Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

Well Fed #1

by Melissa Joulwan

Preparing quality food is among the most caring things we can do for ourselves and the people we love. That's why Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat is packed with recipes for food that you can eat every day, along with easy tips to make sure it takes as little time as possible to get healthy, delicious food into your well-deserving mouth. If you count meals and snacks, we feed ourselves about 28 times each week. All of the Well Fed recipes — made with zero grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, or alcohol — were created so you can enjoy your food every time.

The two essential tricks for happy, healthy eating are being prepared and avoiding boredom. Well Fed explains how to get in the habit of a Weekly Cookup so that you have ready-to-go food for snacks and meals every day. It will also show you how to make Hot Plates, a mix-and-match approach to combining basic ingredients with spices and seasonings to take your taste buds on a world tour. The recipes are as simple as possible, without compromising taste, and they've been tested extensively to minimize work and maximize flavor.

With 115+ original recipes and variations, this book will help you see that paleo eating, too often defined by what you give up, is really about what you'll gain: health, vitality, a light heart, and memorable meals to be shared with the people you love.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Nutrition

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Melissa Joulwan is the co-founder of Strong Sense of Place, a web site and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings.

She's also the author of the best-selling Well Fed cookbook series and the blog www.MelJoulwan.com, where she writes about her triumphs and failures in the gym, in the kitchen, and in life. Her most recent cookbook is Well Fed Weeknights: Complete Paleo Meals in 45 Minutes Or Less (November 1, 2016).

Well Fed 2 was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon.com and was a Washington Post best seller. Her first cookbook Well Fed appeared on the Wall Street Journal and USA Todaybest sellers lists..

In April 2017, she moved to Prague with her husband Dave, her cat, Smudge, her laptop, and one enormous suitcase.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Melissa Joulwan's blog (and cookbooks) when I googled "Paleo marinade for shrimp" and turned up her recipe for "Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp," which was so good that I ordered both Well Fed and Well Fed 2. These cookbooks are staples in my kitchen, and I'm slowly cooking my way through both. Things I love: big, colourful photo of every recipe, suggested pairings that "taste great!" and ingredient substitutions to change up the flavour. I don't think I will ever get bored with these recipes. And then, two very small criticisms: the font is awfully small on the directions...for someone who works in a somewhat dark kitchen, I feel like I squint a lot...and the glue on the binding is breaking apart, so I wish these were spiral-bound books, but I might just bind them myself because I love them so much.)

Here's what I've made:
Olive Oil Mayo - I make this weekly, and it's so EASY! And TASTY!

Italian Sausage Seasoning - not only does this make meat taste delicious, this recipe changed up the way I store my spices and therefore made my life even better.

Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp - this makes me want to eat shrimp every day.

Scotch Eggs - hard-boiled eggs with a meat coating? Yes, please. These taste best cold with a little homemade mayo. I double this up and eat them for breakfast. Very filling. I've made this recipe five times now, and I still love them.

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf - I've made cauliflower "rice" a few times, but I really like this slightly sweet version with raisins and apricots.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash - this is less of a recipe and more of a method, but for squash newbies, it was sure helpful.

Jicama Potato Salad - The jicama has to be slow-cooked for 12-24 hours, so this was a bit of a time investment, but the results were good. I went with the lower end of the range, 12 hours, and I think I would cook them longer next time - they still had a crunch that was reminiscent of undercooked potato. I hate to say it, but I'd go with a white potato instead, if you're into that.

Fried Apples with Bacon and Pecans - who knew apples could taste like dessert without the pie crust and the crumb coating? I've made this...hmm, at least five times. I add a little toasted coconut as well, and it satisfies the sweet tooth.

Peach Almond Crisp - not as sugary sweet as the typical American dessert, but full of flavour and lots of options to use different fruits.

Grilled Chicken Thighs and Garlic-Browned Meat - if you're a relatively experienced cook, then these two recipes probably won't excite you, but they are basics that were needed in this kitchen, and I make both regularly. Easy, excellent protein bases for lots of other tasty recipes in the book.

Sunshine Sauce - bright and creamy...this sauce makes Pad Thai my new favourite recipe.

Pad Thai - I had a bad experience with a batch of Pad Thai at a restaurant in Calgary, and I never ate it again until this Well Fed version, which is delicious. Sunshine sauce and spaghetti squash noodles with cashews and snap peas. Everything about it is healthy and flavoricious.

Best Stir-Fry Sauce Ever - this can be made in minutes and will transform even those boring bags of frozen stir-fry veggies.

