My New Favorite Chicken

Sorry I haven't posted a lot lately. Cooking paleo-style for two is much harder than I'd anticipated. I feel like I'm running the dishwasher every night, and I've made 3 trips to various grocery stores (2x to COSTCO!!) in the last 2 weeks. Sheesh! But, if nothing else, my husband has been well-fed.

I've been trying to come up with delicious and easy recipes that we both enjoy. It's been a challenge, but I'm persistent. Chicken is something that we often tire of, as we eat it frequently, and I usually make it one of two or three boring ways. Well, no more! The funny thing is, I was going to post a different chicken recipe that I found, and liked...but it has been sent to the back burner tonight. I've also got a couple more treat recipes to share soon.

I was a bit skeptical of this recipe at Everyday Paleo at first. Yes, easy and amazing are both words in the title. But I was still apprehensive. Could it really be that easy? Plus, as I've mentioned before, I have this squeamishly irrational fear of bones, skins and tendons in meat. Yes, it's cheaper to buy those cuts. But it's also grosssssss!

However, in the name of all things paleo, I was determined to try this recipe. With my beautiful, new 5 lb organic, free-range bird. I knew I had to do something great with it!

So worth it! And it really is that simple. 3 ingredients. 1 hour. Incredible results! I really did not stop talking about this chicken at dinner. I am pretty sure I ate a whole pound of meat tonight. It was amazing! I'm already planning my next trip to costco, where I can grab two birds at once for a better price! Seriously, this recipe is a must-try!

Easy and Amazing Roast Chicken
(adapted from this recipe at Everyday Paleo)

1 4-5 lb chicken
salt (I am gonna guess and say I used almost a tbsp)
1 tbsp butter, if desired

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rinse and dry the chicken w/ paper towels. Place, breast down, in a roasting pan (I just used a 9x13 glass baking dish). Sprinkle with salt all over the outside and inside. Smear the butter around the surface of the bird as well. Bake for 1 hour (mine was just right after exactly 1 hour). Chicken is done when the outside is golden and crispy. I didn't even cut into mine to check it. I just pulled it out of the oven, and let it sit for 15 minutes, then carved. It was perfect! Very tender and juicy on the inside.

Also, the drippings were to-die-for! The flavor reminded me of KFC dinners from my childhood. I think it was the butter :) I kept taking a spoon to the baking dish, and drizzling more juice over my chicken. I was literally tempted to get out a straw...lol.

I am planning on saving the bones, and any leftover drippings, and making stock as soon as we've eaten all the meat off the bird. I bet the flavor is going to be delicious!

The oven did get a bit splattered, just for the record. I don't really mind, it was already dirty. But if you care about the inside of your oven, this may be something you want to be aware of prior to making this recipe.

Hope you will try this soon! Let me know how much you love it too!

Paleo Diet Update

Today is lucky #13 (days paleo)! The past two weeks have been rather interesting. I've had a few slip-ups here and there. I've had a couple of unprepared meals of whatever I could scrounge up last minute. I've had a slew of other things occupying my time and energy (family drama, health/medical drama, work stress, husband-about-to-take-a-very-important-test-next-week drama). But overall, I feel like I've done really well!

My withdrawals seem to have been pretty minimal, probably due to my already low-sugar, gluten-free diet (and my toying w/ grain-free eating over the last few months). I had a couple days of irritability/headaches, a couple of days where I could not get enough food in my body (!!), and a couple of days with constant sugar cravings.

A few people have asked me about what I'm eating, so I thought I'd share links to some of the recipes that I've relied on. When I have a little more time to breathe, I will post a recipe or two of my own as well!

Sweet potato chowder from Chrissy at Growing Up Paleo - The only changes I made were subbing almond milk for the coconut milk (I also added a couple drops of coconut extract, since I can't tolerate the real thing but wanted the flavor), 1 tbsp onion powder instead of an onion, and after the first couple bowls eaten, I opted to puree the soup completely (kept getting jalapeno chunks! Love the flavor of the pepper, but not a big ol' mouthful!). This soup was great for my lunches, very tasty and filling. Will definitely make again!

