“The Paleo Foodie” cookbook GIVEAWAY (and Spicy Parsnip Hummus)

{This contest is now closed. Thanks so much for your entries — and congrats to our winner, Heidi K! }

WIN a copy of "The Paleo Foodie" Cookbook! And Arsy's Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quillFood blogging is kind of an interesting gig. And to be honest, I’ve struggled with the term “food blogger” a lot. For one, it seems we’re a dime a dozen. Even good food bloggers (I’ll use that descriptor loosely and without assumption that I do/not fit into the category) are available in abundance. There are just a lot of folks out there — a plethora, even (love that word) — who do a fine job of experiencing the world through their mouth-holes. And who communicate those experiences so beautifully, eloquently — and often times with great humor. It’s hard to find your voice. Your place in the pack. I’m still figuring it out.

Happily, the thing about blogging is that it has all the camaraderie of a team sport. Sure, you can operate entirely in a vacuum (whereby one enjoys a Friday night sharing only in the company of tacos and Parenthood), but you’re surely never alone. If you put yourself out there, you begin to realize that those “dime a dozen” folks you mentioned earlier are actually your peers. Your pals. And you can turn to them for inspiration that extends far beyond the kitchen.

Arsy is a fellow blogger that totally embodies all of that. In the few months that I’ve known her as more than the author of her super popular paleo blog Rubies & Radishes, she’s been quite the inspiration. During our brief online relationship (did I not mention befriending bloggers is a little like internet dating?), she’s warmly invited me to drinks (yes), convinced me that I should probably move to Santa Cruz (maybe) and admitted to L’ingOL at my absurd dreamworld (ok, less funny when it’s happening in your own head, but I’m glad someone is entertained).

Also: she’s wicked talented.

"The Paleo Foodie" Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #recipe #thepaleofoodie

Last weekend, Arsy’s new cookbook, The Paelo Foodie, arrived in my mailbox, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride and admiration for one of our own. First off, it’s gorgeously assembled and chock-full of lovely photography — but more than that, it’s got loads of truly original recipes that turned my rather limited knowledge of the paleo lifestyle on its head.

This isn’t all cashew cream and cauliflower rice, you guys — though those paleo basics are given their turn. This is real food that real foodies can get excited about: Pancetta-Wrapped Figs with Walnuts. Sun-Dried-Tomato-and-Fennel-Braised Short Ribs. Slow Cooker Chocolate Chicken Mole. Thai Coconut-Curry Mussels.

It’s Arsy’s take on hearty, homestyle Persian and Armenian dishes, many of which are already paleo in their classic preparations: slow-simmered Persian Meatballs, Grape Leaf and Cabbage Dolmas, Tabbouleh Salad. Sign. Me. Up.

WIN a copy of "The Paleo Foodie" Cookbook! And Arsy's Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill

I also love Arsy’s approach to the hard-to-define paleo lifestyle and her simply-outlined guidelines and recommendations in the intro. It’s not about what you can’t or shouldn’t be eating on a paleo diet; it’s about maximizing all the delicious offerings that you can and absolutely should  be enjoying on the paleo diet! Optimism FTW!

So. In case you haven’t yet caught onto the punchline, I’m sharing the recipe for just one of Arsy’s spectacular creations below — and giving one lucky P&Q reader a copy of The Paleo Foodie for fuh-reeeeeeeeeee! (That’s just FREE spelled weird. Like, you don’t have to pay for it. FREE.)

Just click here or on the link below to enter through 11:59pm Pacific on 4/11 (I’ve even offered a non-Facebook option just for your people, Mom) — and you’re good to go. Easy.