Egg Foo Yong - these contain steamed cabbage and even my kids will eat them. That's how good they are. I love making them in mini pancake size and serving with a side of veggies stir-fried in the Best Stir-fry Sauce Ever.

Italian Sausage and Eggplant Strata - I've had eggplant once in a Greek restaurant in Calgary, and it was edible but unexciting, but I bought some mini eggplants at Costco and then had to figure out what to do with them. I knew Mel wouldn't fail me, so I cooked up this strata, which transformed the eggplant from mystery vegetable in velvety goodness.

Meat and Spinach Muffins - As I was eating one of these "meatza muffins," someone at work yelled, "What the hell is that?! That's disgusting!" I admit they look weird: green muffins, and I like to paste mine with a "frosting" of homemade mayo, but these are so good. There are three POUNDS of spinach in twelve little muffins! I love that.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid recipe book for anyone choosing to eat dairy, grain/gluten and legume free. It’s great to have a recipe book where the meals don’t contain lots of junk you are trying to avoid, and where all the recipes are not just gluten-free OR dairy-free etc. but all of these at once.

I like that the book isn’t all about trying to recreate unhealthy foods using healthy foods. That gets so boring and ties you to that unhealthy mindset for longer. A few replacements are listed such as spaghetti squash and a cauliflower mash to replace potato mash but I liked how the authors little comments on the top of the recipes made it clear it wasn’t really aiming to taste like actual spaghetti etc. I like the tone the author has in this book a lot. The author is serious about real food yet this book has a light touch and is very engaging and likeable throughout as well. It is anything but one boring lecture.

The book includes a list of panty essentials, ideas for a weekly cook-up and lots more tips. Each recipe comes with tips on how you could modify it and what you might like to pair it with. It could be a really great all-in-one basic foundation book for someone wanting to go from a standard diet to a really healthy one but that isn’t sure where to start. You’d need to have a bit of time to cook though, and work everything out.

I had a very few minor quibbles with the book such as the use of frozen veggies *barf!* and the use of iodised sea salt. If it is iodised it is not real unrefined sea salt. Iodised salt is to be avoided.

The food photos are good and the recipe layout is clear. I found the book horrible to view on my Kindle due to the 2 column format though, as it displayed at about 4 point text even with the screen set to sideways. But on my computer there are no problems with viewing the text of course. I’m going to delete it off my Kindle now. The photos were lovely but there did seem to be a lot of photos as compared to the number of text pages, possibly.

I got this book for just a few dollars as part of a health themed ebook bundle. I’m following a gluten/dairy/legume-free diet as part of a program to improve a serious neurological disease. I like the look of quite a few recipes here, more than I do in many Paleo type books. I’m excited to try the sunflower seed satay sauce and basil/walnut pesto recipes very soon, and I’m going to see if I can find coconut aminos at a shop near me. I’d never heard of such a product before and it sounds good.

This book for healthy savoury recipes and the ‘Indulge: 70 Grain-free Desserts’ book for healthy desserts I say.... mmmm!

Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E. (HFME) and Health, Healing & Hummingbirds (HHH)

[Tozette · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Well Fed" is well laid out and prettily presented, so it gets points for that. There's a helpful section on spices, spice blends, substitutes for common (non-approved) foods and a handy-dandy checklist of kitchen equipment.

The recipes are interesting, and not totally confined to weary attempts to reproduce the taste of dishes we can no longer eat - although there is some of that and where it exists I continue to be skeptical about it: cauliflower and coconut milk as a replacement for mashed potato and cream? Really?

Despite this, Joulwan acknowledges in several places that substitutes are unlikely to match the texture or flavour of the original food perfectly. She writes, "I call bull on anyone who says, “Spaghetti squash tastes just like spaghetti.” It does not." With this in mind, the cookery goes on to cheerfully embrace the creativity required by the strictness of the diet.

A note: I do not actually adhere to the Paleo diet - but Paleo recipes never include any of the foods that make me sick, so their strange little cookbooks are invaluable.

[Kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been feeling a little uninspired with cooking. Even told my husband "man I think I need to remember how to do... anything" Not that I'm the greatest by any means. But when it comes to a super picky eater (my husband) and trying to keep it healthy... the same old same old every night just doesn't cut it. And then you start to cheat with easy fixes and not so health alternatives 'cause well... I don't feel like cooking and I don't want what I had last night, and the night before... and etc.

