Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

I got this recipe right out of my Jan/Feb 2012 Cooking Light magazine! Totally Paleo, totally delicious and totally easy! It yielded leftovers and made the family happy. You just can't get more from a meal than that! I was out of sweet potatoes which I think would have been the ultimate pairing for this dish... next time!

Now it's off to bed where I will undoubtedly dream of box jumps, push presses and toes to bar.

Good luck to all tackling WOD 12.3! Get your sleep and eat well!

Recipe:

1 T olive oil

4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, pounded and cut in half

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 C chicken broth

1/4 C 100% organic maple syrup

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 T stone-ground mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; saute 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add broth, syrup, thyme and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently. Serve with chicken.

Yum!!!

~Cooking Light January/February 2012

Coconut Lime Chicken

"Put the lime in the coconut..." Or for a great dinner, put some lime and some coconut on some chicken and fry it all up! This was a huge hit in our house tonight... hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

2 large chicken breast, pounded thin and cut in half (yielding 4 servings)

1 C unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 T fresh lime zest

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

pinch sea salt

2 eggs

1/4 C coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound and divide chicken breasts and set aside. In a heavy skillet, heat coconut oil on medium high heat. In a shallow dish, beat the two eggs. In another shallow dish, combine the coconut, cilantro, lime zest and remaining spices. Dip chicken breasts in egg and then into the coconut mixture (chicken should be well coated with coconut). Add chicken immediately to the hot pan and brown until chicken is golden brown (about 4 minutes on each side). Place browned coconut chicken pieces on baking dish and bake for and additional 10-12 minutes. Top with some toasted coconut and cilantro sprigs for looks! :-)

Hope you enjoy!

Scott's Paleo Chicken Thighs

I was sick all last week, and had to take some time off! Scott really helped out in the kitchen. He truly enjoys cooking and is pretty darn good at it... (he also keeps it Paleo)! I should give him more opportunities to take over the kitchen! This recipe is on of my favorites that he made... a winner with us all! Our daughter even asked for seconds, which to Scott was pure victory!

Now you should know a few things about Scott's cooking... 1. Alcohol is almost always an ingredient! It cooks down and really provides a rich flavor, but you could easily substitute the red wine in this recipe for chicken broth. 2. He will almost always use these two cooking tools: his cast iron skillet or his BBQ. 3. Garlic, garlic and more garlic! 4. He also makes a huge mess of the kitchen, but that's another story! ;-)

Thank you for taking care of the cooking, babe!

Ingredients:

6-8 Chicken thighs, with skin

black pepper and pinch sea salt

2 T olive oil

Sauce ingredients:

1 T olive oil

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed & minced

1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced

1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes

3/4 C red wine (or chicken broth)

1/4 C water

1 T Italian seasoning

1 T Oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a cast iron (or heavy, oven-safe) skillet, heat the olive oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Brown thighs in olive oil. In a separate skillet prepare the sauce. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes, red wine, herb seasonings. Cook over medium heat until it thickens and reduces. Add water. Pour over chicken thighs and place entire cast iron skillet in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. Serve with your choice of sides, and enjoy!

Paleo Chicken Stir Fry with Shiitake Mushrooms & Baby Bok Choy

Stir fries rarely disappoint! They are quick, tasty and have the ability to please just about everyone! Simply put, they are "feel-good meals"! Tonight, my daughter and I picked out our favorite ingredient and built our dinner around that. Our ingredient: shiitake mushrooms! Oh, we just love those and any excuse to add those to a dinner makes for a couple of very happy ladies! I hope this stir fry makes you happy and feel good, too!

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts, sliced in thin strips

2 T coconut oil

4 baby bok choy

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 T fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

18-20 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1/2 C coconut aminos, divided

Marinate chicken strips in 1/4 C coconut aminos (for at least 20 minutes). In a large skillet, heat 1 T coconut oil over medium/high heat. Add chicken strips to pan and quickly saute until browned. Remove from skillet, and set aside. Add another T coconut oil to skillet and saute garlic, onions and ginger. After a couple minutes, add bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. Stir continuously. Slowly add remaining coconut aminos. When bok choy is slightly tender, add chicken strips back to pan. Toss all ingredients well and add sesame seeds and serve! (IF desired, drizzle with just a tad of sesame oil and a pinch of course grey sea salt). Enjoy!

