Healthy Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook

During last year’s Black Friday sales, we purchased a wood pellet grill. I was looking for a good cookbook to get me started and since we try to eat healthy-ish this one sounded perfect.

The full title is Healthy Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook - 100 Low-carb, Wood-Infused Barbecue Recipes. We don’t eat low carb, but since I don’t really associate carbs with grilling (except for pizza) I figured there would still be plenty of recipes that sounded good to us.

The book is divided into 8 chapters: Grill & Smoker Basics, Appetizers, Beef Lamb and Game, Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Soups & Salads and Side Dishes.

I found the Grill & Smoker Basics Chapter very helpful. It has a diagram showing how the grill works, which pellets to use, equipment, safety tips, cold weather grilling, and strategies for adding flavor - which includes rubs and brines.

I haven’t had a chance to make any of the recipes, however the instructions are all thorough and when I compare the techniques to the recipes that came with my grill, they seem comparable.

She adds a nice spin to the recipes, some are easy and some are a little more complicated, but all seem like they will be loaded with flavor.

I have marked to try: Sriracha & Maple Cashews (I figure those would be a delicious add on while grilling another recipe,) Texas Hill Country Brisket with Mustard Barbecue Sauce, Bistro Steaks with Avocado Relish, Triple Threat Pork Fatty, First-Timers Pulled Pork, and Spatchcocked Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce.

What I like about the recipes is that ingredients are broken up by their components. For example the Spatchcoked Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce is broken down by a recipe for the White Barbecue Sauce, the brine, and the rub. The Korean Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps has the pork, the sauce and the rub. This makes it really easy to pull parts of one recipe and use them with another. I really love the sound of the rub for the Korean Pork and will be able to easily use it on pork chops, beef or even fish.

All in all, I found lots to make in this book, the photographs are well done and the recipes sound delicious. As I make a few of them, I will come back and update my review.

Great and well explained cookbook! My husband loves grilling and using his smoker and I got this book for him. It has great informations about how a smoker works, which pellets to choose, equipments and accessories, safety tips, and lots of great recipes! The book is very clear, straightforward and well organized. I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

Healthy Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook is a well curated collection of barbecue recipes and techniques by Nancy Loseke. Due out 5th May 2020 from Penguin/Random House on their Alpha Books imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The introductory chapter covers grill and smoker basics including usage and updates (wi-fi connectivity and smartphone apps for your smoker/grill, who knew!?), followed by the recipes arranged thematically: appetizers, beef lamb & game, pork, poultry, seafood, soups & salads (yes, really), and side dishes. Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US standard measures with metric in parentheses) and step by step instructions. The nutritional info provided is arranged with most major info given (calories,fats, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, protein, etc). Many of the recipes are photographed, and the ones which are, are photographed well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

The recipe ingredients themselves are mostly easily sourced and will be available at well stocked grocery stores along with some ingredients being found in international/Asian markets (gochugaru (Korean ground red pepper), halloumi, miso, etc). The book also includes an index with an ingredients list.

There are a lot of creative and appetizing recipes included here with a lot more versatility than just grilled meat and BBQ rubs. We grilled peaches with raspberry sauce and they disappeared instantly. This would be a great selection for folks who like to experiment and are into barbecue. The emphasis is on fresh wholesome quality ingredients and simple preparation and presentation. It's a very well presented cookbook full of good food.

Four stars, definitely worth a look.

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

Wood Pellet Grills and Smokers are getting more and more popular as people recognize how good food cooked in them are. Nancy Loseke, who has worked with the Barbecue King, Stephen Raichlen, for years, has taken smoking to a higher realm in making foods healthy in her cookbook, Healthy Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook: 100 Low-Carb Wood-Infused Barbecue Recipes. This is not to say that they are so healthy that they don’t have appeal. Actually, the opposite. These recipes, while on the healthier side, are so appealing that it is difficult to decide what to make next. The “healthy” in the recipes doesn’t include tree-hugger ingredients like tofu, and the dishes are actually mouthwatering.

The first part of the cookbook deals with the “how-to” in setting up the wood pellet grill and/or smoker, and learning to use it, control the temperature, and other housekeeping items. This is well-written, easy-to-understand, and by the time cooks have followed her advice, they will have a perfect set-up to preparing some of the best smoked and grilled food on the planet.

The best part of the book, of course, is the variety of appetizing recipes. Loseke has included recipes with nuances from all over the world. There are some typical recipes, and dozens of unique recipes, such as Pig on a Stick, Tuscan Cheesesteaks, Thai-Style Swordfish Steaks with Peanut Sauce, and Naked Juicy Lucy Burgers. The book includes great side dishes, too; a favorite which will be served at backyard gatherings and potlucks this summer is a Mexican Corn Salad that is absolutely delish.

Anyone who has a smoker (even if it isn’t a wood pellet type, but electric or gas), will love the recipes in this excellent cookbook. There are nice photographs of many of the foods, but there could be a few more. This is a highly recommended cookbook that has something to please everyone.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Love the amount of different marinades and sauces that there are in this cookbook. They are all simple and easy to make and the steps were very thoroughly written.

For anyone wondering what to make in their wood pellet grill or smoker, here's an interesting cookbook. The recipes are touted as healthy (low-carb), and range from simple ribs to sophisticated smoked gazpacho caprese. I don't have a wood pellet grill, but would be tempted to get one just to try the smoked deviled eggs. Recipes include cooking temperatures and recommended pellet types, as well as the usual cooking instructions, with helpful tips on most pages. I would have liked more photos of the recipes, but otherwise enjoyed this book.

We purchased a pellet smoker almost a year ago and love it, but we were looking for healthier things to cook. Boy, some of the recipes are amazing! We were able to cook a few of them and my husband loves this book. I like how it takes you through the easy steps of what each cooker or grill is and how to use them. The recipes are very easy to follow as well and make delicious meals. I highly recommend this book to all those who want to learn how to smoke or if you already have a smoker how to cook healthy recipes.

This cookbook has a pretty nice range of recipes for a pellet griller. I was very excited about this one because well honestly if I can bust out our Traeger and make some amazing food I am down!!! The pictures are absolutely fantastic and made every recipe look delicious. This book has a recipe for bacon gah!!! Granted that recipe takes a few days but I am so doing it!!

This recipe book obviously is high on the meats as it is a grilling cookbook but around my house that won't go to waste and being low carb never hurts. So overall if meat is your jam this book is a win. I really enjoyed it and it is one I would buy.

I received this book from NetGalley and DK Alpha for an honest review.

A great reference book for experts or beginners. I've tried a few of the recipes and have the others penciled into my calendar to get ready for summer. My neighbors are already planning their visits to me backyard bbq.