Simple Supper Friday: Ginger Lime Chicken with Mango
Ginger lime chicken with mango.
I’ve been a bit inspired by mango lately (remember my mango chicken curry?). Probably because they’ve been on sale so much lately and catch my eye at the grocery store. Not only that, but they taste wonderful and I love getting the “mango pop” after cutting the majority of the flesh off the pit. Jesse then tells me he wants a mango pop and that it’s not fair. Okay, not really, but if you watch the show Louie C.K., you probably know what I’m talking about. Check out the clip below if you don’t. It’s a goodie.
Louis C.K. Mango Pop/Life Lessons
Meanwhile, enjoy the recipe and have a happy Memorial Day weekend!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1.5 inch ginger cube, grated
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (keep some seeds if you want it spicier)
- 1 medium-sized red mango, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger, jalapeno and garlic, and saute about 30 seconds. Then, add the chicken tenders and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chili powder atop of the chicken and stir.
- Continue to cook chicken for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Then, add the lime juice and mango. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. Once done, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
- Serve with vegetable of choice. We had sauteed kale with halved cherry tomatoes.
Yields: 2 servings
Sweet n’ Spicy Flank Steak
I decided to distract myself from studying for tomorrow’s exercise science quiz by working on this post instead. Seems legit, right? I’ll study after…promise. I can’t say that I’ll understand everything or even remember half of the content, but I’ll try. I have to go to work soon, so it’ll have to be a power study session.
Meanwhile, I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for a while, but it took three times of making it before I could even get it documented. That’s because the first two times I made this, the meat didn’t go on the grill until after 8 p.m. (once I got home from working at the gym). In turn, this meant it was too dark to get a decent photo in the natural light. Anyway, as you can gather, I finally got it. You may want to keep this recipe in mind for the holiday weekend ahead!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb flank steak, preferably grass-fed
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
- 2-3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you want it spicier)
- 1/4 tsp raw honey
Directions:
- Place flank steak in a shallow glass dish or zip-lock bag. Season both sides with sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut oil, aminos, garlic, red pepper flakes and honey. Pour over the steak and make sure it’s well coated. Cover (or zip up bag) and place in the fridge for a minimum of 10 hours, but ideally overnight. Flip the meat over once or twice in the dish during the marinading time and if it’s in a bag, massage a few different times.
- Remove meat from fridge about 15-20 minutes prior to cooking. Then, place on a preheated grill and cook 3-4 minutes each side for medium done-ness (might be more, depending on the thickness).
- Remove meat from grill once done and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with vegetable of choice. I recommend sauteed broccoli with garlic.
Yields: 2 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Mango Chicken Curry
Mango chicken curry.
One of my favorite Thai restaurants in Portland, My Thai (sorry, they don’t have a website), makes phenomenal curries. They are all gluten-free, good quality, fresh and come out piping hot. (By the way, they are really great about ANY food sensitivities/allergies at this restaurant). From time-to-time, they feature a mango curry and it is R-A-D! Jesse and I have a loving relationship with it, but rarely get to eat it or dine at My Thai, for that matter. It’s on the other side of town and not conveniently located, so it makes the concept of take-out inconvenient, but it’s fun to make a point to dine there on occasion.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about their mango curry since the last time I had the pleasure of eating it — about two months ago or so. Finally, I got the push to replicate it since mangoes were on sale at Whole Foods last weekend. Jesse and I were pleased with the results and thought it tasted even better the next day. We will definitely be making it again…and soon!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used a combo of both)
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen red curry paste
- 1 8-oz can diced green chiles
- 2 heads baby bok choy, chopped
- 1 mango, sliced lengthwise into strips
- 2-3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute a minute or so. Then add the chicken and season to taste with sea salt.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and curry paste. Once mixed, add to the skillet with the green chilies. Cook 7-10 minutes.
- Lastly, add the bok choy, mango, cayenne and coconut aminos. Let cook 1-2 minutes more, until bok choy softens a bit. Then, stir in the chopped fresh basil.
- Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. It’s delicious with both, but I thought it was best with the zucchini.
Yields: 4-5 servings
Red Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Red coconut cauliflower rice.
This post was actually meant for yesterday, but life got busy and I didn’t get it done. Yes, I could have found the time, but I felt like there was no harm in waiting. Plus, I just wasn’t feeling it yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little blog, but some days blogging just feels hard! Any of my fellow bloggers out there feel the same way?
Lately, I’ve been making cauliflower rice a lot more. I think it’s because I got a new bigger food processor that makes prep a breeze. You see, before, I was using a tiny 4-cup prep food processor and had to rice cauliflower in multiple batches, which took a fair amount of time. It didn’t come as a big surprise when the motor in that little guy crapped out. I always pushed its limits and take full credit for it’s death (on the bright side, I got my money back, even after having it for over a year). Now, my 11-cup Cuisinart rices the sh*t out of cauliflower! Thanks to my sis, Ashley for giving me this as a wedding shower gift. I definitely needed it!