Avocado goodness. The name describes it all. Literally, when I tried my first bite of this recipe, the words that came out of my mouth were "Oh my goodness!" I'm HOOKED! Thankfully my local HFS had a sale on avocados 2 weeks ago (I bought 15), so I've been enjoying my avocados to the fullest (almost out already!). This is a great snack, side dish, or even just a way to use up a leftover avocado half. Praises to Sarah over at Everyday Paleo for this delight (and many other great dishes)!

Smoked Paprika Chicken - Check out Bill and Hayley's awesome blog, which has so many fantastic recipes that I am excited to try! Made this one for dinner the other night, and I loved the way this spiced up my ordinary chicken dinner! I used breast meat, and threw it in my foreman grill, rather than baking. Also, this cute couple has a cookbook coming out soon! I can't wait to get my hands on it!!

I totally dig this salmon, lemon, cucumber and avocado salad. I'm a huge fan of smoked salmon, and this dish hit the spot! Thanks Jessi!

Of course, my first favorite "primal" recipe, Grok-Amole has been added to the rotation, as have numerous recipes from Mark's cookbook Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals.

I've been enjoying simple foods as best I can. Kale salads, fresh veggies from my garden (TONS of zucchini!), and lots of easy snacks: carrots, celery dipped in almond butter, berries, banana "ice cream" (need to post my variations on this sweet treat stat!), and a square of dark chocolate here and there. I have tried to limit my fruit to 1-2 servings a day, to try and reprogram my insulin sensitivity, but I haven't been over-stressing it either.

More to come, I'm sure. This experience has been eye-opening, as I've become more aware of what I'm feeding my body, and appreciating it. I'm hoping to start seeing changes soon, and may even post my before/after pictures someday if I'm brave enough ;)

P.S. If you need some UPlifting thoughts, head back over to Sarah's website for this great motivating post. It's always nice to have a reminder to appreciate this awesome life to the fullest.

Speaking of living life, you made it to the bottom of this wordy post, so the least I can do is throw in a picture of me doing so ;)

I know, it's not exactly food-related (other than the paleo-fueled girl on the left)...

This is me, my husband, and my BFF at the top of Provo Peak on Saturday. The BFF told me last week that she is going to start trying to eat a more paleo lifestyle too! Yay! It's spreading :D

Nooch-eez (Parmesan cheese sub)

Nooch-eez

Or as Gena calls it, Hemp-esan (but I couldn't remember what she termed it, when I was explaining it to a friend, so I came up with the name Nooch-eez). Whatever the name you call it, this high-protein, dairy free recipe totally rocks!

It's one of the easiest "recipes" I've ever made, and it's been one of the top 3 staples in my kitchen of late. I smother bread with it (pre-toasting) to enjoy with eggs for breakfast, I sprinkle it on my salads, soups and even pizza. I'm even considering shaking up my traditional kale chip recipe by adding some of this goodness before baking.

How do I make this, you ask? Well, I'll tell you...brace yourself. It's so simple!

Measure into your blender/food processor/coffee grinder (maybe?) equal amounts of nutritional yeast and shelled hemp seeds. I usually do 2-3 Tbsp at a time. I also like to add a splash of garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Then just blend away!

And there you have it.

To enjoy it on toast, simply spritz or drizzle your bread with some olive oil, then apply liberal pinches of the nooch-eez. Toast to desired crispiness in a toaster oven. It will sizzle and brown, but it is still very loose atop the bread, so handle with care.

Thanksgiving preview: Roast Turkey with Prosciutto Hazelnut Butter

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I should probably finally post my awesome turkey recipe from LAST year! I guess this is probably more of a post-view than a preview...But, it's so good that I plan on repeating it (I even went out and bought a thyme plant for my kitchen garden!). I figured if anyone else is looking for inspiration, I've definitely got something to share!

Last year for Thanksgiving, I made an amazing meal! I wasn't even jealous that I had to tote around my tupperware at the family dinner. I was that excited to eat my food! I got this recipe from my monthly email from glutenfreeda, a great resource for gluten free recipes! The article highlighted three different turkey preparation methods. Scroll down to the third one. That one's mine.

Isn't that a beautiful-looking bird?

I do have to admit, I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to non-boneless meat. I really have a hard time with all the skin and tendons and stuff. So, to still have the good stuff for making post-Thanksgiving soup, but not have to deal with gizzards and such, I opted for a turkey breast. This one was probably about 6-7 lbs, so I did cut the original recipe in half.

