Category Archives: Recipes

Talk about stretching a buck AND getting max nutrient benefits… use the whole chicken! I used to be so intimidated by the thought of cooking a whole chicken. Now I don’t know what I was so scared of because it’s about the easiest thing you could do in your kitchen (besides watching hubby do the dishes). So take the plunge; walk confidently up to that meat counter, proudly ask for a whole fryer chicken, then read what to do with it below:

Whole Roasted Chicken
(This recipe is from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, slightly modified.)
What You Need:
1 Whole Chicken Fryer (about 4 pounds)
Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, or Butter
Fresh herbs – Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Orange or Lemon slices (optional)
Roasting Pan (about 2 inches deep, give or take)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Place a few sprigs each of chosen herbs into cavity of chicken. You also have the option of placing some orange or lemon slices in cavity (a woman at my church just gave me this tip this morning!) to help keep it moist and add a little citrus flavor). Place chicken in roasting pan, under-side up. Brush with butter or oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for one hour. After an hour, turn chicken over (using wooden spoon inserted into cavity) so that the top-side is facing up. Brush with butter or oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to 375 oven for one more hour.
Enjoy the dark meat and some of the breast for dinner, but reserve the majority of the breast for recipes the next day. Also reserve the carcass and all the fatty, grizzly pieces that you (ok, I) would never eat. Basically, don’t throw any of it away. You’re going to make stock!

Chicken Stock
(This recipe is from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, slightly modified.)
What You Need:
Reserved Chicken bones, feet (optional), gizzards (optional), fatties and grizzlies.
4 Quarts cold filtered water
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, including leafy tops, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

Place chicken, water, vinegar and all veggies except parsley in a large stainless steel pot. Let stand 30 minutes to one hour. Bring to a boil and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth. Remove carcass from the stock, then strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Leftover Breast Meat
You can use it for just about anything! My favorite thing to make is chicken salad sandwiches for lunch the next day. Shred the breast meat, add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add dried cranberries and/or apple pieces and celery.
Another favorite use is to shred and spread on a BBQ Chicken Pizza.
Or you could add it to a killer Southwestern Chicken Soup. (If you use Lindsey’s recipe you’ll have to modify a bit because you already have cooked chicken ready to go! I would also suggest halving the recipe since there’s not as much chicken going in.) Oh, and go ahead and use that delicious stock you just made.
Oven melt sammies, quesadillas, chicken pesto pasta… oh the possibilities!

One 4 pound chicken can really go a looooong way. It has become one of my favorite and EASIEST things to cook. Go ahead, give it a shot!

I realize I’ve been posting a lot of snack recipes lately. Probably because I’m pregnant and want to snack ALL THE TIME! And probably because after Halloween all I want to do is get all the processed candy out of my life! I can go all year without a Snickers bar, then Halloween creeps up and all of a sudden I have no self control. What is that??

You DO need an ice cream maker for this recipe, and I’d love to convince you to go buy one! Mine was only $35 and it has WELL paid for itself. This is by far my favorite kitchen appliance! Here’s the beauty that graces my counter top…

I’m going with carob because it’s the perfectly delicious, caffeine-free sub for chocolate!

Homemade Carob Banana Ice Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk, well chilled
1/2 Cup Cane Sugar (I’ve already cut the sugar here and still think I could use less… you be the judge.)
6 Tbsp Carob Powder
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream, well chilled
2 ripe bananas, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

In a bowl, mix together sugar, carob powder and cinnamon. With hand held mixer or whisk, beat together milk and dry ingredients until all sugar is dissolved. Gently mix in cream, just until incorporated. Turn on ice cream maker and add contents of bowl according to your appliance’s directions. Five minutes before ice cream is done, slowly add bananas while ice cream is churning. Allow to churn until bananas are well incorporated. Enjoy right out of the maker or allow to “set” in the freezer for a few hours.

