Paichka Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 We made the Japanese Gyoza, the Morrocan Chicken & Apricot bangers, coconut cauliflower rice, kickass ketchup, Cincinnati Chili (which I liked, but not as well as the Chocolate Chili from WF), and my personal favorite, the Stuffed Grape Leaves. Be warned, the stuffed grape leaves are an epic PITA to make (I put on music and just kind of be-bopped my way through rolling up 60 bazillion grape leaves), but man are they good. I ate them for breakfast for like, a week straight. I made them with some ground turkey, which in hindsight was a mistake (they turned out a touch dry), but I ordered some lamb so that I can make them properly next go-round. Flavor was amazing, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I can't wait for my copy to arrive in the mail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theya Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I made Moroccan style Bangers (Merguez) and served them with sweet potatoes mashed with coconut oil and mustard....delicious! I can't wait to try the fried sardines... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmichelle82_ Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I've made the faux pho - so good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDC Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Within a week of receiving my copy (back in November) I'd made a substantial number of different recipes from the book. I wrote a comprehensive review on Amazon UK, including what I made and how it turned out (sorry, this will read like a review...which it is really!): *************************************************************** - Coconut cauliflower rice. I've made cauliflower rice before, and even done a coconut version using coconut shreds. I'd never thought to actually cook the cauliflower in coconut milk though, assuming it would go mushy I suppose. Well Melissa has it bang on when she says 'Warning: This will look like wet, mushy oatmeal for a while, and you will be convinced it's ruined' -- I knew to ignore my worries, and it turned out delicious. I made a paleo version of nasi lemak, a Malaysian breakfast staple which includes coconut rice and it was delicious -- I'd assume I wouldn't be able to eat it too often again! Now I'm in danger of making this an everyday food item! I modified it by adding pandan leaves and slices of fresh ginger while it was bubbling in the coconut milk, as per a proper Malaysian coconut rice, and a handful of coconut shreds at the end for added coconuttyness.- Olive oil mayo: to be fair I had made this a number of times before using the recipe on the clothes make the girl website. However, what's great in this book is there is even more detail on OTHER dips and sauces you can make using the mayo as a base -- from one sauce the world is your oyster, and Melissa shows us how. I used apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice as I found I prefer the taste.- Meatballs: There are so many different varieties in this book. Meatballs are essential for me as something to go in the freezer for easy access later in the week so I was delighted to find all the different variations on the same theme. I ate them with tahini sauce, BBQ sauce, creamy Italian dressing...basically these go with any sauce in the book!- Better Butter: This is, quite simply, very yummy. I used it as the oil for cooking the onions in the Courgette soup and it gave it an amazing subtle spicy flavour. And then I licked the spoon I'd used to scoop up the butter. Nom.- BBQ sauce: I wasn't wild about this immediately after I made it (and there's a huge quantity!) but it worked REALLY well in the BBQ beef waffle sandwich. I think it will be a good thing to have in the fridge for adding to meat generally. I added more applesauce because I thought it could be a tad sweeter.- BBQ Beef "Waffle" Sandwich: I was overjoyed to find that there were a few slow cooker recipes in Well Fed 2 (I think the first Well Fed didn't have any), and this was one of them. The house smelt amazing the next morning -- like chorizo. This recipe is a bit of a faff (I had to start off by making the BBQ sauce, which involved making applesauce first, and should have involved making sunflower butter except I didn't have time so I just used tahini instead) but it's delicious. I don't have a waffle iron so I wrote a message to Melissa on Facebook to ask whether a frying pan would work and she got back really promptly with some suggestions which worked well. It's really awesome to know that she personally responded to my question! I had this for lunch the next day and it was even better than the first time.- Italian pork roast: I often cook a pork shoulder in the slow cooker but I've been thinking about trying a new recipe for a while and this was great. The juice that comes out of the pork is delectable, and I can see the leftovers working really well with the BBQ sauce.- Balsamic-Grilled Butternut Squash: This was a very straightforward recipe, with delicious results.- Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup: Melissa calls this 'A healthy hug in a bowl' (or in my case, mug) and it really is that. It's a deliciously warming start to the morning, a much welcome substitution for porridge. *************************************************************** Since that review I've made more stuff: - Go-To Vinaigrette: I try and make a bottle of this (with minor variations) each week so I have something I can grab quickly to dress my salads. It's very good. I don't know why I can't come up with this stuff myself but whenever I try and make dressing I just go back to simple oil and vinegar. - Lebanese Seven-Spice Blend: This was quite heavy on the cloves but it's really nice to have a jar of spice mix just ready to be sprinkled on stuff that needs a little kick. It's really great to know that I ground it myself, and when I ground it. I will make more of Melissa's spice blends to have lying around the kitchen. - Old School Italian Meat Sauce: I haven't actually made the full version of this (so much meat!) but I regularly make the tomato sauce as my go-to sauce for meatballs...or anything that needs a tomato kick. - Deli Tuna Salad: Again, I don't know why I need a recipe for this but I just lack the inspiration I guess! This is fabulous. - Fiesta Pork Chops - Deconstructed Gyro: Probably one of the best recipes from the book. A bit fussy in the (de!)constructing the meal (cooking the meat is a doddle) because there are so many elements to it but once you've got it together it's really delicious. - Perfect Steak: OK, I thought I knew how to cook steak. Apparently not. Melissa makes the point that grass fed steak needs different attention to conventional steak. Now I never overcook my steak and it makes life a lot easier to be able to stick it in the oven and get on with the rest of the meal. The only thing is I've never been organised enough to stick it in the freezer for an hour before hand but it still turns out perfect to me! - SB&J Burger: Wow, this is good. Really unusual. I didn't have strawberries so I did a raspberry sort of coulis instead. Delish! - Scherezade Omelette: This was good although it's really hefty -- I made it at the start of the week and kept eating it through the week. You don't need much though, so I got quite bored of it after having it for breakfast almost every day! I adapted it and sprinkled pine nuts on top instead of walnuts inside. - Pan-fried Sardines: this is now my most favouritest breakfast ever. I can't believe you can do something so simple yet so incredibly delicious with sardines, which are usually smelly and fishy in the can! - Roasted spaghetti squash -- This isn't revolutionary but it's not easy to get spaghetti squash here in the UK so when I found some I roasted it the way she described and it was perfect, still al dente so that when I reheated it for a Vietnamese bun xao salad later in the week it wasn't mushy. My sister (non paleo) was so amazed that a vegetable can be so much like noodles! - Simple Lemon Spinach: this is really good, and my go-to greens recipe - Golden Cauliflower Soup: The zuchinni soup is tastier, but this is really good too. Again I have it mostly for breakfast as a quick way to get my veg in first thing in the morning. - Roasted Cabbage Roses: This is one of my favourite recipes from the book. It looks so beautiful on the plate too. And that's it! The best thing is there are STILL so many recipes for me to make in that book! I've got loads I've earmarked, and loads that I can make variants of so it's like the never ending cookbook. I have loads and loads of cookbooks and I have NEVER made so many recipes from a single volume. I'm so impressed with Melissa's book. I'm a real foodie and we obviously have very similar tastebuds. Now I just have to work up to making the liver. I so desperately want to like liver -- so cheap! so good for you! -- but I don't like the texture! I will get there one day though. Sorry for such a long winded post. I get excited talking about Well Fed 2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I made the Beef Stew Provencal and it was delicious. The only problem I had was that after marinating the meat, it was so tender that it disintegrated into the broth. The recipe also had me add the carrots at the end, but it took a really long time for the carrots to cook so I'd probably add them in with the meat and broth at the beginning. I thought this had too much vinegar for my taste. I also like more vegetables. The meat was very tender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabel Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I thought this had too much vinegar for my taste. I also like more vegetables. The meat was very tender. I find that a lot of her meat recipes don't include much in the way of veg. - BBQ Beef "Waffle" Sandwich: I was overjoyed to find that there were a few slow cooker recipes in Well Fed 2 (I think the first Well Fed didn't have any), and this was one of them. The house smelt amazing the next morning -- like chorizo. This recipe is a bit of a faff (I had to start off by making the BBQ sauce, which