Our Favorite Whole Food Recipes To Date

When I look at a recipe I usually ask myself a couple of questions. 

Does this look good?

How long will it take me to cook?

Do I have the stuff to make it?

If not, how much will it cost me to buy it?

If I had a cooking philosophy I suppose it would be something along the lines of making yummy, nutritious foods as simply & inexpensively as possible. 

These recipes are the go-to, never-fail-me whole foods recipes that I've collected from cookbooks + blogs. They're relatively simple, delicious, & the best part is, they are good for you! 

Money-saving tips:

-Buy bone-in, skin-on meat. 

-Harvest your own meat. Seriously. This has been our main budget-saver.

-Prioritize good quality protein over organic fruits + veggies.

-Shop for produce that is in season.

-If organic fruits and veggies aren't in the budget, soak them in a bit of water + about 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or baking soda for 10 minutes to remove some of the pesticides.

-Keep yourself in check with your consumption of nut butters, raw nuts, and treats. These items rack up the $$ on your grocery bill.

If you're just looking into this way of eating, know that there will be a bit of an initial investment required to stock your cabinet with the essentials, like coconut oil, a few spices, and almond & coconut flour. As long as you don't go crazy cooking primal desserts these items should last you a very long time. 

Anyway, back to the important stuff. The recipes. 

Main dishes:

Chili Chicken Kabobs
Dry Rub Burgers
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Italian Style Stuffed Peppers
Pecan Crusted Chicken
Lemon Rosemary Broiled Salmon
Spaghetti
Chicken Salad

Time saving main dishes:

Smokey Roast
Ultimate Paleo Chili
Chocolate Chili 
Bison and Butternut Squash Chili

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Kale Stew
Honey Walnut Chicken Salad
Slow Cooker Kalua Pig

Sides:

Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Mashed Potatoes
Guacamole
Kale and Butternut Squash Hash
Tyme and Garlic Pan Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Veggies

Treats:

Banana Bread French Toast
Simple, Fluffy Biscuits
Dairy Free Grain Free Biscuits
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (we make these without the chocolate chips)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Mousse
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Chocolate Ice Cream
Sweet Potato Brownies
Paleo Granola
Pumpkin Pie

Other:

TACO SEASONING (single use):

1 teaspoon chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mayo

Salad Dressings
Mineral Rich Bone Broth
Kombucha Tea

My Favorite Recipe Sites:

Balanced Bites

Against All Grain
Fast Paleo
Everyday Paleo
paleOMG

Civilized Caveman
Primal Palate

My Favorite Cookbooks:

Practical Paleo -Diane Sanfilippo
Gather - Bill and Hayley Mason
Against All Grain -Danielle Walker
Well Fed -Melissa Joulwan
Everyday Paleo -Sarah Fragoso
21 Day Sugar Detox -Diane Sanfilippo
It Starts with Food -Dallas and Melissa Hartwig



Books I want to buy, but haven't yet:
Make it Paleo -Bill and Hayley Mason
Beyond Bacon -Stacy Toth & Matthew McCarry
Well Fed 2 -Melissa Joulwan
Make Ahead Paleo -Tammy Credicott
The Paleo Chocolate Lovers Cookbook -Kelly Brozyna
Fermented -Jill Ciciarelli

What are some of your favorite whole foods recipes? Please do share them. We'd love to try them out! If you're on the hunt for more healthy recipes + tips and tricks on living well, check out Hunter Beless Personal Trainer on Facebook! 

Chicken, Sweet Potato & Kale Stew

This Chicken, Sweet Potato & Kale Stew is one of the first recipes I made for my husband when we were dating + engaged. Over the years it's become a staple, especially for those chilly, wintery days. I don't have any pretty pictures to convince you of it's deliciousness, but I assure you, it's a recipe you'll want to add to your repertoire, especially if you're a sweet potato aficionado like us! 

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 Tbsp almond flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Small Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 Cups Sweet Potato, peeled & coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth 
3 Cups Kale, coarsely chopped

Makes: 4 (1 1/4 cup) servings

Directions:
1) Toss chicken, flour, thyme, salt & cayenne pepper in a medium bowl until chicken is coated.

2) Heat large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add oil, heat until hot. Add chicken mixture, cook and stir 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink on outside.

3) Add onion, bell pepper, sweet potato and broth; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 5 minutes. 

4) Stir in Kale, cook, uncovered, 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. 

5) Invite us over to share a bowl!

Chili Chicken Kabobs

Last night I posted a photo of our meal-in-process on Instagram & received a few inquiries for the recipe. These are Chili Chicken Kabobs: Brooks' favorite. I know I can make his day by having these ready when he gets home from work! 

Chili Chicken Kabobs

You will need:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of one fresh lime (I cheat and use the plastic lime full of juice)
1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced (I substitute with garlic powder if I don't have any fresh garlic in the fridge)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 large onion, sliced into pieces
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

To prepare: 

1. In a small bowl whisk the first 8 ingredients together.
2. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over it to coat.
3. Let this marinate while you prepare the grill or pan.
4. Thread the chicken and onions (I also use bell pepper, sweet potato, or whatever else I feel like experimenting with) onto the skewers. Discard marinade.
5. Cook in grill pan or on the grill until the chicken juices run clear.

Most of the time I serve homemade guacamole + chips, rice, and a fruit salad with this meal, but when we're trying to eat clean we just omit the chips. It's one of my go-to's, which I have learned every cook should have! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!