-- BROCCOLI “CHEESE” SOUP 🍛
-- ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP (another fave) 🍚
-- CAULIFLOWER “MAC & CHEESE” 🍜
-- MONGOLIAN BEEF 🍖
-- ONE-PAN EGG ROLL 🍳
-- ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE 🍊
-- GINGERBREAD COOKIES 🍥
-- “CHOCOLATE” CHUNK COOKIES 🍪
-- FROZEN GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA 🍹

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[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusually positive proportion of successful recipes as well as recipes for things I’m interested to try.

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Addition To My AIP Cookbook Collection

I've been following an AIP diet (thank you Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PHD) for several years now for endometriosis. I have several AIP cookbooks that I use regularly & love. When I saw this book, I jumped on the chance to try it out. AIP comfort foods!?! I'm so in!

So far I have the following items:
Ketchup, Veggie Tots, Biscuits, Roasted Chicken, Glazed Doughnut Holes.

Here is my take so far:
Ketchup:
Has a bit of a bite. I'm thinking a little less garlic next time. By the way, I own my own organic farm that I work full time, the garlic I use, I grow myself. No garlic from China here! If you can, I strongly recommend growing your own garlic. It's not hard, I promise. Back to the ketchup, the recipe makes a very generous amount. It was enough to completely fill a pint sized mason jar. Also, she called for canned pears in water. I used fresh organic pears that I simply cooked in a pot on very low heat covered until tender.
Veggie Tots:
I doubled the batch of these, they did take a bit of time, but it is so worth it. They turned out fantastic. Maybe next time I'll do a quadruple batch & freeze half.
Biscuits:
This recipe is part of her Biscuits And Sausage Gravy recipe. Because I have yet to light the wood stove in my home, the temp is pretty chilly. My coconut milk was hard. I had to warm it. It ended up getting warmer than I wanted while still having a bit of solid oil. I added this anyway into the waiting biscuit mix. This did away with the effect of cold/hard palm shortening that would then melt into the mix while baking. The fun surprise was how wonderful these still turned out. I'm not sure what I'd call it, but the texture was somewhat chewy with excellent flavor. Like the Veggie Tots, I doubled this recipe as well. One doubled recipe fully fit on one baking sheet, so like the Veggie Tots, it just makes sense & saves a bit of time to double up if you have a family to feed or if you want leftovers to freeze or whatever.
Roast Chicken:
I actually used whole organic rabbit that I raised on my farm for this as I wasn't in the mood for another chicken dish. The herb combination is fantastic. It smelled so good while baking in the oven. My only problem was the 1 hour cook time at 400 degrees fahrenheit was not long enough. I added another hour & the meat was then properly cooked.
Glazed "Chocolate" Doughnut Holes:
These were much quicker & easier to make than anticipated. They taste amazing & I don't even like carob so that says a lot! Like the other recipes, I also doubled this as the recipe only makes 8 - 9 holes. These baked up beautifully with a nice hard outer shell that made dipping them in the glaze super easy. The glaze on the other hand was a bit of a pain. For whatever reason, I couldn't keep the honey incorporated into the coconut butter (coconut manna) coconut oil mix. I could only dip 2 balls before having to whisk it again. It was very frustrating. I'm going to try maple syrup next time to see if that makes a difference. Once dipped several times & left in the refrigerator to harden, they looked just as pictured. They taste so good! AIP doughnut holes! Oh yum!

Like my other AIP cookbooks, I expect I will eventually have my favorite go-to's from this book as I work through the recipes.

Other AIP cookbooks I use & love are:
The Paleo Approach Cookbook: A Detailed Guide to Heal Your Body and Nourish Your Soul
The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive
and
Paleo Principles: The Science Behind the Paleo Template, Step-by-Step Guides, Meal Plans, and 200+ Healthy & Delicious Recipes for Real Life (this book isn't strictly AIP, but it breaks everything down & includes information on low FODMAPs)

If you are wanting to learn about AIP I recommend:
The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body

