Paleo General Tso-Inspired Chicken

When I found some ground chicken on sale for a great price at the grocery store, I just had to pick up a package... but then I found myself wondering what to make with it.  I could have made fajitas or meatballs, but I wanted something different - and I was really in the mood for broccoli.  Fajitas and broccoli just don't go together in my mind, so I had to come up with something new!

I used ingredients that are staples in my fridge & pantry - and because I was super hungry, I had to come up with something quick.  The little bit of tapioca included in the sauce thickens it up nicely, and it tastes so good.  This recipe serves two, but I must admit - I definitely went back for seconds after finishing my first dish!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tamari sauce
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• ½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• ½ tbsp. tomato paste
• ½ tbsp. raw honey
• ½ tsp hot sauce (optional, according to preference)
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• Spices to taste (I used a few shakes of chili pepper, and crushed red pepper)

Chicken:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250 grams ground chicken (1/2 package)

Side:

• 1 cup frozen broccoli

Method:

• Add all ingredients for the sauce to a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.

• Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a pan. Add the chicken once the oil is hot. Once the chicken is browned, add the sauce to the chicken. Cook a few minutes longer until the sauce thickens.

• Meanwhile, steam your broccoli using a steamer and a shallow pot of water.  If desired, you can add a little bit of minced garlic to the broccoli for a little bit of extra flavour.

• To serve, place the broccoli in the bottom of a dish, and spoon the chicken on top, allowing the sauce to drizzle over the broccoli.  

Note: this would also taste great with some jasmine or basmati rice, if you allow rice into your diet!

Servings: 2

The recipe doesn't take long at all to prepare - maybe 30 minutes max from ingredient gathering to final meal, so it makes it perfect for a work night.  I think it would taste great as leftovers too, however, I would probably steam the broccoli fresh the next day - microwaved/reheated broccoli doesn't always have the same flavour.

I'm pretty sure that this recipe will be added to my current rotation of weeknight dinners - how about you? Are you going to give it a shot?  Leave tips in the comments if you try it or customize it for yourself!

Primal Eggplant Parmigiana Stacker

I bought an extra large eggplant with the intent of making eggplant fries.  So I chopped the eggplant in half and began fastidiously breading and frying.  The eggplant fries were delicious, but very time consuming.

So then I was left with half an eggplant, and I wasn't sure what to do to it.  Being Italian, eggplant parmigiana was a staple in our household, and I always loved it, but I had never made it before.  I searched out a couple of recipes online for a basic idea, and added some things that I had learned from my mom & grandmother, and voila!

This is the most delicious way I have ever had eggplant prepared before!

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 1 bottle of Strained Crushed Tomatoes (I use a 660 mL bottle by Aurora, the only ingredients are tomatoes & salt)
• A few leaves of fresh basil
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano 

For the eggplant:

• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• salt, pepper garlic powder
• 1 egg
• Olive Oil for frying

Method:

1. First start your sauce by dumping the entire bottle of crushed tomatoes into a sauce pan.  Add a few leaves of fresh basil and your spices (the spices are always done to taste, rarely measured, in an Italian household - just taste the sauce as it's cooking and see if you need to add more).  Start the sauce at a medium heat, and then lower it as it simmers.  You can give it a stir once in a while, but mostly, it should be okay just sitting there.

2. In a shallow dish, combine your almond flour, parmesan cheese, basil and spices (again, spices are to taste... just give them a couple of shakes and you should be okay).  In a separate dish, crack your egg and whisk it.

3. Slice your eggplant into rounds about 1/4 inch thick (mine was already sliced in half from the previous recipe, but rounds would be even better).  Dip the eggplant into the egg, and then into the almond/parmesan to coat both sides.  (If you need to make more breading, just keep the ratio of parmesan and almond meal at 1:1)

4. Place your eggplant into a hot skillet with a small amount of olive oil for frying.  Cook on each side until the almond coating is browned and the eggplant is tender.  Then place on a plate with a paper towel on the bottom.

5. When you are ready to plate the dish, serve in stacks with sauce in between each layer of eggplant (I found that stacking them 3-high was perfect).  On the top layer, you can add some shredded mozzarella, more parmesan cheese, or a basil leaf for presentation.  

