No Nightshade Ratatouille from ‘Simple French Paleo’

Sophie Van Tiggelen, aka A Squirrel in the Kitchen, not to mention the AIPer with the most Frenchie-inspired recipes has a published an epic cookbook cookbook – ‘Simple French Paleo’.

I was lucky enough to get my hot little hands on this baby very early in the piece (I may have been called upon to do some recipe testing because the lovely Sophie wanted to ensure she looked after the Southern Hemisphere, too!)

So, today we’ve got the Sophie trifecta – an interview with the author herself, a wee recipe that is seriously popular with one of my clients and a triple giveaway! Yowza!

For the uninitiated, just who is this Sophie Van Tiggelen??

Sophie is an autoimmune warrior, foodie, recipe developer, photographer, blogger at A Squirrel in the Kitchen and author of ‘Simple French Paleo’. She is also married to an athlete who is always hungry, and mother to three busy teenage girls.

Sophie and her family moved to Colorado from Belgium in 2000 and they still all speak French at home. She has a wonderful ability to pair her French heritage with the anti-inflammatory ingredients available to those of us following the Autoimmune Protocol.  

After her wonderful blog received such rave reviews, Sophie undertook the mammoth task of writing her first published cookbook.

It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to pick the lovely Sophie’s brain.

Here’s what we discussed…

Sophie, what a labour of love this wonderful cookbook is. It is clear that AIP is very much a family-affair in the Van Tiggelen household. How do you navigate this with your family?

Right from the start of my healing journey, I have been extremely fortunate to have the full support of my husband and children. They saw how sick I was, they understood the importance of the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, and they supported me 100%. We eliminated gluten completely from the house to avoid any risk of contamination, and their paleo snacks were limited to a specific area in the pantry. Nothing I couldn’t eat was in sight.

We transformed our kitchen into a real AIP kitchen, and that helped me a lot. For the meals, I prepare the same food for everyone. Occasionally my family will add rice or quinoa to their plate. But even that has become rare. My husband and kids experienced the healing benefit of the Autoimmune Protocol themselves and they don’t want to be unhealthy now, either.

I’d love to know what your family’s favourites are in ‘Simple French Paleo’. Which are the ones on repeat in your house?

Our family favorites are: the creamy liver pâté, the artichokes with shallot vinaigrette, the Niçoise salad, the pork belly salad, the butternut squash and sweet potato soup, the balsamic spaghetti squash, the pan-fried sweet potatoes with sage, the sage roast chicken, the rustic beef and pork meatloaf, the baked salmon with lemon and dill sauce.

For the desserts, they are not on repeat per say, but our favorites are the crèpes for sure, the pear cake , and the afternoon tea time cookies!

In your book, you provide a wonderful introduction and overview to the protocol. In my experience, everyone has a ‘tricky’ bit. Some part of AIP that is particularly challenging. What was your ‘tricky’ bit, and how are you managing this?

For me, the tricky part has been the reintroductions. I haven’t been super systematic with them. My reintroductions where guided more by convenience and personal taste. For example, I reintroduced nuts and seeds early on because it was a convenient snack for me on the go. I have also tried coffee and chocolate, because they are such luxury foods for me, only to discover that I can only do a very limited amount of these foods. Limited as in one cup of coffee per month!

I am currently working on chili and tomatoes, because they are present in this dish I really like in a local restaurant. I also indulge in a glass of red wine for special occasions like birthdays or Christmas. That’s about it. I really don’t feel the need to reintroduce something else at this time. I’d rather go with my gut and wait to have a “craving” for a certain food before I try it again.

Can you give us your top Sophie tip for making AIP work for you and your family?

I know that you like quotes Joanna, so I have one for you, to answer your question!

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” Alexander Graham Bell.

Being prepared is my number one piece of advice. And being prepared to tackle the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol means different things.

1. Educate yourself about the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. Do your research and know which foods you can eat and which foods you can’t. Print lists and keep them handy, especially when you go shopping for food.
2. Prepare your kitchen so that it will be easy for you to cook your meals. For example, buy an excellent chef’s knife or a food processor because there will be a lot of chopping!
3. Stock up on AIP compliant foods so that you never go hungry. Your refrigerator should be full of vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. Being super hungry with nothing safe to eat leads to bad choices!
4. Become adept at meal prepping and batch cooking. This will save up time in the kitchen and allow you to step away from the kitchen and take care of yourself in other areas.
5. Always have AIP compliant snacks in your pantry you can reach for so that you won’t feel deprived when you see others snacking!

Thank you, Miss Sophie! (and yes, I do love a good quote)

Sophie has generously shared this recipe for her no nightshade ratatouille. If, like me, you’re a ratatouille lover from back when tomatoes , capsicum and eggplant were on the menu, then you’re going to love this baby!

Small secret – As mentioned above, I have a client who just raves about this dish. He thinks it’s the best AIP veggie dish around. And, he may just be on the money…

No Nightshade Ratatouille

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

This recipe is AIP friendly. It has been reprinted with the author's permission.

Author: Sophie Van Tiggelen

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium golden beets, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium-low heat. Add beets, carrots, and garlic. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add onion, yellow squash, zucchini, oregano, rosemary and sea salt. Continue cooking, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Check seasoning and adjust salt to taste. Serve hot or cold.

Notes

*the original recipe calls for golden beets which were impossible to find in Sydney at the time of posting. I used purple beets.

3.3.2998

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As promised, it’s giveaway time again!

ENTER TO WIN ONE OF THREE (yes, THREE!!) EBOOK COPIES OF ‘SIMPLE FRENCH PALEO’ BY SOPHIE VAN TIGGELEN.

There are 2 easy steps to enter the giveaway –

1. Subscribe to my newsletter. Either signup HERE or click the link at the top right corner of this page. If you already receive my newsletter, you’re good to go! No need to sign up again.
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you’d want to win a copy of Sophie’s wonderful cookbook. Be sure to leave your country of residence, too – one winner will be chosen from Australia, one from New Zealand, and one from anywhere else in the world!

A Couple of Things to Note:

This giveaway is for a digital product and is open to anyone BUT please be aware that one copy of the ebook will go to an Australian resident, one will go to a New Zealand resident, and the third copy will go anywhere else in the world.
The winner will be chosen at random on Friday 23rd September at midday Australian Eastern Time.

PLEASE NOTE – THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER OPEN!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

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