I also want to mention Low FODMAPs. Aside from the misery of having an autoimmune disease I also need to follow a low FODMAPs diet. I've been following a low FODMAPs diet for longer than I have an AIP diet. Many AIP recipes contain high FODMAPs ingredients which can be a problem for a lot of us. I have found a few ways around some ingredients. For example, garlic. Rather than use fresh garlic, use garlic infused oil. How about onion? You can use green onions (green tops only). What about onion powder? I grow my own organic green onions. I go crazy in the fall harvesting & drying as much of their green tops as I can while leaving the plants in the soil to over winter. I then use a coffee grinder to make the green dried onion tops into onion powder. It works great. Some ingredients you can get away with omitting or finding a substitute. Granted this doesn't always work as well as the correct ingredient, but you gotta do what you gotta do right? Also, a low FODMAPs diet isn't forever. Eventually you challenge yourself to see what you can tolerate. Sure, some foods your body may never be okay with, but you might be able to enjoy others again. Eating what our bodies need to thrive is so important for healing. It's tough but try to focus on what you can have rather than what you can't. For example, I will use fresh garlic or my own homegrown homemade garlic powder. What I don't do is consume copious amounts of garlic & I still enjoy infusing my oils with garlic. However, I still don't use onions, only green onions for me! I do my best to work with what agrees with my body. Last, when you are craving comfort foods, whip out this colorful cookbook by Michelle Hoover & get cooking!

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the recipes I have made from this book have turned out well.

[Lauren Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has good insight into AutoImmune disease, but is super, super strict on what they recommend eating for Autoimmune recovery. The recipes were decent, but I still had to modify as I have other restrictions and food sensitivities. Recipes are pretty good, but I won't use a lot of them. I would probably check this book out at the library, versus purchasing it to make sure it was suitable for your family.

[Ginni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am deeply suspicious of healthy food substitutes. Gluten-free cakes are a little bit “off.” In no world does spaghetti squash taste like spaghetti. You KNOW these things don't taste good and you are just lying to yourself! And yet, despite my sincere skepticism and infantile pickiness, I have loved every recipe I've tried from this book. They don't taste like healthy food. They just taste good.

These recipes were developed for people with highly specific dietary restrictions. People without autoimmune issues may or may not benefit from the substitution of, say, tigernut flour for the standard white Walmart fare. I don't have any dietary issues unless you count extreme aversion to anything green; we've made these recipes with some of the “normal” ingredients and it was fine. If you do have a leaky gut, this just might save your sanity.

And yes, the book is beautiful. If you're the kind of person who follows pretty food Instas, you will drool over the photography. Bonus points for a cute cat.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Quarto Publishing for a copy of The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook available September 10, 2019.

Amazing cookbook for anyone following a strict diet and are missing out on comfort food. The restrictions the author follows are strict but she has some amazing recipes that is sure to make anybody happy! Lots of tips to help stick to the diet and enjoy eating as well. No need to miss out when you have this lovely book!

[AcademicEditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully designed cookbook. The variety of recipes is pretty expansive, and several of the building blocks can be used in many of the other recipes. The style of cooking is "comfort food," although for many of us it probably just registers as typical American--waffles, chicken wings, soups, and salads. I have several family members with different dietary restrictions that involve avoiding grains, so I was happy to get some new ideas for making more "normal" foods, rather than just grilled proteins and vegetables.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair Winds Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook: 100+ Nourishing Allergen-Free Recipes. I was under no obligation to review this cookbook and my opinions are freely given.

Gut health is tied to our body's overall health and, when triggered negatively, it can cause an autoimmune response. The autoimmune protocol (AIP) is a healing diet, including good fats, proteins, vegetables, and fruits that are essential for a healthy body and mind. There is an at-a-glance chart at the beginning of this cookbook, showing foods that are in the AIP diet, as well as which foods to avoid. The author goes through the importance of the diet short term, the process of reintroducing troubling foods, and a good description of different cookbook ingredients that may be unfamiliar to many.

The section named AIP Basics has recipes for items such as bone broths, nightshade free ketchup, and nightshade free tomato sauce. These building block recipes are very useful later in the book, but also can be used as a jumping off point for cooks looking to be creative.

The section titled Breakfast in Bed contains out of the box type recipes, as the AIP diet does not use eggs or grains. Eaters will be surprised to find great recipes such as Blueberry Waffles, made with alternative flours and coconut oil, as well as Apple Chicken Sausage, which is a healthy alternative to the store bought version. The Turkey and Carrot Breakfast Hash is quite nutritious and filling with a great combination of ground turkey, bacon, and vegetables.

The Appetizers, Dips, and Snacks section has varied offerings, like Mini-Mediterranean Chicken Skewers, Scallops with Bacon Jam, Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce, and Kid Friendly Veggie Tots.