Paleo Jerusalem Chicken

This week I'm focusing on healing foods and recovery! I may be out of CrossFit for the week, but I'm not out of the kitchen! Sometimes when you're frustrated over things you can't control, it's beneficial to focus on things you can control, right? So it has become extremely important to me to do whatever I can to elicit healing! I'm using food (in a good way). Yep... healthy, healing-type foods packed with micro and macro nutrients and lean proteins! The typical Paleo way, personified!

Ok, so I'm not sure if tonight's dinner was as much healing for my body as it was comforting for my spirits... either way, it served its purpose!!! Road to recovery is underway! I hope you enjoy this tasty dinner! :-)

Recipe:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 C organic chicken broth

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 C white wine

1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms

1 (10 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained (packed in water)

1 C coconut milk

2 T fresh chopped Italian parsley

black pepper

paprika

sea salt (to taste)

2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle with some black pepper and paprika. Bake chicken for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. When liquid is reduced by half, add the wine, mushrooms, and artichokes. Reduce heat and cook until mushrooms are tender and sauce thickens a bit. Finally, stir in the coconut milk (this gives the sauce that creamy texture and look). Pour all the sauce over the chicken breasts, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes! Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley. Serve with steamed zucchini (or vegetable of choice).

Scott raved over this! Hope you enjoy, too! It was pretty simple, delicious, and definitely comforting! ...Oh and made for excellent leftovers! I'll keep you posted as to its healing properties! ;-)

Chicken-Wrapped Asparagus

I have been plotting and planning this meal for about two weeks now! My first attempt did not go as planned! ... As I was about to put the chicken it in the oven, our electricity went out! So... we had to barbecue it (which was not an ideal cooking method for this dish). It was too dry and burnt on the bottom. :( Our electricity continued it's unpredictability last week with the heavy rain storms. I pretty much planned a barbecue every night since, just to be safe! So... this is Chicken-Wrapped Asparagus attempt #2! I am very happy to report that is was delicious, and well worth the wait. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 C mushrooms, chopped

1 T olive oil

2+ T fresh chopped rosemary

Asparagus spears-12 (3 per chicken breast)

Seasonings: black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

*Baking string or cooking twine (I can't remember what it's called)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute garlic in olive oil until it starts to brown. Add sliced mushroom and saute for a few more minutes. Remove from heat. In a food processor, pulse garlic, mushrooms and rosemary until slightly paste-like. Set aside. Pound each chicken breasts fairly thin. Season underside of breast with some of the seasonings. Spread about 1+ T of the mushroom/garlic/rosemary paste on each breast - stay mostly within the center of the breasts (use it all up). Place 3 asparagus spears over chicken breast and roll. Secure with baking string (about 6"). I placed the asparagus spears perpendicular to the length of the chicken breast so that I had sufficient chicken to wrap the asparagus with. Place wrapped and twine-secured chicken breasts in a baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika and black pepper (for color), cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with steamed asparagus! ...Enjoy :-)

Paleo Chicken Scallopini Over Spaghetti Squash

I opted for another Italian dinner tonight. It was hearty, filling and delicious! I always hear how difficult it is to give up Italian food when choosing the Paleo lifestyle. I hope that you don't believe that's true! While it might be a little bit more challenging, it is still completely possible to enjoy Italian cuisine. Spaghetti squash is amazing as a pasta substitute ...and was particularly tasty tonight under the chicken & capers. Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C almond meal

1 T dried parsley

pinch sea salt and 1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 C sliced mushrooms

2 T capers

2 T lemon juice

1/4 C white wine (or chicken broth)

1 lemon, thinly sliced

*Spaghetti squash

Recipe:

Pound chicken breasts pretty thin (about 1/4 inch). Combine almond meal, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Dredge chicken breasts in almond flour mixture. Brown chicken breast in olive oil, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts. In same pan, add garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender (you may need to add a tad more olive oil). Add wine and deglaze pan. Stir in capers and lemon juice. Add chicken breasts back to pan. Place thinly sliced lemons over the chicken pieces, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve over a bed of spaghetti squash & enjoy a Paleo-friendly Italian meal!

