Pineapple & Avocado Salad

When I was coming up with our menu plan last week, I was searching for a side dish for this coconut chicken dish.  I love coconut flavour, but there aren't too many veggies that go with it!  So I started to think about fruits instead, and instantly thought of pineapple.  I started my research for a pineapple salad or salsa on pinterest, but most recipes led me to something containing sugar.  In my opinion, pineapple is sweet enough on its own, so you definitely don't need the added sugar.  I based my recipe on this one, but I made significant changes to it, so... here it goes!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a pineapple (about 1.5-2 cups)
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced red onion (depends on how much of the flavour you like)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
• squeeze of lime juice
• salt & pepper
• 1 avocado

Method:

1. Core your pineapple,  chop it into small pieces, and add to a mixing bowl. Add your diced red onion.

2. In a measuring cup, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange & lime juice, and spices.  Whisk together.  (I squeezed half of a medium sized orange, and got about a quarter cup - so I decided to dice up the other half of my orange and add it into the salad - anything goes here!)

3. Pour the dressing over the pineapple & onion, and mix to allow the flavours to incorporate (let it sit about 5 minutes) - in the meantime, peel and cube your avocado. 

4. Add the avocado to the salad right before serving.  Try not to mix it too much, because the avocado will mush up a bit, and you want the chunks to be whole when served.

Enjoy!

Primal Honey-Chipotle BBQ Chicken

I found the base for this recipe on Pinterest, and thought it would be easy to adapt this to a primal-friendly recipe using ingredients that I had on hand in my kitchen... and I was right! This is possibly one of my favourite recipes I have come up with to date - I highly recommend this one!  Without further ado - the Honey-Chipotle BBQ Chicken.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon ground chipotle
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon tapioca (or more, if necessary)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 slice bacon, cooked
• 1 avocado
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.  (Keep an eye on the chicken - I left mine alone, and ended up with a burnt saucepan... thankfully the chicken was fine though!) Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

While chicken is cooking, begin preparing sauce.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly.  Add the chipotle seasoning and stir.  If your sauce does not thicken, add in tapioca, 1 teaspoon at a time, as necessary.  Stir in vinegar, honey, and Tamari. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Add your chicken & sauce in a single layer to an ovenproof dish.  Spread your shredded cheddar cheese on top of the chicken.  Dice bacon & spread it on top of the cheddar.  Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts (about 2 minutes).

Slice your avocado onto your plate.  Spoon the chicken on top of the avocado.  Add extra cheese if desired, and serve hot!

Serves: 2

 

Bacon Solves Everything (But Probably Not for Vegetarians)

Here in England we have the phrase “a cup of tea solves everything”, which is steeped in years of truth and something you must try the next time your computer dies, your other half buys the wrong toilet paper or the cat brings a mouse home. One note to point out is that none of this fancy tea will suffice – only English Breakfast with as little milk as you can cope with will do – adding sugar is up to you but I personally think it’s a punishable offence.

There is only one other product in this world that will also solve everything which is of course *drumroll* ………………………………………………………………BACON (sorry vegetarians), particularly in a sandwich of some kind. Not one person will agree on what makes the best bacon sandwich so here’s how I do it round my way.

Claire’s Bacon Sandwich – The Future King of all Sandwiches

Serves 1 hungry Claire

1 x 12inch baguette cut into half

3 slices of good Unsmoked Bacon

1 x Avocado

1 x Salad tomato

Brie (enough to put a thin layer on one half of the baguette)

Salt and Pepper

1. Cook the bacon on a medium heat, this way it will crisp up without burning.
2. Scoop out the innards of the avocado, mash up with a little salt and pepper to taste and spread onto one half of the baguette.
3. Cut the brie into slices – run your knife under the hot water tap if the cheese starts sticking to it - and place on the other half of the bread.
4. Slice the tomatoes thinly and place on top of the avocado.
5. Once cooked, dab the bacon with paper towel to take off any excess fat and place on top of the brie so it melts.
6. Carefully put the two halves together and cut in half.
7. Try not to get it down yourself

I have added margarine in the past but with the creaminess of the brie and avocado you really don’t need it.

Enjoy!