This was honestly the best parmigiana I have ever had!  I made enough intending for my husband to take it to work for dinner, but we both went back for not only seconds, but THIRDS! We ate the entire batch in one shot.

If you decide to try it out, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Primal seafood medley with garlic-butter sauce

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes, I have stockpiles of stuff in my freezer, and no real ideas for it.  We had a couple of bags of seafood that were buy-1-get-1-free at our grocery store... I think they were originally bought for Christmas Eve, but we didn't end up making them that day and they just remained.  This recipe is a really simple way of bringing out the natural flavours of the seafood without being either too bland, or being drenched in sauces.  It does feature a garlic-butter sauce, which was perfect for dipping - we also drizzled it over the green beans served on the side for some extra flavour.  It was perfect for a gorgeous Florida afternoon, and we ate it outside on the back porch in the sun!

For seafood:

Ingredients: 

3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
bag of mixed seafood
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 a lemon
oregano and parsley to taste
(salt if desired)

Method:

1. Melt butter in pan.  Add minced garlic and sautee over medium heat.

2. Once you can start to smell the garlic & butter melting together nicely, it's time to add your seafood.  If it's frozen, it's best to defrost it first (at least partially), so that you don't get a lot of water in the pan as it cooks down.

3. Continue to sautee over medium heat, and slowly add in your white wine, juice of half a lemon, and spices.

4.  Remove from heat when cooked - should be about 15-20 min.

(Serve with garlic-butter sauce, and a veggie on the side - we liked green beans!)





For sauce:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
2 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste

Method:

1. In a small saucepot, melt 1/3 cup butter.
2. Once melted, add 2 tsp minced garlic, and salt to taste.  Allow the butter to cook down and clarify.
3. Remove from heat right before serving.

(This should be more than enough butter for the seafood, plus some left over)


Serves 2-3.

Do you have a favourite way to prepare seafood?  Did you try this recipe?  Leave a note in the comments and let me know!

Primal Shepherd's Pie + Long distance date night tip

In a long distance relationship, you have to come up with little things to keep the romance alive.  Our little "thing" that we came up with is Skype cooking date nights!  Every Friday (unless one of us has something scheduled), we choose a recipe (we usually try to pick something primal or paleo), and we Skype with each other while we both make the same dish.  It's the best of all worlds, really - we get to spend quality time with each other, and at the end of it all, we get a great meal!

On Thursday, Tommy decided that we should make primal shepherd's pie, with sweet potato mash.  I looked around everywhere and couldn't find a recipe.  I called my mom and asked for her regular mashed potato recipe, and then continued from there.  My recipe is listed below - I think Tom added a few extra spices to his (rosemary & cinnamon)

For the sweet potato mash:
2 sweet potatoes
1-2 tbsp butter
salt & pepper
1/4 cup (or less) of milk of your choosing (unsweetened/unflavoured almond or coconut, or regular milk)

For the meat:
1 lb. ground beef
olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup peas & carrots (I just use frozen, but if you prefer fresh, go for it)
Spices to taste (I used salt, pepper & garlic powder)

Optional:
shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/4-1/2 cup)

Method:
1. Begin by washing, peeling and cubing your sweet potatoes.  Add them to a sauce pot filled with water. Bring the water to a boil, and boil until sweet potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes ought to do the trick).

2. While the potatoes are boiling, stir fry your meat.  Cook until it's done, then drain it & set aside in a dish.  At this point, you can probably set your oven to preheat to 350.

3. Strain the sweet potatoes and add to either a large bowl & hand mash, or a kitchenaid mixer bowl.  Add 1-2 TBSP butter, salt & pepper to taste.  Mix on low.  Add milk a drop at a time until you get the right consistency - be careful not to add too much at once, like I did!  Continue mixing until the consistency looks right.

4. Clean the frying pan.  Add olive oil, and your chopped onion.  Stir fry until soft.  Add your peas & carrots until cooked.  Add the meat back to the pan.  Add spices of your choosing (I went with salt, pepper & a bit of garlic powder).

5. In an oven-safe dish, add a layer of the meat-veggie mixture.  Then (Tommy's secret ingredient time!) add a thin layer of cheese.  Add the rest of your mixture.  Then top with the sweet potatoes, and add more cheese on top if desired.