Roast Turkey with Prosciutto Hazelnut Butter

GF/DF

Serves 6

For the butter:

1 1/2 sticks butter (or sub - Earth Balance is great here), at room temp
3 tbsp finely chopped hazelnuts
3/4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 oz chopped prosciutto
1 1/2 green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup for gravy, reserving the rest for the turkey.


For the turkey:

One 6-9 pound turkey (or turkey breast)
1/2 onion, halved
1 1/2 cloves garlic, halved
3 sprigs of thyme
1 sprig of tarragon
1/2 tbsp crushed black peppercorns
2 1/2 c chicken broth (GF!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Move oven rack to the lowest position.

Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Trim excess fat. Slide your hand between the skin around the breast and legs to loosen. Spread the butter (minus the 1/4 c for the gravy) under the skin, and covering the outside of the bird as well. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside and out of the turkey. Place turkey on the rack of a roasting pan.

Place the onion, garlic, thyme, tarragon and peppercorns inside the bird's cavity. Tuck wings under the body and tie legs together.

Roast turkey for 1 hour uncovered. Add 1 c broth, and cover w/ a foil tent, continuing to roast for 1-2 more hours, or until the internal temp reaches 175. Baste the turkey with pan drippings occasionally.

Remove from oven and transfer to a platter (set aside the pan drippings for the gravy). Tent with foil to keep it warm. Let it set for about 30 minutes.


For the gravy*:

Reserved 1/4 c prosciutto hazelnut butter
3 shallots (I think I just used an extra onion)
1 bay leaf
1 c dry white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Pan drippings from the turkey (recipe called for neck/heart/gizzards, but I opted out of that one), fat strained off if desired
5 c chicken broth
1/8 c GF flour (I think I used a sorghum flour mix)

Melt half of the reserved butter in a large pot over med-high heat. Add shallots and bay leaf. Saute about 20 minutes, or until browned. Add wine and herbs, and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Add half of the pan drippings and broth. Return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about an hour. Pick out the herb sprigs and bay leaf. Add enough of the remaining pan drippings and chicken broth to make about 5 cups of gravy.

In a large pot, melt the remaining half of the butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk for about a minute. Slowly add the gravy, mixing constantly w/ whisk. Cook until the gravy thickens. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired.


*Note, I didn't half the gravy recipe, b/c I love gravy!! I only halved the butter, but you get enough flavor w/ the pan drippings mixed in.

**Gluten free flour blends work fine for this. I would also suggest a starch, like cornstarch, or tapioca. It makes the gravy a bit shiny, but it tastes the same, in my opinion. I usually use whatever starch I have on hand.

Next on the Turkey Day Preview agenda: Some tips for getting through the holiday meal unscathed, as well as the incredible chocolate pecan pie I made for dessert last year! Everyone loved it! All of my gluten-eating relatives! But hey, what's not to love about chocolate, right? Stay tuned.

Egg Flower Soup

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! There's a restaurant in Beaverton, OR called Chang's Mongolian Grill, where our family ate growing up. We went there for all the special occasions - birthdays, graduation, new years, dates, etc., and all the times in between. We ate there so often in fact, that the owners and chefs knew our names! Every time Luke and I go to Oregon, we try and visit. They do a pretty good job of keeping things gluten free (as long as you go at the beginning of the lunch/dinner hour, since it is a buffet-style place).

We've been to many similar restaurants, and nothing else compares. Their combination of food/sauces is so unique, and so delicious! You start the meal out with hitting up the food bar, where you essentially grab all your "ingredients," then take it up to the grill for them to fry it up for you. You get back to your table, and are greeted by egg flower soup, sticky rice and crepes (don't know if these are GF, haven't asked...). Dessert is a fortune cookie atop chocolate ice cream (on the side for me, though). So good! So worth the trip to Oregon for ;) Just kidding Mom and Dad!

For the rest of the time, when we're Chang's-less, we have Egg Flower Soup.

I found this recipe in my trusty "Life Tastes Good Again" cookbook, but didn't try it until one night, when I was desperately hungry, and short on ingredients. Luckily I had everything for this soup. I started jumping up and down when I tasted it, because it was exactly as I remembered Chang's soup being! This is a great accompaniment to chicken fried rice, or stir-fry. It's also a great dinner when you're home late, and thinking, there's nothing to eat...like I was tonight :)

I've made some variations to the original recipe, and here it is in all it's simplicity and deliciousness!

