chicken

Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl

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This recipe is simple good, and makes for an incredibly quick and easy meal. And, all in one dish too. It also features homemade vegetable bouillon powder and will leave you with leftovers to store in your pantry (so you can easily make this recipe again!). The homemade bouillon came about because I wanted a concentrated broth flavor, but didn’t want to add a ton of liquid. In my quest, I realized that there are no high-quality bouillon cubes/powder out there (at least not that I’ve seen), so plan B was to make my own. It is incredibly easy to make too.

In a sense, this recipe kinda reminds me of ramen noodles, mainly because of adding the concentrated seasoning to a bowl of “noodles.” I definitely ate my fair share of those back in the day, but really…who didn’t? They were super salty (and MSG-laden), brothy, quick, cheap, and yielded a huge bowl of noodles. I guess you could say this recipe is ramen noodles, but with a 360-degree, health-ifed turn! Anyway, all you need to know is that it is delicious. We ate ours with a side of steamed buttered broccoli and it was fantastic.

Cheers and enjoy!

P.S. I went back on KATU Afternoon Live yesterday and talked about my three popsicle recipes that I recently featured on here. Watch the replay of the segment HERE.

For the vegetable bouillon powder:

  • 1/2 cup large flake nutritional yeast (I like this brand)
  • 1 Tbsp dried minced onion
  • 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until mixture turns into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container. You may have to experiment with ratios, depending on your taste, but I recommend 1-3 tsp to 1 cup boiling water to turn this into broth. Great to use as a powder for flavor too, as seen in the recipe below.

For the noodle bowl:

  • 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
  • 1 medium-large sweet potato, spiralized into noodles (or buy a package of pre-noodled sweet potato)
  • 2 leftover boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
  • 1 Tbsp homemade vegetable bouillon powder (see recipe above)
  • Generous splash of water (about 3-4 Tbsp worth)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

  1. Melt butter or ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the sweet potato noodles and chicken. Sauté a few minutes.
  2. Next, add the homemade bouillon powder and a splash of water. Mix well to coat and sauté over medium-low a few more minutes. Add a little bit more water, if needed. Taste and season with a bit of sea salt and black pepper, if needed.
  3. Divide into bowls and garnish with green onions.

Yields: 2 servings

Summer “Grain” Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

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summer grain saladI’m back from NYC as of last Friday night and apparently, brought the warm weather back with me. I was gone for 10 days and the whole time I was away, the weather was cold, rainy, and crummy here in Portland. It was the exact opposite in NYC, so thankfully, I missed out! Now, our nice summer weather has returned, so more salads are called upon.

This salad makes for an awesome summertime dinner. I like making it ahead of time, so we can eat it cold after it’s chilled in the fridge, but it can be eaten warm as well. It is so delicious and the simple lemon tahini dressing is perfect. I think I could eat this salad, or a variation of it, everyday!

Meanwhile, you can catch me making this recipe next Wednesday, June 28 on KATU Afternoon Live. I’ll be sure to share the replay link once it’s available.

Cheers and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups golden beets, diced into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 5 oz clamshell baby kale
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 Tbsp filtered water
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 large lemon, juiced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place beets and asparagus on a large baking sheet, and drizzle with coconut or avocado oil. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once done, set aside.
  2. *Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Continue to cook chicken, but don’t break up the chunks of meat as you normally would. Cook until chicken is browned and no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes, but do not overcook. *Note, if your ground chicken is really lean, you may need to add a little oil to the pan. Set aside once done.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, and garlic. Add sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
  4. Next, add the cooked ground chicken to the food processor bowl with the pan drippings. Pulse about 4-5 times until chicken forms smaller crumbles and resembles grains. Be careful not to over-process.
  5. Pour the chicken into a large mixing bowl. Add the parsley, roasted vegetables, green onions, and baby kale (you may have to work the baby kale in bit-by-bit). Pour dressing over top and stir well. Continue to add the baby kale (if you didn’t add it all at once), until it’s all worked in. Taste, and add more sea salt and/or black pepper, if desired.
  6. Serve right away or let chill in the fridge and serve cold.

Spiced Chicken Stew

paleoinpdx9 Comments

spiced chicken stew 2

This dish is so good that I’ve made it twice already over the course of three days. It is so flavorful and has the comforting qualities of chicken soup. It is incredibly easy and quick to throw together too. I think it’s going to be a regularly occurring meal for us this fall and winter.

Meanwhile, Jesse and I are getting ready to depart Wednesday evening for LA, where we’ll reside for 10 days to complete a week-long training with Jill Miller of Yoga Tune Up. We’re excited, but a little nervous too because it’s going to be a lot of work (but, good work!).

Happy Monday!

Update: Watch the replay HERE of me making this recipe on KATU Afternoon Live on January 9, 2016!

Ingredients: 

  • 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • ~1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into pieces
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 medium-large head of green cabbage, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Melt butter or ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots, and stir to coat. After a minute, add the chicken pieces and 1 tsp of the sea salt. Continue to cook until the chicken is mostly browned, but still has some pink to it.
  2. Pour chicken mixture into the slow cooker with the cumin, turmeric, remaining 1 tsp sea salt, black pepper and cabbage. Stir well.
  3. Place lid on slow cooker and let cook on low for 4 hours. If you’re home, I recommend stirring halfway through the cooking time, but it’s not critical and nothing to fret over if you can’t do so.