6. Add the dish to a preheated oven, and cook for about 15-20 minutes (cheese should be melted, and the top a little browned)

Serve & enjoy!

Primal Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups

There's a recipe going around the paleo/primal boards on pinterest that looks delicious - but until you click on it, there's no indication that it's actually not paleo.  It calls for both breadcrumbs and flour.  And while it does look delicious - the description that is attached to it on pinterest is completely wrong.  I've taken it upon myself to create a recipe based on the description that is running rampant.  

Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups (aka Chicken Kiev wannabe)

Ingredients:
- 5 chicken breasts (butterfly cut, if possible)
- 1 small white onion
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1tbsp garlic
- salt & pepper
- mozzarella (about 85 grams)
- butter

Method:
preheat oven to 400

Saute 1 small onion (about 125g) in butter until soft.
Remove from heat, add parsley (fresh, if you have it available - I used dry) and garlic (either 1 clove, minced, or 1 tbsp powder).

If using whole chicken breast, pound with a meat mallet until flat.  If using butterflied chicken breast skip to next step.

Place some butter in your baking dish, and melt in the preheated oven.
In the meantime, sprinkle salt and pepper on your flattened chicken, then spread some of the onion mixture on top.  Place a small rectangle of mozzarella (about 2" by 0.5" sticks) in the centre of the chicken, roll it up and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat for all rolls.

Using the same pan that you used to saute the onion, add a little bit more butter, and brown each roll lightly.  (I prefer to work with one chicken roll at a time, however this is more time consuming - if you're more talented than me, work with more than one at a time).  Continue until the outside of the chicken is brown - the inside will still be pink.  This infuses some of the flavour into the chicken and gives it a nice colour.
(NB: the chicken is still raw at this point - do not consume!!)

Place the browned chicken into your oven-safe dish that already has butter at the bottom.  Cook in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 min or until chicken is no longer pink and heated to 190 degrees.  Do not overcook or chicken will become dry.

Serve with your choice of veggie side-dish (I had snap peas, sauteed in more butter and garlic!)

Leave me a note if you decide to try this - let me know how it turns out for you!

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

 

Primal "peanut" sauce

Primal "Peanut" Sauce


Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond butter (MaraNatha or other good brand)
2 tsp ginger (powdered) (If you like a lot of ginger, you can use more, or use freshly grated)
1/2 cup water (to thin)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons Tamari sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil 
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
A few shakes of Cayenne pepper



(Makes 1 cup)


Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients in the magic bullet (or blender) until smooth and creamy.


This will keep in the fridge for a few days if you don't use it all in one shot, but you may need to add some more water to thin it out a bit.


Mine was excellent in my chicken/broccoli stir fry.  It would also be good as a veggie dip... or any other place you'd use a peanut sauce!


Here's what I did:


1. In a medium sized frying pan, add enough coconut milk to cover the bottom & let it heat a bit.  Add chunks of chicken once it's heated.  Then add some garlic powder & turmeric.  Cook the chicken through.
2. Add fresh or frozen broccoli once the chicken is cooked, and as it begins to soften, add a few tablespoons of the "peanut" sauce.
3. I served mine on a bed of rice noodles, covered with more peanut sauce, but this isn't particularly primal.  You could use zucchini noodles, or just eat the stir-fry on its own!

Zucchini "Pasta" in Tomato Sauce

Zucchini "pasta" is one of my favourite go-to dishes since giving up grains.  It's quick, easy and delicious - and chock full 'o veggies.  This is the basic recipe... but you can add so much to make it even more delicious.  My suggestions would be: maybe some meatballs or ground beef, red peppers (mmm, or roasted red peppers for enhanced flavour), mushrooms, bacon... all of this stuff would definitely taste awesome in this dish.  So, without further ado... here we go.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 zucchini (made enough for dinner + lunch for 1 person)
• tomato sauce (I happen to have homemade stuff in mason jars - use whatever you like!)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, other spices to taste
• parmesan cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Start by shredding your zucchini.  I use my mandoline to make it easier, and for uniform "noodles" - you can use a knife if you prefer/have the patience.  The trick is to only shred up to the seeds, and discard the core.  It doesn't cook very well in this recipe.  (If you can use it in another recipe, by all means, do so!)

