ginger

Superfood Chicken and Vegetable Soup

paleoinpdx1 Comment

3 spiced chicken veggie soupThis chicken soup packs a powerful punch and makes me happy. It is incredibly nourishing and healing thanks to the bone broth, veggies, and spices. It even has a dose of medicinal reishi mushroom powder. I was fortunate to receive a bag of reishi mushrooms from friends that grew and dried them, so made my own reishi powder (note: the dry container for the Vitamix works awesome for this). If you’re unfamiliar, know that reishi mushrooms are great for overall wellness, stress relief, immune support, and more. It is a great addition to chicken soup, but don’t fret if you don’t have it. You can easily omit it from the recipe or find it HERE. Also, if you’re wondering, it doesn’t really have any noticeable flavor either.

If you’re pressed for time, know that you can use pre-cooked or leftover chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken) and skip cooking it in the broth. It’ll do the trick, but I do recommend cooking the chicken fresh in the broth, if you can. It’s more flavorful and tender, which makes it easy to shred into the soup. I find that it stretches further too because of how much it breaks up.

Cheers and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • ~2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 8-10 cups chicken bone broth, preferably homemade, plus more if needed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 tsp grass-fed ghee or other fat of choice
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1.5 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp reishi mushroom powder, optional (find HERE)
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 bunch Italian kale, chopped
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Filtered water, to taste, if needed

Directions:

  1. Add the chicken breasts, broth, and bay leaves to a large stock pot. Make sure there’s enough broth to cover the chicken completely. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat for 30-60 minutes or until chicken breasts are very tender.
  2. Once done, remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Drain the broth into a separate pot or large bowl, and set aside for later. Be sure to remove the bay leaves as well.
  3. Next, add the ghee to the stock pot and melt over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and sauté a few minutes. Then, add the sweet potato and garlic, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Sauté a couple minutes more.
  4. Shred the cooled chicken and add back to the pot with the broth. If needed, add a bit more broth and/or filtered water. Then, add the ground ginger, turmeric, lemon juice, and reishi powder, if using. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
  5. Lastly, add the chopped kale and stir. Let cook 2-3 minutes more or until kale is slightly softened. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.

Note: the shredded chicken absorbs more broth after sitting overnight in the refrigerator. In this case, you may want to add more broth when reheating leftovers, but it’s just as tasty eaten as a thicker soup. It all depends on how brothy you want it.

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Honey Almond Ginger Halibut

paleoinpdx2 Comments

halibut

Halibut is my absolute favorite fish. I seriously love it a lot, but seldom buy it since it’s a bit pricy. Lucky for me, it’s been on sale at New Seasons Market lately, and I’ve been taking full advantage of it. I plan to indulge in it at least a couple times more before the sale ends as well.

This recipe is inspired by one of my dearest and most special friends, Heather. A couple years ago, she had us over for dinner and made steelhead with big slices of ginger, dabs of coconut oil, good sea salt, and raw honey. It was cooked on foil over the grill and was so incredible. We all raved about it! I haven’t had that recipe since, but have definitely not forgotten.

I figured something similar would be great with halibut, but decided to do it a little differently, and added a couple touches of my own. The fish is perfectly flaky with a punch of ginger flavor, bit of sweetness, and a delicate crunch of almonds. It’s SO delicious! We ate ours with roasted white sweet potatoes and green beans.

Cheers and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 fresh wild-caught halibut fillets (about 6 oz each)
  • 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
  • About 1/2 – 1 Tbsp raw honey
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2-3 Tbsp sliced blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Line a small pan or baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and place halibut fillets on top (skin side down). Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, raw honey, cayenne and grated ginger. Brush or spoon all of the mixture evenly over each fillet. Add a bit more sea salt and/or black pepper, if desired. Then, sprinkle the almonds on top.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. If desired, spoon extra glaze mixture (from the pan) over fish before serving.