involved making applesauce first, and should have involved making sunflower butter except I didn't have time so I just used tahini instead) but it's delicious. I think applesauce is a common ingredient in most American kitchens (and easily picked up in any shop) and sunflower butter seems to be a staple of most paleo eaters in the US (and again easily acquired for them). But agreed, a major faff for us here, I was just lucky to have both already made. (How anyone can eat what Brits call applesauce is beyond me.) One of the biggest difficulties with following American recipes is that some things that are quite common/cheap ingredients in the US are difficult to find and/or expensive in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDC Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yea, I learned from that...I'm more organised and have stuff prepared. I agree about the expensive ingredients although for some stuff I've bought once and use again and again and it lasts a while, for other stuff I substitute or leave out. Coconut aminos is the big thing -- it's so unbelieveably expensive there's just no point in my opinion! I can manage 30 days without it (usually subbing a dash of fish sauce) and going over to tamari once the Whole30's over. On the other hand the paleo movement is way more advanced in the US than in the UK so there's more resources (admittedly some very bad recipe books as well as the good!) and they also seem to be A LOT more creative than the few UK-based paleo books I've found here (which mostly try and adapt regular British food like shepherd's pie which is easy to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dublinkim Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 For lunch this week I made the Taj Mahal or the Chicken Nanking (whichever has chicken thighs, sunflower seed butter and crushed tomatoes!) and this is eaten over the coconut cauliflower rice! I LOVE the rice - the addition of the coconut milk and browned onions really make it tasty and under the chicken, it's just heavenly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinL Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 So far I've made the Turkey Cranberry Meatballs, Old School Italian Meat Sauce (without the sausage), Chocolate Chili, and the Sweet Potato soup. I've tried the mayo, but so far it hasn't turned out. I really want it to, because I really want some tuna salad!! Everything has been very good, but my kids weren't too keen on the soup. It uses the Lebanese 7 Spice Blend so it has a different taste. They like lebanese food, so I thought this wouldn't be too much of a stretch, but it was a no-go. I will be making them the banana pecan ice cream in a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 ErinL - this thread might help you with the mayo! It's so good. Are you using a blender, food processor or immersion blender? http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/14699-mayo-fail/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 So far I've made the Turkey Cranberry Meatballs, Old School Italian Meat Sauce (without the sausage), Chocolate Chili, and the Sweet Potato soup. I've tried the mayo, but so far it hasn't turned out. I really want it to, because I really want some tuna salad!! Everything has been very good, but my kids weren't too keen on the soup. It uses the Lebanese 7 Spice Blend so it has a different taste. They like lebanese food, so I thought this wouldn't be too much of a stretch, but it was a no-go. I will be making them the banana pecan ice cream in a little bit. Did you crack the egg into the blender and let it sit for at least 30 min? Did you use a blender or food processor? I used my blender that is not very good and it worked perfectly. The only problem was that with the top off I sprayed mayo everywhere while I was drizzling the olive oil. I am going to use a funnel next time. Also I used lime juice instead of lemon because I didn't have any. I have tried before and it failed but I didn't use my blender. Hope it works next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny2014 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I just got mine in the mail yesterday! I made the plantain chip nachos. The taco meat was so delicious, I will *never* again in my life make taco meat any other way (used to use those crappy taco seasoning pouches.) My plantain chips weren't cut quite thin enough to make them all stick together nicely, but they were crispy and good. I topped it with avocado and green onion. I'm making the Cincinnati chili tomorrow, and bought stuff for the Taj Mahal Chicken as well. Can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BratKat Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I've made the Kickass Ketchup-- I subbed in a date for the fig, too, and it mixed in fine. Good recipe! Tonight we had the Plantain Nachos-- they were a big hit, served with diced tomato, jalapeno, onion, salsa. The plantain "tortillas" turned out really well, crunchy and sturdy enough to hold the meat and toppings. On the side I served my own version of Mexican