Anyway, I love the versatility of cauliflower rice and appreciate how easy it is to prepare. Sometimes though, it gets boring, so it’s nice to create different variations. This specific recipe is great with stir fry, curry, stew or something as simple as baked chicken thighs. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what you want to serve it with.
Ingredients:
- 1 small head cauliflower, chopped
- 2 Tbsp Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3-4 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
- Toss chopped cauliflower pieces into the food processor. Pulse several times until cauliflower is riced.
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the riced cauliflower and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Cook for a couple minutes. Then, add the cayenne and paprika, and stir.
- Continue to cook for a few more minutes over medium-low heat. Adjust seasonings if need be.
- Remove from heat and stir in the shredded coconut.
Easter Dessert: Double-Layer Chocolate Coconut Cake
Double-layer chocolate cake with coconut vanilla frosting. A special treat, indeed.
Remember how I said I’d post my Easter dessert later on? Well, here it is, a chocolate layer cake with coconut vanilla frosting. It was my first time making a grain-free chocolate cake and I’m happy to say that it turned out quite well. Jesse really liked it too, and he topped it with the dark chocolate body paint he got from my mom and sister. Remember how I opened it on his behalf at my wedding shower? See mom, it’s not tucked away in the bathroom cupboard, like you urged not to do! The paint brush isn’t getting any use though, as Jesse uses a spoon for drizzling! I admit, it does look (and smell) like really delicious chocolate and it is quite dark. Jesse says it’s very good.
The cake was adapted from The Healthy Chef’s naked chocolate cake recipe and the frosting was adapted from The Detoxinista’s lemon coconut frosting.
Clearly, Jesse was excited about his chocolate body paint. Big drizzle much?
For the coconut vanilla frosting (double batch):
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, at room temp
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- Measure out all the ingredients and toss into the blender. Make sure to measure out the coconut flour exactly. Also, this can not be done with a hand mixer or whisk. You need to use a blender and be very patient!
- Blend for 30-45 seconds or until everything is mixed together well. Pour into a bowl once done. The mixture will not be thick yet. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to set. I recommend letting it sit overnight.
- Before using, remove from refrigerator and mix well. Then, let the frosting soften to room temperature for a bit. This will make it much easier to spread.
For the cake:
- 8 pastured eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, ghee or butter (I used a combo of coconut oil & grass-fed butter)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, cacao or cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a kitchen mixer or large bowl, beat together eggs, melted oil, vanilla, honey and apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works just fine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and blend. Once batter is blended and smooth, stir in shredded coconut by hand.
- Line two 9-inch cakes pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with coconut oil. Pour batter evenly into both pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My cakes were done at about 24 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the oven to cool. Once cool, frost one of the cake tops with the frosting and stack the other cake on top. Then, frost the entire top and sides of the cake.
- Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry, if desired.
Simple Supper Friday: Fennel and Sausage Bowl
Fennel and sausage bowl.
Dishes like this one have been some of my favorite quick meals lately. There’s so much room for experimentation, and it’s easy to put together based on what’s in the refrigerator. It’s versatile and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and also serves well as a side dish.
I actually made this for lunch yesterday, and sat outside on my patio in the warm sunshine, while I savored each bite. It was in the 60s, which was lovely to come back to after the 30 degree temperatures in Michigan (thankfully, there was lots of sun there though). Lucky for us, the warm weather is supposed to continue and supposedly, it’s going to be in the 70s this weekend. Happy Easter to us, right?!
Speaking of Easter, I need to finish planning my Easter meal. It’ll just be Jesse and me for dinner and so far, all I know is that we’re having a US Wellness Meats sugar-free ham. I’m thinking maybe something with fresh pineapple and a seasonal veggie saute. Naturally, there will be some sort of dessert too because it’s a holiday, and I like to have dessert for holiday meals. I guess because it’s always been the tradition and makes the meal that much more special. Oh, and I’ve had deviled eggs on my mind, especially since my mom was talking about them in the car the other day, when driving me down to the Detroit airport. Funny, I’ve never even made deviled eggs before, but I have many good recipes to choose from.
What are all of you doing for Easter? Are you making anything special? Are any of you coloring eggs?
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken and apple Applegate sausage, sliced
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp grass-fed butter
- 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
- 1 pasture-raised egg, beaten
- 2 Tbsp low-sodium chicken broth
- 4-5 lacinato kale leaves, stemmed and torn into pieces
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- Dash of paprika
Directions:
- Heat coconut oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and turn heat down to medium. Allow sausage to sizzle and brown in the melted fat for a few minutes.