BUT with this book... THANK THE STARS. Not only does she give amazing, unique SUPER HEALTHY recipes. But the best part is her strategy for set up! Grocery shop one day, prep for a few hrs, then the rest of your week is smooth sailing. Her "Hot Plates" idea... super easy, super GENIUS. If nothing else, check it out just for "the Weekly Cookup" insights so that you don't fall into the "I don't feel like making anything so I'll result to crappy quick food"

Oh and she has an adorable personality that shines through the text making it not just another boring cook book.

[MicheleStitches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that I am not fond of term "paleo" but it is the commonly used word for this style of eating, so I employ it only because others will know what I mean (no grains, dairy, legumes, processed foods, or chemicals.)

Okay, now on to the book...

This is more than just a cookbook! The author, Mel Joulwan, has a wonderful way of adding stories and interesting information. I actually READ this book, not just perused the recipes. While there is a brief explanation of why Mel believes the paleo diet is healthy, there is no long diatribe about how this is THE way to eat, etc. etc. I am so tired of smug authors telling me they have found the perfect diet for all humans.

I also LOVE that this book does not contain recipes for paleo/Whole 30 compliant food pretending to be non-paleo foods. If you are looking for "paleo brownies" or "Whole 30 ice cream" this is not the book for you! Rather, Mel allows the food to shine for what it is. She gives lovely recipes with wonderful textures and flavors that don't require buying strange, hard-to-find ingredients...and you don't have to be "paleo" to find yourself drooling over the options presented.

Mel details her brilliant system of a "weekly cook-up" where much of the food prep is done once a week so that meals can be cooked later quickly and with ease. This concept is not new to me, but the way she implements it is such an improvement over the casserole-in-the-freezer cookbooks I have tried in the past. Her way of combining foods and seasonings for a variety of "hot plates" is fabulous!

I was looking for a cookbook that could inspire me to cook healthy foods and try new flavors without feeling intimidated. Well Fed certainly fits that bill. I give this book an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

[Robert Vlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Melissa's work through my publishers, who published her Well Fed book in Czech. Our family is very much into healthy food and diet (e.g. no sweets, no processed snacks, no sugar in meals), so we are very picky which cookbooks to keep and Melissa's Well Fed is definitely among the dozen of chosen ones. Smart, highly illustrative with yummy pictures, it is great both as a source of visual inspiration and the book of recipes. Highly recommended, a paleo cookbook could hardly get any better!

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The AB&J burger will forever be the weirdest yet most delicious recipe I've tried.

[Katie Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a Paleo or even a gluten/sugar/grain free diet should be simple in theory I've found in practice (despite living in California with tempting fresh produce) it can be difficult to figure out on a daily basis: "what the hell do I eat?". If you have a busy life, getting on track to eating healthy can be hard and expensive. You want to eat right to reduce stress but then eating becomes stressful. As a intro guide I love "Practical Paleo", but despite the meal plans found it hard to fully apply to my life. What "Well Fed" gives is a realistic and easy to replicate idea of what a Paleo diet looks like in a normal busy household. (I love the note "in the fridge this week:...")
The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are easy to follow and tasty enough to keep you satisfied. Plus the author gives modifications for everything so you can mix it up!
Not what I would recommend to figure out "what this paleo thing is all about?", but definitely a must read as a cookbook for anyone going gluten free.
Also want to add that the author is inspiring and approachable. If you forget the food this is also a great read for motivation to start living healthy.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super great recipe book for Paleo beginners and anyone with kids. Melissa tells you what you should do at the beginning of the week to have your fridge full of food for the week. Because of this book I have my husband on the BBQ with chicken thighs and zucchini while I'm boiling eggs, frying a pack of chicken sausages, roasting cauliflower and stir frying broccoli for the week. Most times I also have something in the crock pot, too. I learned how to make her wonderful mayo and whip up salad dressing. Now the kids can grab a quick meal around their sports schedules and I can always pack a quick lunch. Breakfast is a breeze. Melissa also gives a myriad of ideas of how to combine the meat and vegetables. Excellent.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute best cookbook I've ever purchased. Got this and Well Fed 2 at the same time. The recipes are amazing and the author offers endless ways to mix it up depending on which ethnic flavors you are jonesing for. If, like me, you love lots of ethnic foods, you know it's hard to find a cookbook that offers much variety.

I'm already looking forward to round two of the Moroccan Meatballs or I might make that sauce and use chicken instead. I laughed to myself when I realized I had just done my own version of "You Know How You Could Do That"!

This is an awesome cookbook whether you or not you are eating Paleo.