After trying kale chips so many times I about gave up… I finally found success! Some coconut oil (I always sub for olive oil when I can), low oven temp and long cooking time make these babies perfectly crispy! No browning and no soggy kale (gross). These are something I can feel good about eating the whole batch in one sitting! (Which I do, every time.) Here’s what I do:

Basic Kale Chips
1 bunch kale
coconut oil cooking spray
salt

Pre-heat oven to lowest temperature setting allowed (or 170 to 200 degrees). Wash and dry kale (dry VERY well). Pull kale off stems and tear into “chip” sized pieces. Spread out on cookie sheet and lightly spray with oil. Toss to coat all kale evenly in oil. Re-spread on cookie sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about an hour and a half, or until crisp. Then go ahead and eat it all because kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can put in that beautiful body!

When we “bake” the kale at such a low temperature, the process is actually much closer to dehydrating than actually baking, which is why the kale gets crisp without browning. We’re just taking the water out!

For another delicious variation on kale chips, check out Lindsey’s Cheesy Kale Chips over at Enjoying Healthy Foods. Lindsey has a GREAT recipe blog all centered around whole foods. Go give her a read while you munch down some kale!

My friend Renae served up some of these goodies right out of the freezer the last time we visited her family in Laramie. She was kind enough to share the recipe and I just got around to trying them yesterday. Why did I wait so long?! These little guys are perfect for getting your chocolate fix without filling your body with junk. While the recipe calls for cacao powder, I used carob powder (a great sub for chocolate) because I’m pregnant and carob contains zero caffeine. I hope you enjoy this whole food dessert-snack as much as I do!

Cacao Freezer Bites
1 cup almond (or peanut) butter
1/4 cup agave (or honey)
2 heaping Tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa or carob)
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup walnuts, diced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/8 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients well. Using hands, roll into teaspoon sized balls. Freeze on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Store in bag or tupperware in freezer. yum yum YUUUUM!

I am loving loving LOVING this breakfast recipe right now. It comes from Lindsay over at Passionate Homemaking. Batter in a blender? Brilliant! It uses kefir instead of buttermilk, coconut oil instead of canola oil, and I sub whole wheat flour for all-purpose. Sometimes whole wheat flour can make things taste gritty or too dense, but not in these babies. She suggests letting the half-mixed batter soak overnight, which I haven’t tried yet, but fully intend to if I ever remember to think about breakfast the night before. She also suggests using a crepe pan or a non-stick pan. While those are probably the best options, I have to say I use my small stainless steel pan with no problem as long as I give it a once over with coconut oil (or other non-stick) before starting.

This is such an easy recipe! It’s my new breakfast fave. We usually eat them with strawberries or maple syrup, but the possibilities are endless! Let me know how you like them if you give it a try!

Whole Wheat Blender Crepes
¾ cup kefir
2 tsp coconut oil
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp honey, only for sweet crepes
¼ tsp cinnamon, only for sweet crepes
½ cup flour or 1/3 cup whole grain (raw, uncooked) – we love it with spelt or kamut, but you can also use a combination of brown rice and millet or quinoa (make sure to rinse for a full minute before grinding) if you are gluten intolerant

Combine in a blender: kefir, oil, and whole grain and blend for 3 minutes on high, or just 30 seconds if using flour. If desired, cover blender and let batter stand overnight at room temperature to benefit from breaking down the phytates. After soaking, add egg, salt, honey & cinnamon (if desired).

Lightly spray or wipe a seasoned crepe pan or non-stick pan with oil (coconut oil is preferred). Use a napkin or wax paper to wipe out excess. Pour 3 Tablespoons batter (filling a ¼ cup measuring cup ¾ full) into your hot pan, quickly tilting pan to swirl the batter evenly to edges of pan. Keep mixing your batter as you make each new crepe. Bake until the edges are browned (about 1-2 minutes). Loosen along edges with table knife or shish kabob stick. I use a metal spatula and that works great, too. Turn over and bake on opposite side for about 30 seconds. Lightly apply further oil with napkin or wax paper between crepes, wiping out excess. These freeze very well and can be eaten hot or cold.

Check out the original recipe here, along with a great recipe for cottage cheese filling and more info on soaking. Happy breakfast adventures!