- Next, add the chopped fennel and chicken broth, and continue to cook for a minute. Then, add the beaten egg and pepper. If need be, add a little more fat (butter or coconut oil) to the pan. Stir and allow to cook for a minute.
- Add the kale, red pepper flakes, ground fennel and paprika. Stir and allow to cook until kale is softened, about 1-minute or so. Add more pepper if needed.
Yields: 1 serving
Baked Bananas and Squash
Baked bananas and butternut squash.
Wow, what a morning it’s been. I’m already whooped and the day continues! I woke up tired from a poor night’s sleep, ate breakfast, studied a little and then dropped our cat, Mila, off at the vet just after 7 this morning for a procedure. After seeing her off and getting the lowdown from the vet tech, I drove straight to school for two (challenging) back-to-back finals. I felt really bad leaving Mila, especially because she was crying, scared and hungry (we couldn’t feed her after 8 p.m. last night), but it’s for her best interest. Jesse will pick her up later this evening. Poor little dear.
Now, I need to pack for my trip home to Michigan, nap (hopefully) and go to work. My flight is at 12:55 a.m. tonight, well technically tomorrow morning, so I’m going to try and sleep briefly again tonight, before going to the airport. Then, I’ll get a few hours of crummy sleep on the flight, have a 4-hour layover in Minneapolis (yuck) and then a 2-hour flight directly into my hometown of Alpena. It exhausts me just thinking about everything, but it’s only one day and I’ll make it through. Plus, I get to see my family, attend my wedding shower and not think about school since I’m officially on spring break. It’s all good stuff and the pros outweigh the cons.
Meanwhile, here’s a good, carb-y side dish for you all. Jesse and I ate it with chicken breasts and sauteed kale for dinner, which was a great combo. It’d be awesome with some eggs and bacon or sausage too. For an extra dash of yum, drizzle with coconut butter…mmm!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cubed
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 medium bananas, thinly sliced (use just-ripened bananas that are yellow, but no or few brown spots)
- Cinnamon to taste
- Dash of cayenne
- Dash of sea salt
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened pineapple or orange juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place squash cubes on a baking sheet and toss with the coconut oil, cinnamon, cayenne and sea salt. Add the bananas and pour pineapple or orange juice over everything. Toss again, gently, so as to not mash up the bananas. Sprinkle with more cinnamon, if desired.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is tender.
Simple Supper Friday: Skirt Steak Stir Fry
Skirt steak stir fry.
It’s been a really long time since I made stir fry, and this recipe really hit the spot. I remember trying a stir fry variation a while back, but it was only okay. I think it’s because it was missing the salty flavor of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos. Soy sauce and tamari are both out for me because of the wheat and soy, and I avoided coconut aminos up until recently because they’re considered questionable on the SCD. Since I’m 1-1/2 years in on my healing process, I thought I’d give the coconut aminos a shot. Lucky for me, I had no problems. I used to cook with coconut aminos prior to eating SCD/paleo, because I learned a long time ago that wheat/gluten was not okay for me. Needless to say, I’m happy to have a bottle back in my refrigerator.
This recipe is flexible in the sense that you can use any protein or veggies that you like. I definitely recommend trying it with the skirt steak though. It works great for stir fry and cooks up quickly because of its thin nature. Plus, it’s oh so flavorful. I think I’ve said this before, but it’s one of my favorite cuts of beef.
This is great served with chopped raw cashews and/or green onion, and with an extra drizzle of coconut aminos. I’m not a sesame seed fan, but that would work well as a garnish too.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for eggs
- 1 lb grass-fed skirt steak, sliced into strips
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 medium broccoli crown, chopped
- 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos, plus extra if needed
- 1-2 Tbsp rice vinegar (yes, rice vinegar is okay!)
- Splash of low-sodium chicken broth
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 pastured eggs, beaten
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery, and saute about 1 minute. Then add the skirt steak strips and season with a little sea salt and pepper. Continue to saute for a couple minutes.
- Then, add the carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. Add the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook over medium-low heat.
- Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add a little coconut oil to the pan and once melted, add the beaten eggs. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Once it starts to set, lift the edges of the omelet with a spatula to allow some of the egg liquid to get underneath. When the omelet is stable enough, flip and allow to cook an additional minute. Remove from pan and place on cutting board to cool.
- Add the water chestnuts to the stir fry and stir. Turn heat down to low. Slice the cooled omelet into strips, then chop into small pieces. Add to the stir fry.
- Once everything is heated through and veggies are softened, but still slightly crisp, remove from heat. Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles (use a julienne peeler to make noodles). If desired, you can mix the cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles into the stir fry and then serve. Top with garnishes of choice and extra coconut aminos, if desired.
Yields: 4 servings
Brussel Sprout Hash
Brussel sprout hash featuring apple, prosciutto, leek and pecans.