Soups, Salads, and Sides has interesting recipes, like Broccoli "Cheese" Soup, with the aforementioned bone broth, coconut milk, and coconut cream as a base. The recipe that I am most excited to try when the weather turns cool is Immunity-Boosting Chicken Soup with its plethora of vegetables, chicken, and bone broth. Other soups that look equally as delicious are Italian Wedding Soup, Pork Belly Ramen, and Chicken Pot Pie Soup. There are also dishes like Traditional Hungarian Goulash, Cauliflower "Mac & Cheese", and Avocado Pesto Chicken Salad.

Craveable Mains and Sides boasts such delectable dinners that readers may never eat out again. This section contains variations of classic dishes like Swedish and Italian-style Meatballs, Zucchini Lasagna, Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles, as well as unique offerings like One-Pan Egg Roll and Lamb Gyro Skillet.

The final two sections are Holiday Favorites and Decadent Desserts & Drinks, both of which have finished dishes that will have readers thinking differently about "restrictive" diets. Overall, there are many beautiful photographs of finished dishes, which are inspiring. The biggest thing that I took away from reading The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook is that healthy eating does not mean not eating well. I would highly recommend this cookbook both to readers that need to follow the AIP and to those just looking for a healthy way of eating.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook is an action plan and recipe collection for allergen free comfort foods by Michelle Hoover. Due out 10th Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

Most of us have comfort foods; foods which make us happy or are associated with special memories or family recipes which are tied up emotionally with our life experience. Getting a diagnosis which includes an auto-immune component can literally turn our lives upside down. This cookbook tries to replicate some of the comfort foods which are also autoimmune diet protocol compliant.

The book follows a logical progression. The introductory chapters explain what the AIP diet is, some history, a very basic explanation of the mechanics behind auto-immune responses, along with a list of non-inflammatory foods and foods to avoid. The intro includes an explanation of the four phases of the diet. The author (and many dieticians) recommends keeping a food journal to gauge the body's reactions to reintroduced foods.

The next chapters contain recipes arranged by meal category: breakfast, appetizers, soups & salads, mains & proteins, holiday dishes, and desserts & drinks. There are over 100 recipes included as well as a massive amount of supporting information. Many (many!) of the ingredients will probably be unfamiliar to readers who haven't followed an anti-inflammatory diet before. Some ingredients will probably be difficult to source outside of special order or a specialist grocery.

Each recipe includes serving yields, special notes (cocnut-free, one pan, simple to prepare, and made in under 45 minutes), along with estimated prep/cook times. Recipe ingredients are listed bullet point style along with optional ingredients. All measurements are given in American standard and metric measures. The directions are given step by step, numbered sequentially. Special notes about the recipe are given in sidebar boxes.

Roughly half of the recipes are accompanied by serving photographs. The photography is lush, appetizing, clear, and appealing. The typesetting and layout are clear and easy to read. It's a well written, content dense book.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Nelleke Plouffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I have only read through this cookbook, not tried the recipes, so I may come back and adjust my review. This book is completely compliant with the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol diet (Paleo, no grains, dairy, legumes, nightshades, nuts and seeds, sugar or sugar substitutes aside from limited honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar). I am especially looking forward to trying the Mongolian Beef, One-Pan Egg Roll, and Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry.
My AIP cooking style tends to be a bit more simple than this, in general...I like meat and vegetables and don’t feel the need to go to great lengths to recreate non-AIP food like lasagna. This book has you making your own “tomato” sauce and “cheese” for a lasagna that is a tremendous amount of work for something I am sure is only a pale imitation of the real thing. I might be curious enough to try it someday, though.
I was also slightly disappointed in the baking recipes, but more because of the limitations of supplies where I live. (Tigernut and cassava flours and palm shortening are extremely expensive when I can get them here in rural Canada). Tapioca and cassava flours also don’t particularly agree with me, so I won’t be trying any recipes with them.
Overall, it will be worth trying some of these recipes, and I would particularly recommend this book if you’re new to AIP and feel like you couldn’t possibly live without eating your favourite comfort foods. Let this be your security until you find yourself some new comfort foods.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since dealing with autoimmune disease I’ve been looking at ways to help improve my condition. the AIP diet was suggested and I’ve been looking into it. When I saw this cookbook, I figured it would be a good place to look for some ideas on recipes where I have traditionally used non AIP foods. The book does not disappoint.