[Dita Baarová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tohle bylo mé první nahlédnutí do paleo světa. Musím říct, že spousta věcí mě tam zaujala. Určitě se nechám inspirovat, ale teď na kolejích, s vařičem a malým prostorem určitě žádné velké životní změny nechystám.

4 hvězdičky jsou hlavně za to, s jakým humorem a zapálením autorka mluví o jídle, životě a paleo stylu.

Celá recenze ➜ http://blog.jsemdita.cz/zpatky-na-str...

[A. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept of the grain free, sugar free, legume free, dairy free diet isn't new. They gave this diet a new name, a shiny appearance, and some vamped-up marketing. Now it's the latest fad. However, this diet has been used since at least the 18th century to specifically treat digestive issues such as Chron's, IBS, Celiac's and others. (During that time it was widely believed these problems were the cause of psychological problems and not real physical endangerment.) The creators of the paleo diet picked their diet up from books like "The Vicious Cycle" and books that were free of all these things, but had a name the general public thought was gross or embarrassing and unattractive so they wouldnt pick it up. The name paleo cleverly diminishes these problems and makes it sound like a fun diet for anyone. Which is how they market it now instead of only to the sick. Soon others caught onto this rising fad and developed cookbooks to satisfy the public's new appetite and health craze. Well done Melissa Joulwan for catching on ;)

The forward shows that she is relatable to most Americans. She began this diet because she was fat and unhealthy and wanted a change--her words not mine. She promises easy and quick recipes that even the most lazy will do. She promises to show us how to eat healthy in a way that'll taste good and also not be boring. This is exactly what the health crazed faddists of America wants!
Again, well done Melissa Joulwan ;)

Her "No" list is pretty perfect and almost the same to mine. (mine includes eggs and some other things because they don't personally agree with me.)
Most people fall for soy, cooking oils, and quinoa-- but Melissa is smarter than most. They fall for white potatoes and drink and use alcohol in meals--not this woman. She tells you straight that it's a bad idea. And she's right!
I appreciate how she paid attention to the omega 6 and omega 3 ratios which is too often overlooked. I am glad she stresses the importance of an organic diet. She doesn't however warn that some powders and seasonings have disgusting and dangerous additives and that it's vital to also pay attention to the sources from where you buy these, even if it seems trivial.

I love the adorable game she introduces to help us have fun cooking and to use our imagination to make these recipes our own. I love her personality. She's creative, cute, imaginative, and I love how she loves food! She gives wonderful advice about how to prepare the meals once a week instead of before each meal. I love the ingenious protein calculation and the weekly cook up calculation...thanks Mel! I love the list of pounds of veggies and meat she gets-- it is SO HELPFUL. The formats of the recipes are FREAKING AMAZING. The pictures help so much. I love that it includes all types of foods (American, Mexican, Mediterranean, Arabic, you name it.) The book is perfectly oganized and easy to use. Did I mention how incredibly relatable she is?
It's no surprise this book has become so popular among the health conscious.
Five stars for Mel! The book completes the objectives it had promised :)

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I would not consider myself a "Paleo" eater. Her use of flavors and spices made me exuberant to eat dinner again. Only thing I would mention is I cut way back on the salt each recipe called for, my own personal taste, and also I calculated the nutrition for each recipe and did not necessarily agree with serving sizes. Example: The scotch eggs were huge and half of one egg was plenty for an adult. Her Coconut-Almond Green Beans I could have polished the whole thing off myself but felt that 2-3 servings was more accurate.

One thing I really liked was at the end of each recipe she offered suggested accompanying recipes to make a complete meal. She also offered alternative ethnic choices for a lot of her recipes which helps to spice things up (pun intended, yes I am a cheese-ball).

Hope you guys enjoy eating and cooking her recipes as much as I did.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good cookbook. Used with the paleo diet, probably the most worthwhile part of this cook book has to do with cooking like a restaurant. Do alot of prep work, and then when it comes time to put a meal together you have all the elements already assembled. You shop for everything on one day, and then spend another day doing the prep work. 1 to 2 to 3 hours chopping, steaming, and grilling all of your basic food elements. Having them all set aside in organized containers in your fridge makes putting a meal together much easier.

All of these techniques remind me of days past when people slaughtered their own livestock, harvested their own produce, and basically had different techniques for managing to put all of that "raw" food into usable form so that it was available to use in future weeks and months.

I have tried a few of the recipes also, and they were very good.