*This is how I make the spaghetti squash (there are other methods out there... this just works well with me):

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce spaghetti squash with a knife several times. Place entire spaghetti squash in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully slice in half. Spoon out the center seeds. Now place both halves back in the oven for about 10-15 more minutes in a baking pan with about 1/4 C water. When center is soft and tender, remove form oven. Let cool slightly and scoop out all the meat of the spaghetti squash into a bowl. It should be easy to scoop with a spoon from the shell and come out looking like strings of spaghetti noodles! A very versatile and tasty vegetable!

Paleo Chicken (Non) Parmesano

What a great conditioning week we've had at CrossFit! And I'm sorry for the lack of posts (which is directly related to the awesome week at CrossFit)! It's not that I haven't been cooking Paleo Meals... (I have a couple good ones in reserve)... it's just that I have been exhausted. When I finish dinner and weigh my next evening task: 1. Blog or 2. go to bed.

Bed has been the winning option all week! :-)

Hope you all have had a restful yet productive week, and I hope you enjoy one of our all-time favorite Paleo dinners... chicken parmesano!

Buon Appetito.

Recipe:

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, pounded thin (about 1/4-1/12 inch)

1 C almond meal

1 T Italian seasoning

1 T garlic powder

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 eggs

2 T olive oil

Sauce:

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato paste

12 oz red wine

1/4 C water

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

a generous 2+ T fresh chopped rosemary

1 T Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

pinch sea salt

I like to make the sauce early in the day and let it simmer. As it thickens, I add a bit more water if needed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim and pound chicken breast to desired thickness (I prefer these on the thinner side). Whisk eggs together in a shallow bowl. Combine almond meal, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt in another shallow bowl (mix well). Heat olive oil in a large skillet (you may have to brown the chicken in batches). Dredge chicken in egg and lightly coat with almond meal seasoning. Immediately brown in olive oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove to baking dish. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Pour sauce (about a ladle full per chicken piece). Bake, uncovered for 10 minutes. I had leftover sauce (which I put in a freezer-safe bag for another meal). :-)

Hope you enjoy!

Paleo Coq au Vin

This was delicious meal. It was totally inspired by a dish my friend made this weekend! A delicious chicken stew... or Coq Au Vin if you want to sound French, fancy and gourmet. Traditionally Coq au vin is braised chicken with red wine, garlic, onions and mushrooms. I used a white wine, garlic, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes! Okay, not your traditional coq au vin, but extremely tasty none-the-less... and I felt like a fancy French chef! :-)

You could use any pieces of chicken you like. I have a lot of chicken thighs in my freezer (because that's my husband's favorite), so that's what I used. A cut up whole chicken would be good or chicken breasts, but leave the skin on in this recipe. Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

8 pieces chicken thighs

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1/2 C white wine

1 T arrowroot powder

seasonings (use generously):

dried thyme, dried oregano, black pepper, poultry seasoning

~finish with a pinch of sea salt!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken breasts all over with seasonings. Really stuff seasonings under the chicken skin! Heat olive oil in a dutch oven. Brown chicken thighs... about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken thigh temporarily to a plate. Now add onion, celery and garlic to dutch oven. Saute for a few minutes and then stir in carrots. Add back chicken thighs. Place sweet potatoes over and around the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the green onions. Mix wine with arrowroot powder until dissolved. Pour over chicken, cover dutch oven with lid and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Voila... a French-inspired feast!

Bon Appetit! :-)

Shiitake Mushroom Baked Chicken over Spinach

Ahhh... This was earthy comfort on a place. Shiitake mushrooms are my favorite! If you're a mushroom fan, I highly suggest you try this! If not... well, I highly suggest you become a mushroom fan!

My husband and daughter went to the Fungus Festival in Santa Cruz this weekend, which sparked our appreciation and our appetites! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large chicken breasts

2 1/2 C fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 C white wine (or chicken broth)

1/2 C coconut milk

2 T coconut oil

Seasonings (1/2 tsp. each):

celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and poultry seasoning.

fresh spinach, 1 bunch (or pre-washed bag)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken breasts to about 3/4 inch thick. Combine seasonings and sprinkle both sides of chicken until well covered. Heat coconut oil in a skillet and brown chicken breasts (about 4 minutes on each side). Remove chicken to a baking dish. Add shiitake mushroom to skillet and slowly add wine, deglazing the pan, and scraping up delicious bits. Cook until most the liquid is absorbed and shiitake mushrooms are tender. Lastly , add coconut milk. Mix well and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, saute the spinach: Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add garlic and saute until tender (careful not to burn) add spinach. Cook, tossing spinach until wilted and well coated with garlic and olive oil. Center spinach on a diner plate, top with chicken & mushrooms (spoon additional mushrooms and sauce as desired). Hope you enjoy this earthy comfort Paleo meal!