Egg Flower Soup

2 tbsp starch (cornstarch/arrowroot works great)

dash of salt

2 1/2 c chicken broth (I use Swanson, have tried using homemade, and it's just not as good)

1/2 c water

1/2 - 1 cup carrots, finely minced or grated

1 egg, beaten

Combine the starch and salt in a medium pan. Stirring with a whisk, slowly add the liquids.

Add the carrots. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring very frequently.

Once it's boiling, decrease the heat to medium. I usually let it cook for about 10 minutes, to soften the carrots.

While gently stirring with a spoon, slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the soup. If you use a whisk, you break the egg up too much. If you pour the egg in too fast, you get big clumps of egg. Which aren't necessarily bad, if you like them. My sister and I used to have competitions to find the biggest egg lump in our soup!

Remove soup from heat and serve hot. Makes 3 full servings, or 5 appetizer servings. Reheats really well.

P.S. This post is linked over to Amy's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays! Check out the other great recipes posted there!!

Chicken Vegetable Soup

You all must know by now about my devotion to the first GF cookbook I bought, "Life Tastes Good Again" by Kirsti Kirkland and Betsy Thomas, two local girls who saved my life. However, I don’t believe I’ve ever posted my favorite soup recipe from their cookbook! Shame on me!

So, it’s chicken vegetable soup, and I seem to make it differently almost every time I make it. The page is covered with little notes that I’ve made, variations, suggestions, etc.

I love this recipe, and surprisingly, so does my husband. It was one of those meals I was sure he’d shun, seeing so much green, but he ate it up. Granted, he soaked grilled cheese sandwiches in it...but hey, he got his freaking vegetables!

So, to share with the world, here is my favorite adaptation of this recipe:

Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 chicken breast (cubed)
1 large onion/1 tbsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, pressed (I use my zester for this)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots
2 small celery stalks
(the recipe calls for a parsnip, but I’ve never had one on hand to try)
1 (14 oz) can green beans, drained
2 small potatoes (I don’t eat potatoes, so I usually sub 1 c dry quinoa/rice and an extra cup water)
¼ head cabbage/bok choy (and/or leafy greens like spinach or kale)
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
6 c chicken broth (or half broth/half water)
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Chop all the veggies. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sauté for a few minutes. Add onion, garlic and additional oil, if desired. Cook another couple minutes. Remove chicken. Add all the veggies and sauté for a minute or two. Add seasonings and stir. Add chicken broth and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes, until veggies are softened. Add the chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes more. Remove from heat.
If using potatoes, you can mash some of them to thicken the soup. I will throw half of the soup into my Vita-mix and puree it, then mix it back into the pot. Stir, then serve.

This makes somewhere between 5-8 servings, depending on how much you’re eating, and whether it’s main dishing it, or taking back seat to some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is a handy little recipe to have available. I made this the other night for my breakfast bake, and doubled the recipe so I could store some in the freezer. I also used fresh mushrooms, and I think they made it a little better. I've made this recipe before with canned ones, and it's still really good. So use what you've got.


Cream of Mushroom Soup
(adapted from the cookbook “Life Tastes Good Again”)

2 tbsp butter/substitute
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
Dash pepper
½ c beef broth
½ c almond milk/other milk
3 oz mushrooms (1 can), chopped very fine

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch, salt and pepper. Continue stirring for a couple of minutes, until it starts to brown slightly.
Add the beef broth, then the milk. Stir with a whisk, to eliminate lumps. Bring to a boil, and allow sauce to thicken, while stirring constantly. Add mushrooms. Remove from heat.

This recipe is excellent wherever cream of mushroom soup is needed, and is about the equivalent of a can of the condensed soup. I especially love it in tuna casserole or my new favorite breakfast bake!

Embracing Autumn and Pumpkin Soup

Yes, it is that time of year again. I had quite an abundance of tomatoes this season, and have loved them all. Unfortunately I couldn't let them all grow up to be as plump and red as these ones. These are my German Queens, and I am enamored by this heirloom. I gutted a few of the late bloomers, and have dried the seeds to use again next year. If that doesn't pan out, I suppose I can find them again at Lowe's.