2. Next, add some olive oil to your pan, on medium heat, and add your minced garlic to the pan.  When it starts to sizzle (but before it starts to burn), add your zucchini.   Add your spices and stir until the zucchini is softened.  If you're adding in other vegetables (red peppers, mushrooms, etc), now's the time to add them.

3. Once the zucchini is soft, add in your tomato sauce.   Allow the sauce to cook down a bit, as per your normal cooking directions.  My sauce has already been cooked, so I just let it heat through and reduce a bit, maybe 5-10 min.





4.  Once you're satisfied with the consistency of the sauce, remove from heat and serve.  Top with parmesan cheese, and you have yourself a delicious meal!


Have you tried this? Made any modifications?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Paleo Turkey Burgers & Homemade Ketchup!

Last night, I needed to use up some ground turkey that I had taken out, and I wanted something quick and easy.  Well, I sort of failed at the "quick" part - but I did come up with something relatively easy, tasty and delicious!  

I based my turkey burgers on this post, but used only ingredients that I had in the house.   

Mine were a little something like this:

1 lb ground turkey

3 tbsp cauliflower puree (Yup - I keep various vegetable purees in the freezer, for whenever the need should arise!)

2 tbsp homemade salsa

1 tbsp onion flakes

1 tbsp garlic flakes

splash of tamari sauce

splash of Frank's Red Hot sauce

1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

I mixed all this goodness together in one big bowl, and formed into 6 patties.  Placed the patties on w axed paper, and cut the individual squares of waxed paper out, as suggested in the original recipe (brilliant idea! Makes it so much easier to transfer the patties into the pan!)

At first, I was afraid that these would not hold together well and that I would have to turn my burgers into sloppy joes... but I had a little patience, and they actually turned out great.  I might consider adding some almond flour to them next time.  They did have to cook a lot longer than I expected...probably at least 20-30 minutes.

The ketchup was SUPER easy.  I got it straight from this post.  I followed it exactly, except that I made half the recipe.  Tastes just like regular ketchup!

Have you tried anything new lately?

Primal Yumminess (Yogurt Chicken Recipe inside)

It took me a while to get back in the swing of things after returning from a lovely vacation with my fiance... but finally, last night, the cooking bug bit me!  I started with a flavourful Yogurt Chicken for dinner, then made some Cinnamon Bun Muffins for breakfast, and this morning, whipped up a quick honey mustard dressing for my lunch-time salad.

 Yogurt Chicken


(Note: I cook only for myself these days, so adjust your measurements as necessary for more people.  This was enough for a substantial amount for dinner, plus a little bit to go into my salad for lunch)

Ingredients:
4 tbsp Greek Yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
Sea Salt to taste
1 chicken breast

Method:

• Clean/trim chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl/dish.
• Add all the ingredients (except for chicken) to a small bowl and mix well.  The sauce will take on a lovely yellow colour, thanks to the turmeric! Yum!
• Set aside half of the sauce.  Add the rest to the bowl with the chicken.  Coat well, and let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes (but closer to an hour if you're not starving!)
• Cook in a non stick pan (you may use your favourite cooking oil) until chicken is no longer pink.
• Serve with a side of veggies, and spoon your reserved sauce on top!

Other yummy goodness, in brief:

I tried these yummy Grainfree Cinnamon Bun Muffins via Joyful Abode / Elana's Pantry. I followed the Joyful Abode recipe to the tee and it was PERFECT.  I love the changes that she made to Elana's recipe, because all the ingredients (except cream cheese) were things I normally keep in the house.
I know cream cheese isn't really primal... but I've been having a major sugar craving lately, so this was way better than what I could have indulged in!



The muffins (though with the frosting, maybe they're more like cupcakes) were tender and perfectly delicious.  I had tried out a few different primal cinnamon bun subs, and none of them even came close.  This recipe was quick, easy, and delicious.  It will be a staple in my primal treat file, for sure!

And, the leftover frosting makes perfect dipping sauce for strawberries! Yumm!


This morning, I tried my hand at a quick honey mustard dressing, which was surprisingly quick and easy.  I blended up all the ingredients in my magic bullet in about 5 minutes, and now have a tasty dressing to look forward to for lunch!
There's plenty of leftovers for future salads, so I'll have to see how long it keeps in the fridge, and maybe adjust the recipe size to make a little less for future batches.

What have you been cooking lately?