Yields: 2 servings

Turmeric Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

paleoinpdx1 Comment

chicken stir fry

Stir fry is such an easy and quick meal to whip up when I’m not sure what to make for dinner. It’s especially great when we have lots of different veggies in the fridge to work with. Bonus that it doesn’t have to heat up the house too much either, though I did make this before the weather turned extremely hot. During this time, it was just hot.

Meanwhile, can you believe it’s almost the Fourth of July? It always seems like summer flies by after the Fourth, doesn’t it? Anyway, we don’t have any plans nailed down yet, but might go to Hood River for the day. We’ll see.

What are you doing for the Fourth of July?

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 large broccoli crown, chopped
  • About 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1-2 Tbsp coconut aminos (find here)
  • 1/4 tsp fish sauce (I recommend this brand, which has no gluten or sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp mirin (find here)
  • Drizzle of raw honey (probably about 1/2 tsp)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

chicken stir fry 2

Directions:

  1. Melt coconut oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Stir until fragrant and sauté about 1-2 minutes. Then, add the cut-up chicken pieces and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the coconut aminos, fish sauce, mirin, raw honey, ginger, turmeric and cayenne. Set aside.
  3. Once the chicken is nearly cooked through, add the carrots and broccoli. Mix well and sauté a few minutes. Then, add the zucchini and shiitake mushrooms, and stir well. Season to taste with a little sea salt and pepper.
  4. Pour in the sauce mixture and mix well. Continue to cook for a few minutes or until zucchini has softened a bit.
  5. Season to taste with more sea salt, pepper and/or coconut aminos, if needed.

Yields: 2 large servings

 

Turmeric and Spice Granola

paleoinpdx6 Comments

turmeric spice granola 2

I’ve been putting turmeric in nearly everything lately and even recently bought some fresh turmeric root for the first time ever (it was great in stir fry with fresh ginger). I know turmeric is incredibly good for you and has great flavor, but often forget about it when I’m choosing my spices for a dish. I think it’s become more of a habit to reach for it now and don’t plan to forget about this incredible spice!

I regularly make homemade grain-free granola and while whipping up a batch one day, decided to try adding a little turmeric to it. I liked the way it turned out a lot, but tweaked the recipe slightly the second time I made it and liked it even better. Hope you enjoy it too!

turmeric spice granola

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ~2.5 cups raw pumpkin seeds (I used raw sprouted ones)
  • ~2 cups raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract (I like this brand)
  • 2-3 Tbsp raw honey or to taste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 + 1/8 tsp ground turmeric

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Pour coconut, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on a large baking sheet.
  3. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together the coconut oil, vanilla, raw honey, sea salt and spices.
  4. Pour oil and spice mixture over the coconut and seeds. Stir well to coat. If need be, divide granola up between two baking sheets, but make sure it’s not spread too thin, so the coconut doesn’t burn!
  5. Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and stir, and place in oven for another 15 minutes. Stir again and if need be, place in oven for another 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it at this point to make sure it doesn’t get too dark!
  6. Cool completely and store in glass jars.

 

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

Grain-Free Carrot Spice Bread

paleoinpdx15 Comments

IMG_3357

It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve made something like this and it’ll probably be a while before it happens again. Don’t get me wrong, the bread is truly rad, but I don’t like having this kind of stuff around very often. It’s definitely a once in a while or special occasion treat.

I was prompted to make this the other day as a way to de-stress and take some downtime for myself. I was also in dire need to stand for a while. I had been at the coffee shop studying and sitting for 2-3 hours and all my body wanted to do afterward is stand and move. I figured, why not make some carrot bread? It seemed like a logical and tasty solution.

The bread came out moist, flavorful and subtly sweet, just the way I like it. It also made the whole house smell comfy and cozy because of the warm spices, so I got the added bonus of aromatherapy. It was just what I needed.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
  • 4 pastured eggs, beaten
  • 2-3 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil. I used this loaf pan, which is a medium size.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until smooth.
  3. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes or so, and then carefully remove and place on cooling rack. Let loaf cool for 10-15 minutes more before slicing.
  4. Enjoy with a nice pat of butter spread on top.

Yields: 1 loaf

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