This is the most amazing mulligatawny soup! I've been meaning to try a recipe I have marked in one of my books for ages, but never got around to it, as I was hesitant of the combination of flavors. Mulligatawny is a soup most commonly comprised of apples, curry, coconut milk, and chicken. When I saw this dish at Fresh Thyme Soup Co in Beaverton, OR, my new favorite restaurant out there (as they have a great GF menu), I knew I had to try it. Even though it does have coconut milk, which I don't agree with so well. It rocked my world! I had it for lunch at the Cafe w/ some GF cornbread, and again for dinner w/ my own GF bread (see picture). I love it! I'm so excited to try my hand at this recipe, so stay tuned :)

I have been branching out in my cooking lately, and discovered I have quite a fondness for lemongrass. I also have a great fondness for photographing things, which has been magnified by my brand new rockin' camera! I wanted to capture the great purple color of the rings as I was chopping the stalks. I will post our new favorite lemongrass-infused recipe soon as well (just don't pay any attention to my posting track record of late...).

I am finally accepting the fact that summer is gone. I hate to see summer go, as it is my favorite season. However, I always seem to forget how much I enjoy autumn, until it is upon me. This year fall has been rather sporadic, with lots of early snow on the mountains and eerily-Oregon-like rain storms. We've taken a couple trips up the canyons, and I have had my breath stolen by the beauty of this great season. After one such trip, I decided to celebrate the arrival of fall by making this recipe. I dug around for a can of pumpkin, and whipped it up in no time. It was quite good, although next time I will use chicken broth rather than the turkey broth I had in the freezer (it tasted a little too much like turkey gravy, lol).
This recipe comes from the great ladies at Eating Gluten Free, and as usual, is amazing! Very much a fall favorite!
P.S. For the pumpkin-leery readers, seriously, you can hardly taste the pumpkin. This is like a creamy chicken soup. Try it! For real!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Pumpkin Soup

2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbs. oil
½ sweet onion, chopped (I used onion powder, and a dash of garlic powder as well)
4 c. chicken broth (I used turkey stock b/c it's what I had in the freezer, but would recommend chicken in the future)
2 c. pureed pumpkin
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups milk (almond milk worked fine for me)

In a large pot, heat the oil.
Sauté the chicken w/ the onion and garlic powder until chicken is cooked.
Add chicken broth, pumpkin, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat, add milk and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Watch it so it doesn't boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

I thought the soup was great by itself, very creamy, but the recipe calls for swiss cheese as a garnish. It's been so long, I can't even remember what swiss tastes like (just the smell...).

I also added some cooked white rice to the leftovers, and really enjoyed it. There wasn't enough soup for me to compare whether I liked it more w/ or without the rice. Give it a try.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

This recipe is so good! I got the recipe from "A Year of CrockPotting,"(http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-turkey-and-wild-rice-soup.html) and used the ingredients she posted, however, followed the cooking instructions from "Kalyn's Kitchen" (http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/turkey-and-wild-rice-soup-with-cabbage.html).

I really enjoyed the flavor of this soup. It was a great way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Luke liked this soup better w/ extra chicken broth added (not a huge fan of the balsamic vinegar). He also was weirded out by the wild rice, and requested that next time it be made w/ regular white rice.

The only problem with this soup is that it was the last thing I ate on the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving. And thanks to someone at our Thanksgiving dinner, I spent the wee hours of Monday morning hugging my toilet (stomach flu). So, even though I had made a huge batch of this soup, I was only able to eat it on Sunday for lunch and dinner. I spent the next 3 days in bed, eating flax rolls and drinking lots of tea.

So, my advice is, don't eat this if you are going to be sick in the middle of the night. Cuz then you won't be able to enjoy the leftovers. And will have to file this recipe away until next Thanksgiving when your stomach doesn't churn at the thought of eating it again.

But I promise, it really is good!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

2 c cooked turkey, shredded

8 c chicken broth

2/3 c uncooked wild rice

about 1 tsp onion powder

1 c chopped carrots

1 tsp sage

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2-3 c spinach leaves

Put broth, rice, onion powder,carrots and sage into a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and turn heat down. Cover. Allow to simmer 1/2 hr.

Add turkey and spinach, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for another half hour. Stir in vinegar to taste, and serve.

Really good when served w/ GF bread!