Chicken, Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

I have been craving Jambalaya! On these cold days, there is nothing better to warm you up! It's spicy and hearty and absolutely deliciously satisfying! I cooked it in my crock pot, too. Which allowed me to take my time cooking it throughout the afternoon. I just added the delicate ingredients, that I didn't want to overcook, close to serving time. Stay warm and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 sausages (any variety)

1 lb. raw, peeled shrimp

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

4 C chicken broth

2 tsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C spinach

2 C cauliflower rice

1+ T Cajun seasoning (I made my own)... combine following spices:

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

In a large skillet, saute onions, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil. Add to crock pot. Brown chicken breasts on both sides in skillet, cut into bite sized pieces and add to crock pot. Cook sausage, slice and add to crock pot. Now add chicken broth, tomatoes, and cajun seasoning to crock pot. Cook on high for about 1 hour. Turn crock pot to low. Lastly, about 30 minutes before serving, saute shrimp. Add cooked shrimp, spinach and cauliflower rice to crock pot. Cook for about 15 more minutes! This recipe is sure to help you stay warm this winter! Cozy up and enjoy! :-)

Simpler Times Chicken Not-So-Noodle Soup

Ok... whenever you roast a chicken, it should go without saying that the next night you make a soup! Hope you enjoy this faux chicken noodle favorite! :-)

Ingredients:

Chicken broth

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large spaghetti squash

2 T rosemary, fresh chopped

leftover chicken pieces

1 tsp. peppercorns

1 bay leaf

pinch sea salt (optional)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Recipe:

Immediately after enjoying your chicken dinner, carve carcass and reserve remaining chicken. Place carcass in a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil (add some peppercorns and a bay leaf). Maintain a slow boil, covered, for about 2-3 hours. Remove carcass and strain debris for a pure flavored chicken broth. Pour broth into the crock pot. Add carrots and celery. Saute garlic and onions in some olive oil. Add to crock pot. Add chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. About 1 hour before eating, preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook spaghetti squash (pierce several holes in it first). After about 30 minutes, remove spaghetti squash and cut in half. Remove seeds (careful, it's hot). Place back in oven for about 10-15 more minutes. Carefully remove pulp from shell with spoon (or fork). Very carefully... is is HOT. Add spaghetti squash to soup. There is your faux noodles! Yum. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Simpler Times Chicken

This recipe is dedicated to my good friend, Neile who just celebrated her 4oth Birthday!!!

We've made "beer can chicken" for years... but never with a fine Tader Joe's Simpler Times Lager... This one's for you, Neile! Cheers my friend!

This recipe is totally easy and great for the oven or the grill. Since we traveled to families for Thanksgiving, we were a little deprived of turkey and the leftovers. So, I thought I would cook up another type of bird to gobble up, and maybe even enjoy some leftovers as well! I know, I know, 'beer' is not exactly Paleo, but never fear, the beer plays a very small part in the recipe (you might only need to take a couple of sips... or not... it's totally optional).

Simpler Times Chicken Recipe:

1 whole chicken (preferably organic & free range)

olive oil

spices:

I used black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sage and fresh rosemary

1 can of Simpler Times Lager :-)

Heat grill to medium-low or preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean chicken, remove innards (save them if you desire... they are very Paleo). Season entire bird by rubbing it with olive oil and coating it with the seasonings. Now, take a couple sips of the beer (or pour a couple sips out) and place the chicken's open cavity over the beer can. Set chicken in a roasting pan. The beer can will hold the chicken upright while it cooks and it provides moisture during the cooking time as well. It also serves as a convenient collection point for all the fat drippings. Roast the chicken for about 40-50 minutes. Use a thermometer to check for doneness (internal temperature should reach 175 degrees). That's all there is to it! Serve with desired sides & enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Neile!