Yields: ~3-4 servings

Note: I’ve since tried this recipe with the addition of sweet potato and also really like it that way (if using, add to slow cooker with the cabbage and spices). I’ve used one medium-large sweet potato and found that it was enough.

Chicken Pesto “Noodle” Bowl

paleoinpdx8 Comments

 

chicken pesto noodle bowl 2

I know I mentioned it already, but the summer heat has been insane in Portland! It has been consistently in the mid to upper 90s for many days now and it looks like it’s going to continue. I’ll be going home for a visit to Michigan in a couple weeks and I’m thinking it’s going to feel cold compared to what I’ve adapted to! It looks like temps in my hometown have been in the low 70s, but there’s also more humidity involved, so it usually feels warmer. Regardless of what the weather is like, it’ll be nice to be home for a visit.

Anyway, onto the food. I made this for dinner two nights in a row this past week because it’s so tasty and doesn’t involve any heat! It’s super easy and you don’t have to cook anything, unless you don’t have leftover chicken breasts in the fridge. If you don’t, then you have to cook a little bit, but at least it’s simple. I’d recommend either throwing some chicken on the grill or poaching it on the stove to get the job done.

Cheers and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch homemade basil pesto (replace parsley with fresh basil)
  • 2 leftover boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
  • 2 medium zucchini, noodled with a spiralizer or julienne peeler
  • 1 medium heirloom tomato, chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Place chopped chicken in a large bowl and mix with 2 Tbsp or so of fresh pesto. Place in fridge and let sit for a couple hours. (Note: if you don’t have time to let the chicken marinate in the fridge, skip it, but I recommend doing so if you can, so the chicken absorbs more pesto flavor).
  2. Shortly before eating, place the zucchini noodles in a colander and generously salt with sea salt. Place the colander in the sink or over a large bowl and let the zucchini “sweat” for 10-20 minutes. Then, squeeze out any excess water and divide the zucchini noodles among two bowls.
  3. Divide the tomatoes between the two bowls and add a little more pesto (probably 1-3 tsp per bowl or to taste). Then, divide the chicken mixture between the two bowls and mix well. Season to taste with a little sea salt and/or pepper, if needed.

Chicken Almond Ding

paleoinpdx11 Comments

Chicken almond ding

Over the weekend, I took it upon myself to test out this new recipe. It was inspired by something I saw in one of my old vegetarian cookbooks, but I changed it quite a bit to suit my taste and clearly, it’s not vegetarian. No major surprise there. The dish is definitely simple, but yields a lot of flavor and texture. I am a sucker for simplicity, especially in recipes, so I was pleased with the end result. I hope you will be too.

I recommend eating this on its own or atop of cauliflower rice. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp pasture-raised duck fat
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups celery, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained
  • 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 3 Tbsp dry sherry OR broth
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1.5 tsp coconut flour (or arrowroot if you can tolerate it — may need a lesser amount)
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 cup spouted unsalted almonds, chopped

IMG_3740

Directions:

  1. Heat duck fat in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery; stir. After a minute, add the chicken pieces and white pepper, and season to taste with sea salt.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the sherry, coconut aminos, water and coconut flour (or arrowroot) in a small bowl.
  3. After about 7-9 minutes, add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and frozen peas. Stir and then pour in the sherry mixture.
  4. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. Once done, remove from heat and stir in the chopped almonds. Serve by itself or atop of cauliflower rice.

Yields: 3-4 servings

Coconut-Crusted Ginger Chicken

paleoinpdx17 Comments

IMG_3384

It’s officially the week of my wedding! Wow, it’s so hard to believe it’s finally here. I’m so excited for the end of the week, so I can be done with this term, see my family, marry Jesse and celebrate. Even though I’ve been pretty stressed out (mainly because of school), it’ll all be worth it. I’m so blessed in this life.

Anyway, that’s all she wrote, folks. I’m keeping it short and sweet today. Enjoy the recipe, but more importantly, enjoy life.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (I used one large breast, but 2 small works too)
  • 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter, melted
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Pinch of cayenne

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut, ginger, sea salt and cayenne. Pour mixture onto a dinner plate and spread around, so plate is covered.
  2. Meanwhile, pour the melted butter on the chicken and quickly use a brush to make sure it’s well coated. Then, while it’s still wet, quickly dredge in coconut mixture. You can pat the mixture on as well, to make sure it’s covered. Alternatively, instead of the butter, an egg wash will work as well. A single beaten egg will probably suffice.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Check about halfway through to make sure coconut is not too brown. If need be, tent some foil over the top after it’s reached your preferred level of brownness.
  4. Serve with veggie of choice.

Yields: 2 servings

Simple Supper Friday: Ginger Lime Chicken with Mango

paleoinpdx7 Comments

ginger lime chicken

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Serve with vegetable of choice. We had sauteed kale with halved cherry tomatoes.

Yields: 2 servings

ginger lime chicken 2