slaw, which we ended up piling on top of the little tostada-type things we constructed. Yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BratKat Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Oh, made the coconut cauli-rice, too. It was good-- served with grilled Chicken Satay and pineapple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 A friend of mine made the plantain nachos tonight for a party. She topped them with the lime cumin salad dressing from Well Fed - awesome combo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Carmosino Beougher Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Made the Ginger Zucchini soup today. Delicious. My husband loves it too. Double bonus since he's so picky about what vegetables he eats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny2014 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I made the Cincinnati Chili tonight-- AMAZING (I haven't made the chocolate chili from Well Fed). I will double this recipe the next time I make it, so I have some to freeze. I served it over spaghetti squash and topped with onion and avocado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabel Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've made the Sunrise Scramble twice now, once with beef and once with turkey. I thought it was better the time I did eggs on the side rather than all mixed in. And it might be a bit too garlicky for breakfast. I made the Ginger Zucchini soup last week and my husband also loves it. (And he's far less adventurous than I am with breakfast foods) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 annabel, I opened this thread just to say that I'd made the sunrise scramble this weekend! It's so good. I did it with turkey and did poached eggs on top - yum. I didn't bother with the scallions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 We made the Japanese Gyoza, the Morrocan Chicken & Apricot bangers, coconut cauliflower rice, kickass ketchup, Cincinnati Chili (which I liked, but not as well as the Chocolate Chili from WF), and my personal favorite, the Stuffed Grape Leaves. Be warned, the stuffed grape leaves are an epic PITA to make (I put on music and just kind of be-bopped my way through rolling up 60 bazillion grape leaves), but man are they good. I ate them for breakfast for like, a week straight. I made them with some ground turkey, which in hindsight was a mistake (they turned out a touch dry), but I ordered some lamb so that I can make them properly next go-round. Flavor was amazing, though. I tried the stuffed grape leaves and they were delicious, but floated all over the place in the pot and came unrolled. Any tips keeping my plate down and draining them without having them all fall out of place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paichka Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Did you have too much water in the pot? I used a big heavy pie plate and only put enough water in the pot to just cover the plate. You could probably use two plates, or make up a mesh bag full of pie weights or loose change to keep the plate down. I left the plate in when I drained; I just used a long spoon to hold the plate in place while I carefully tipped the pot over the sink. That required a bit of coordination. If you have a helper, you could have the helper tip the pot while you hold the plate in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malie Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The Pan-Fried Sardines just changed my whole outlook on sardines. I had them on baby kale with sliced peppers. Yummy. Have also made the Italian Pork Roast both original-style and BBQ-style, and the Belly Dance Beet Salad (tasty, but I didn't roast my beets correctly so I'll need to try again). I have a couple more on the list to try this week, but mainly I'm cooking my way through Well Fed 1 right now (I got both for Christmas). I've always been a reasonable cook, or at least my husband says so, but Melissa is really helping me take it up several notches! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trezkholl0806 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Just bought Well Fed 2, so I've only made 2 things so far, but it was the Plantain Nachos (which were good, but I obviously can't follow directions because I didn't overlap the plantains enough so I just had individual little chips). Worked out okay though, because I just piled some onto a plate, topped with the taco meat and toppings. One thing though, while the taco meat had great flavor, it gave me heartburn a little bit. Also made the pork chops, don't remember the name, fiesta? Anyway, they had alot of flavor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trezkholl0806 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I'm planning on making the Italian Pork Roast, but with the BBQ seasonings and the BBQ sauce to go along with that, this week... also planning on making the Cincinnati Chili and will have it with Applegate hot dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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