Baked Rosemary Chicken Thighs & Sweet Potatoes

This was so simple and yet so delicious. The chicken just fell off the bone and the potatoes were so herby and crispy. I truly recommend using fresh herbs, if possible. The rosemary was from our garden and contributed so much to the flavor... and the aroma! Rosemary and chicken and potatoes... what perfect harmony! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (with skin and bone)

1-2 sweet potatoes (the light skinned variety), peeled, sliced and halved

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

2 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 T dried oregano

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

pinch sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Add olive oil to bowl and stir to coat all pieces of chicken and potatoes thoroughly. Empty bowl of chicken & potato pieces onto a large baking dish. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and other herbs and spices. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. To ensure extra flavor and crispiness, baste chicken and potatoes every 15 minutes!!!

Crock Pot Paleo Chicken Cacciatore

I love my crock pot! Especially this time of year! Especially tonight! This cacciatore really turned out great and was SO unbelievably easy! But the best part is coming home to watch the Giants in the World Series! ...to a house that smells wonderful ...to a dinner that cooked itself! ...and to an awesome VICTORY for the bay area! Whooo Hooo, Giants! What a night!

Recipe:

8 Chicken thighs, with bone (and skin)

1 bell pepper, red or green, or both!

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 C red wine

1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 C water

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, no added salt

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt

1 spaghetti squash

Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Turn it on low, and walk away for 5-7 hours! That's the beautiful part! 45 minutes before you're ready to eat, bake the spaghetti squash: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce several holes in the spaghetti squash, and put the entire squash in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the squash and slice it in half (the oven makes it soft and easier to cut). But be careful... it will be hot!!! Scoop out the center pulp and seeds. The flesh will still be too hard, so put both halves back in the oven, face down on a baking sheet, with about 1/4 C water. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes. Use a spoon and scrape out fleshy part from the shell of the spaghetti squash, it scrapes out very easily! It will work magic as a spaghetti/pasta substitute! Place 1-2 chicken pieces on the squash and spoon some sauce over the top. I hope you enjoy this totally easy and tasty VICTORY dinner!

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Grill Sweet Peppers

Have you noticed it's getting darker earlier? It's really starting to feel like Fall! Right down to all the leaves on my driveway and roof! But I'm not willing to give up the BBQ just yet!

The days are getting shorter, and it seems busier! I am needing week night dinners that are not too labor intensive. I need my sleep! Especially... after all those deadlifts today! I did get a PR today... which is just stronger reinforcement that I'm eating correctly!

Gotta love the pay-off days!

Jerk Chicken:

4 Chicken breasts

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 C lime juice

Jerk seasoning spice medley (spice quantities are rough estimates... I mixed them until I found a blend I liked):

1 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. ground chipotle chile, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, dash cinnamon, and pinch of sea salt! Feel free to adjust to taste preference!

Trim chicken breast from visible fat. Coat with olive oil and rub spice medley over chicken breasts. Place in a ziploc bag and pour lime juice over the top. Marinate for at least 1 hour (2-3 hours would be best). Heat your grill to about medium temperature and cook chicken breasts for about 6-7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and internal temperature is 170 degrees.

We slice up some sweet peppers in half and grilled those as well. We grilled those for about 10-12 minutes, right along side the chicken!

For an extra side, we sauteed some spinach with 1 tsp. olive oil and 2 cloves chopped garlic.

Hope you enjoy! :-)

Paleo Coconut Fried Chicken

We made this recipe only because we wanted to enjoy the leftovers for a picnic! Cold fried chicken is total picnic food, don't you think? And a tangy vegetable salad, too (a specialty my grandfather use to make when harvesting his garden)! This was a tasty combo, and even better on the beach over looking the Golden Gate Bridge! :-)

Coconut Fried Chicken:

Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, about 12 pieces

1-2 C shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/3 C cocnut flour

1/4 C arrowroot powder

1 tsp. of each spice: sea salt, black ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, dried thyme, and dried oregano

1 T paprika

1/4 C water

2 C unsweetened coconut milk

about 1/4 C coconut oil and/or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut flakes, pepper and paprika on a plate and set aside. Combine coconut flour, arrowroot powder and remaining spices... mix well. Mix in water and slowly add coconut milk with a fork to make a smooth batter (you may not use all the coconut milk to a good batter-like consistency). One at a time, dip each chicken thigh into the batter and arrange on a tray. Really coat the pieces well, and try to use all the batter. Now, dredge chicken thighs in the shredded coconut mixture, and coat each piece well. Heat oil in a larger skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot (make sure oil is hot)... add chicken pieces, careful not to over-crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side (about 2 minutes). Transfer chicken thighs to a baking dish. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven, and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Tangy garden salad:

1 basket cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 red onion, diced

2 cucumbers, chopped

1 green bell pepper

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 T lemon juice

2 T balsamic vinegar

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Baked Chicken with Shallot Wine Sauce & Cauliflower Rice

This dinner was pretty simple and packed in some good flavor! It was also heartily filling & satisfying. Scott helped a lot with this dish... his inspiration was shallots (which made a great sauce... rich and full of flavor). Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half

1/2 C almond meal

2 T dried parsley flakes

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

2 T coconut oil

2 tsp . olive oil

1/4 C shallots, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C white wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Saute shallots and garlic. When done remove to a small bowl. In same skillet, add coconut oil. Keep heat on medium. Trim and pound chicken breasts. Combine almond meal, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat chicken breast in the mixture and add to hot skillet. Sprinkle paprika over the top. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned. Turn chicken over and repeat.

Add chicken to a baking dish when nice and browned. Add shallot and garlic mixture back to skillet and deglaze pan with white wine, scraping all the bits and making a nice sauce to pour over the chicken. After pouring shallot sauce over the chicken, cover with foil, and bake for about 10 minutes. While chicken is baking, makes your sides! We cooked up some cauliflower rice, and steamed zucchini. The cauliflower rice has really become a household favorite! It was especially nice with this dish as it sopped up a lot of the shallot sauce! Be sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top of your chicken and cauliflower rice.

Super delicious... Hope you enjoy! :-)

Easy Chicken Stir Fry

I loved today's CrossFit wod, but WOW am I ready for bed! Heavy cleans and muscle ups are just full body fatigue! I thought a quick & easy stir fry dinner would be a great way to spend less time in the kitchen and more time in bed! Not to mention I am really enjoying the 5 Chinese spice blend and a stir fry would would be another opportunity to use it! This was super easy and could be made with any vegetables you choose (a good opportunity to go through that vegetable bin)! Enjoy...

Recipe:

Chicken, 4 breasts cut in thin strips

1/4 C coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

1 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch square ginger root, minced

2 zucchini, sliced

3 bunches baby bok choy, chopped

1 C grated carrots

about 2 C shiitake mushrooms

1 tsp. 5 Chinese spice powder

1/4 C chicken broth

Marinate chicken strips in 1/4 C coconut aminos while you're cutting the vegetables. Heat olive oil is a saute pan over med-hi heat. Saute chicken strips until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and saute garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add zucchini, mushrooms, Chinese spice and chicken broth. Cook until zucchini is crisp tender. Add chicken back to pan, and bok choy. Cook until bok choy wilts and chicken is heated through. Serve by itself or on a bed of cauliflower rice!

Hope you enjoy! :-)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pan Fried Chicken

Sledgehammers? Back squats? 800 meters? Are you hungry yet? I'm not sure if it was today's CrossFit wod or this funky foggy July weather we're having, but I was hungry for a hearty meal tonight. This dinner was just that! ... and managed to satisfy my appetite.

*Bonus: it yielded leftovers. Leftovers=Lunch tomorrow. Yay!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes: (I loved these)

2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1-2 inch chunks

1/2 C shallots (or sweet onion), chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, mince

1/2 C fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 C coconut milk

1 T coconut oil

Bring about 4 qts. water to low boil, and add sweet potatoes. Boil for about 10-13 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Drain and mash. (I used a potato ricer... which is nifty kitchen tool that enables the perfect fluffy smooth texture for mashed potatoes) But, mashing with a fork is just fine, too! Add Coconut milk and mix well. In a separate small pan heat coconut oil an saute shallots and garlic, when they are just about done (about 5 minutes), add basil. Saute for a few more minutes and add to sweet potatoes. Stir well, add a little ground black pepper, and serve with the fried chicken!

Fried Chicken:

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (I cut mine in half, too)

3/4 C almond meal

3 T dried parsley

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 T oregano

1/4 C fresh basil, chopped

2 T Coconut oil

Heat oil in large skillet. Combine almond meal and spices. Dredge chicken breast in almond meal mixture (really pressing the spices into the chicken). When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan. Cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes (until chicken is cooked thoroughly and crispy).

That it! ...Hope you enjoy. :-)