With recipes for some of my favorite foods, like Mac and cheese, biscuits and sausage grave, and Tom Kha Gai, I was quickly engrossed in exploring them. There are a few ingredients that are new to me, like tigernut flour and tomato free tomato sauce. For me, embracing a new way of eating is always solidified with better understanding a new way of cooking and these recipes truly help. I look forward to trying many of them as I embrace an AIP lifestyle and look to address my conditions.

Easy to follow recipes from an author who has walked the walk and is talking the talk. I will be recommending this book to friends who are also looking into an AIP diet for their own AI conditions. Looking forward to making the changes with the help of this book.

[Hannah Roselyn Bloczynski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally wasn't a fan of this book; too many "facts" they present have been debunked. Plus, the second you cite Tom Brady, even anecdotally, as a source, I question whether you're actually attempting to help people or make a buck off of the (understandably) desperate-for-relief chronically ill community. However, strictly as a recipe book, it's fine. Some of the recipes look interesting, some look absolutely disgusting. Some, based on my own autoimmune issues, seem like they might do more harm than good. If people who try this find relief, great, more power to them, I'm glad you found something that works. Otherwise, this is a highly restrictive diet that cuts out a lot of foods that actually provide vital nutrients to the body and immune system plus it's massively expensive, so I'd have a long and thorough conversation with my doctors before I'd even consider it.

I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is for people with autoimmune disorders. There's a huge list of foods to avoid or eliminate, because they will cause an immune response in your body leading to a flare up. She lists alternatives, and provides recipes for common foods using alternative foods. It's well written, and she explains everything very well. The recipes are something that I'm going to try. I have an autoimmune disorder, but I haven't tried food moderation or replacement. I think the first recipe that I'm going to try is the buffalo chicken wings. The book has beautifully illustrated pictures of the food. Anyone with an autoimmune disorder should buy this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful cookbook with many great photos. The information at the beginning is very helpful for anyone new to the AIP. eating this way seems to be time consuming and expensive! I wish I had a live-in chef so I could eat this way. I don’t know if it has to be this time-consuming and expensive, though. In addition to this cookbook, I would also seek out one that helped one follow the AIP at less expense and with simpler recipes.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a fantastic guide for someone changing over to an Autoimmune Protocol diet. There are a ton of substitutions for those "normal" foods that you would miss when changing over. I recommend this only if you are absolutely going to change over to a complete AIP diet. Many of the ingredients are things most kitchens would not have under other circumstances, so if you are going to do this, you need to be all in. Not for the passive, try a particular diet some days type of cook.

[LA Loves RomComs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes look great in this book. Easy to follow, with both volumes and weight measurements provided for baked goods so you can measure however you're used to measuring. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. and the variation is great. My only 'complaint' is that I like cookbooks that provide basic nutrition information, e.g. calorie count, sugar count. This is very helpful information to have, especially for people on a diet protocol.

[Kirsten Lost 2022 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. So these recipes are largely delicious looking, but a lot of them are a) complicated and b) use ingredients that I wouldn't have the foggiest where to get in the UK. White sweet potatoes? Regular sweet potatoes have only recently become a common vegetable in stores, where the heck am I gonna get a white one from? Also, please please please only undertake a exclusion diet under supervision of your doctor!

[Angel La · Rating 5 out of 5]

It reads very well. The author explains the start of her journey and what the AIP diet entails. A lot of yummy recipes which I haven't seen in other cookbooks yet. The ingredients are not hard to find if you already follow an AIP diet. Would suggest a spellcheck here and there.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this cookbook mostly as I have been hearing a lot about this protocol and wanted to understand it better. I am not sure that the recipes interested me but it helped me understand how to implement this protocol and what it might mean for people who are trying it.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you're in the middle of trying to do AIP this is such a gift. It's hard to feel so limited and not be able to celebrate the beauty of food. Having this helped have some fantastic options to make food that felt homey and delicious.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and practical cookbook for those in need.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow recipes that actually turn out as good as they look. I found myself utilizing this book more than once when planning menus for the week.

[Marla Primack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for those that want or need to follow an autoimmune protocol. Michelle provides great and easy recipes that are also very tasty!

[Angela Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing cook book of real food that is Allergen free and still Yummy!! Thank you for making AIP possible.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of interesting recipes using the very limited ingredients for Hashimoto’s. A great resource.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicious sounding recipes I can’t wait to try in my own kitchen. If you’ve done Paleo or Whole 30, and discovered removing certain fruits, veggies and grains allow your body to fell better, pick up a copy of this book to add to your library of what to make when you have food sensitivities..