WIN a copy of "The Paleo Foodie" Cookbook! And Arsy's Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill

So many congrats on your new labor of love, Arsy. And good luck, guys.
I hope you win! 🙂

"The Paleo Foodie" Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #recipe #thepaleofoodie

"The Paleo Foodie" Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #recipe #thepaleofoodie

"The Paleo Foodie" Spicy Parsnip Hummus // the pig & quill #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #recipe #thepaleofoodie

Spicy Parsnip Hummus
by Arsy Vartanian (reprinted with author’s permission from “The Paleo Foodie”)
Cook time: about 25 mins | Serves 8

Note: I deviated from Arsy’s recipe, below, only slightly by using leftover parsnips I had roasted in the oven at 425F for about 30 minutes. The concentrated flavor of the roasted parsnips made the hummus even nuttier and sweeter, but I did have to add about 1/4 cup water to get the consistency right. Either way, delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups parsnips, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic tahini
  • 3 T lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • paprika (garnish)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the parsnips and boil until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the parsnips and place them into the food processor. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil and red pepper flakes; puree until smooth. Taste and adjust salt accordingly. Garnish with paprika. Serve with sliced cucumbers, carrots or other fresh veggies.

Hey you, PSSSST…diggin’ the pretty serveware you see in all these pics? (Me too. We have great taste!) Shop Q Squared NYC with the promo code PIGANDQUILL through April 30th to get 20% off your purchase and Free Shipping when you spend $50 or more. K, that’s all. Oh wait, no. Don’t forget to enter to win Arsy’s book! :)

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Like whatcha see here — or have a question, feedback, or recipe hack to share? Join The Pig & Quill convo by commenting below (I love, luv, lurve comments) and hang out with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. And don’t forget to subscribe to P&Q emails (see that nifty box up there in the right sidebar?) so you never miss a post. x’s & o’s!

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34 Comments on ““The Paleo Foodie” cookbook GIVEAWAY (and Spicy Parsnip Hummus)”

  1. Not on a paleo diet, but I’m a food lover and always looking for healthy recipes to improve my lifestyle!

  2. I am not personally on a paleo diet because it seems like too much work, but I know people who are and I would love to incorporate paleo meals at least once in a while!

  3. yea! a non-facebook giveaway for the face-book challenged! i’m not on a paleo diet, but heard it was good for folks with auto-immune diseases and also, after reading what it entails, regards what you can /should eat… sounds pretty good for all bodies! am planning on trying paleo recipes when i have time to cook less-processed stuff and enjoy the process, itself….

  4. I’m 21 years old and began my paleo journey my sophomore year of college! As I can’t really afford cookbooks (thanks to overpriced textbooks -__-), I would love to win this book of which I’ve seen such beautiful pictures and awesome recipes!

  5. I’m not reeeally on a paleo diet, at least not intentionally, but I do love healthy, wholesome recipes and this book looks gorgeous!

  6. I try to be paleo – working on it more every day. I love parsnips, they are quite common in the UK, but I usually have the checkout people ask me what they are here – hopefully, they will gain some more popularity now:)

  7. I am currently eating Paleo. I would love, love, love to have some new recipes and ideas to keep me on track with this way of eating.

  8. I left a comment on your page with crispy chicken and root veggies, but it didn’t take for some reason. My hubby and I have been Paleo since January 2013. We both feel SO much healthier and each of us has lost 40 lbs! Thanks for the opportunity to win Arsy’s cookbook 🙂

  9. I’ve been paleo for two years. I’m a cookbook junkie and would love to add this to the collection!

  10. i’m trying to follow a paleo diet but it’s been hard. i’d love to win arsy’s cookbook to get some more inspiration.

  11. i’ve been trying to follow a paleo diet and i’d love to win arsy’s cookbook to get some more inspiration to continue.

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  13. I’m not on any kind of diet, but really need to clean up my eating habits. I do best when I eat grain-free, so I tend to gravitate toward paleo type meals.

  14. I’m not following the Paleo diet. I’m a vegetarian, so it would be difficult to do both. But, I do like to eat lots of whole foods, which the Paleo diet does. And, I’m always interested in tring new stuff.

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