[Drjerseygator · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is practically the only cookbook I use! I got it for my paleo lifestyle, but use it for entertaining as well as for our every night type dishes. If I don't mention that it's a "paleo" recipe, no one would know. I love the way Ms. Joulwan gives alternate suggestions for changing up the recipes (which she calls "you know how you could do that?"...this has taught me to be more experimental and think about flavor combinations. Reading and using this cookbook is like having a more knowledgable friend in the kitchen with me. I recommend this book for anyone who loves good, easy, food and who wants to learn how to use just a few changes to go from Italian to Middle Eastern to Mexican to Thai effortlessly!

[Andrea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Paleo cookbook I have bought, choosing to find recipes online instead. I finally decided to take the plunge however, and purchase one and have not regretted it. Melissa Joulwan is a talented and funny writer - on her blog and also in this cookbook. I love her ideas for a "weekly cookup", hot plates, etc. She has a great section on pantry essentials as well. The recipes I have attempted so far have been delicious! I will still use my online sources for Paleo recipes, but I love flipping through this book, looking at the beautiful pictures and selecting what I want to cook for the week.

[Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

February 4, 2015 update: I am boosting my rating for this book from a 4 star to a 5 star. Her pages on hot plates and her weekend prep blitz to prepare for the week are amazing, and for me are worth the price of the book! I have been referring to these pages so much over the past few weeks. And I've not yet made a recipe from this book that didn't rock. 5 stars all the way.

I loved this cookbook - lots of great ideas for cooking once at the beginning of the week and then using those cooked elements to create dozens of paleo meals during the week. I may need to purchase this one.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Joulwan's blog, The Clothes Make the Girl, for over a year. Her recipes are fantastic! I couldn't wait to get my hands on her cookbook and it's certainly money well spent. The layout is beautiful and it is filled with tips and recipes from various cultures. It's not another Paleo cookbook filled with frittatas, egg cups, and tons of desserts. The book focuses on real, satisfying food! Love it!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the informality and obvious passion which infuses this book. I generally eat Paleo, but always have to eat gluten free, which means these recipes all work for me. It's not just recipes; I love framing cooking to prepare for the week as a Crossfit WOD. ("for time"' including cleanup.) 4 stars instead of 5 just because I would have loved a higher ratio of recipes to front matter; I hope there will be a sequel!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really buy into all of the paleo stuff, but I am trying to eat less highly processed food. Joulwan gives both recipes and ideas for putting food together into meals. For less experienced cooks, her information on weekly 'cookups' is pretty fabulous.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cookbook! the only reason I didn't give it a five is that I wasn't able to test many recipes. I checked this out from the library, but I am planning to buy a copy soon.

[Liz Engstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, good ideas, nothing so earth shattering it changed my life!

[Jirka Hiemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vynikajici kucharka pro (nejen) nadsence do paleo stravy. Povinnost do kazde muzske casti kuchyne :)

[James Shrimpton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book for just over a week and I've already made half a dozen recipes from it. The food is good, the recipes are clear and easy to follow, and the cooking tips are really great. I especially love the vegetable section, the number of sides is great given that a lot of paleo type books say: "Eat loads of veg", but don't really give you much help in cooking it in interesting ways... Well Fed has majorly upped my cooking and, as a result, has increased the amount of veg we've eaten hugely.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “hot plate” concept is genius and Melissa Joulwan is a genius. That and her particular weekly cook-up strategy solve so much keeping me from building a regular habit of cooking at home. It’s so easy that in retrospect it seems completely obvious. Even if you aren’t into “paleo” I’d recommend this cookbook just for the logistics.

[Michelle Becerril · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and her other two as well. The recipes are easy to make and the whole family lives them. The recipes are light feeling after eat even if I over ate. There are ingredients that I learned about and others I substituted with a Google search. I highly recommend this book and her other 2.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! Kept checking it out from the library, and finally gave in and just bought it. The Super Snack and Hot Plates alone are worth the cost of the book. Seriously. This book has made the Paleo transition easy...and lost me a ton of weight. Love!

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book weekly to plan healthy, tasty meals for my husband and I. Mel Joulwan is a master of spices, and everything I've made has come out flavorful and is easily devoured. Instructions are also easy-to-follow and make cooking at home simple!

[Marsha E. Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite cookbooks. Although I've been cooking for 70-some years, the book has many good shortcuts. The range of recipes and cuisines is great for a book of this size. The recipes are not time-consuming. Most important, they are good!

[Susie Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes. I love all of her cookbooks. The first and third are definitely my favorite. Her recipes spice up the Whole 30, literally. Her recipes have been fall backs for me whenever I want to try something different.