This meal is incredible and yields the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory. It’s a beautiful thing, folks. I threw it together (literally) the other day for lunch and oohed and aahed the whole time I ate it. It came together on a whim and without a plan, which is one of my favorite ways to create and test recipes. There has to be motivation and joy behind it though, otherwise, things are likely to not work out.
A special thanks to my dear friend, Laura, for the Scottish leek. She gave it to me straight from her garden last week. It was leftover from last year’s bounty. This type of leek is much smaller, and roughly the size of a large green onion. A little bit of regular leek will suffice in this recipe as well, so don’t fret if you can’t find the Scottish variety.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 1 small Scottish leek, chopped OR 1/4 cup regular leek, chopped
- 1/2 Lady Alice apple, diced
- 2 pieces prosciutto, chopped (I used Applegate brand — just pork, salt and spice)
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- Splash of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp pecans
- Pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leek and brussel sprouts, and season to taste with pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until brussel sprouts are browned.
- Next, add the apple and prosciutto, and continue to cook for a few minutes more. Mix in the Dijon and chicken broth, and let cook for a minute or two longer. Stir in the pecans, remove from heat and serve.
Yields: 1 serving
Guest Post: Pork with Creamy Chimichurri Sauce
I am very excited and grateful to have my first guest post today from the wonderful, Mary Catherine, over at Nourish Paleo Foods. She developed this tasty recipe to share with all of you, and drew some great comparisons between Portland and Denver (where she’s from). Please go check out her page when you get the chance. You’ll see that she has a lot to offer! Thank you again, Mary Catherine. I’m thrilled and honored to feature you!
* * *
I first started reading Alisa’s blog (PaleoinPDX.com) for the delicious paleo recipes — and because she tells funny stories and seems to have endless energy, which I kind of hoped would rub off on me.
But I was also intrigued because she lived in Portland. If I ever leave Denver, it will be to move to Portland.
My sister Lauren lives in Portland and loves it so much she swears she will stay forever. Lauren and I would like to live closer to each other. Ideally, close enough we can swing by to borrow clothes or watch Glee together. Or maybe go to CrossFit followed by a long chat over coconut milk lattes. Our imaginary plans always take place in Portland.
I have been to Portland half a dozen times to visit. During my days there, I’ve noticed a few differences between the largest city in Oregon and my home town. Denver is a casual city. Jeans and some cute shoes will get you through most any social situation. But somehow Portland manages even more casual. It seems that jeans and Keens are appropriate for fine dining. My theory is that it’s hard to wear too many cute shoes because they just get ruined in the rain.
That brings me to another obvious difference — the climate. I know Portland folks like to talk about the perfect weather from June through September but that falls way short of the 300 days of sunshine we get on average each year in Denver.
The plus side of all the moisture is obvious every time I walk around Portland. It’s so pretty! The trees and bushes and yards are lush and green. My yard in Denver is xeriscaped with plants selected to require minimum moisture — but we still need to water them three times a week to keep them alive.
But overall I think there are more similarities than differences between the two cities. Residents of both cities like their bikes, their dogs and being active. Like Denver, Portland seems to have a good number of people who care about their health, the environment and the food they eat. In fact, Portland and Denver were two of the first cities to host paleo food trucks!
And this time of year in both Denver and Portland – and most of the rest of the country – it’s chilly outside. So here’s a recipe for an easy and flavorful recipe a dish that will warm up the house. The pork roast gradually cooks for hours, filling the house with heat and a wonderful scent.
Chimichurri sauce is an intensely flavorful sauce that is typically served with steak. I think it pairs well with pulled pork. The tang of the sauce plays off the fattiness of the meat for a treat you are sure to enjoy – no matter where you live.
Pork with Creamy Chimichurri Sauce
For pulled pork —
- Bone-in pork roast, about 2.5 pounds
- Coconut oil or beef tallow, 2 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper
For chimichurri sauce –
- Flat parsley, 1 bunch (about packed 2 cups chopped)
- Olive oil, 1 cup
- Garlic, 3 cloves
- Red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup
- Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon
- Crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
- Salt, 1 teaspoon
- Coconut milk, 1/2 cup
- Rub pork roast with fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then place roast in baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake in oven at 300 degrees for 5 hours.
- Pull all leaves from the parsley. (Don’t worry if there’s a little stem in the pile.) In food processor (or using hand blender), blend together all ingredients for the sauce.
- When pork comes out of the oven, use two forks to pull it apart into chunks.
- Top meat with generous spoonfuls of chimichurri sauce and enjoy!
Mary Catherine started dabbling in paleo eating in 2007 and transitioned to following paleo principles more each year since then. She gets a kick out of putting together delicious paleo meals and sharing food with others through her blog, nourishpaleofoods.com. Mary Catherine lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Matt, and her all-American junkyard dog, Tour. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
