Friday, January 27, 2017

Chicken Egg Foo Young

SOOOO GOOD! I loved this, but I love anything made with eggs really. I will make this again. It's super easy. Only thing is, they should look like pancakes and mine fell apart. I will definitely have to perfect this.



Ingredients

Chicken (breasts or thighs)

4 large eggs
1/2 cup broccoli
2 tbsp coconut oil 
1/2 tbsp soy sauce 
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/4 tsp pepper
 salt (to taste)
1/4 medium white onion ( I omitted this)

Directions

1. Mix the four eggs and set aside

2. Heat a skillet and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil

3. Add cut up chicken and heat until fully cooked through (I used already pre-cooked chicken)

4. Add broccoli to cooked chicken and cook for additional 3-5 minutes

5. Add chicken and broccoli to eggs then add garlic powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper

6. Add a second tbsp of coconut oil to the pan

7. Using a 1/3 measuring cup scoop out some of the egg, chicken and broccoli mixture and pour into the pan

7. Using a spatula push egg mixture towards center of pan making a smaller circle. Cook for 2-3 minutes and flip then cook for another 2 minutes

8. Repeat until all mixture is used

Slow Cooker Creamy Southwest Chicken (Paleo and Whole30)

This was pretty good. I thought the sauce would be thicker. I think it's supposed to be. Not sure why it wasn't. It was easy to make and I would make it again.

Ingredients

Boneless chicken thighs or breasts
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 red bell peppers, sliced (I used green peppers)
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tbsp water
½ cup coconut cream or coconut milk (full fat)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat. Use a non-stick spray or olive oil to lightly grease the pan
2. In a small bowl, mix together all spices. Rub each chicken breast or thigh on both sides with rub. Place each piece of chicken on to the pan, and sear for 1-2 minutes per side (inside will be raw)
3. Bring the chicken to the slow cooker, top with chicken broth and lime juice
4. Place the peppers on top of chicken and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is very tender
5. Mix together arrowroot with water, and add to the chicken broth mixture, if your mixture is extra runny feel free to add in another tbsp of arrowroot
6. Add in the coconut cream or milk and cook on low for another 15-20 minutes until mixture is thickened and creamy

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Breakfast Pizza Quiche (Paleo)

This was so easy to make. It was really good. I changed the recipe a bit. I did not add mushrooms or peppers. You can add whatever you'd like to it!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ghee, melted (I used dairy free butter)
8 large eggs
¼ cup coconut milk
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Broccoli
3 ounces turkey pepperoni, quartered
2 tablespoons pizza sauce (I used way more)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish. (I lined my pan with parchment paper.)
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the coconut milk. Whisk until light and frothy
3. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, and oregano. Whisk to combine
4. Add whatever vegetables you decide to put in and pepperoni. Mix until well combined
5. Pour into the greased pan and swirl the pizza sauce on top
6. Bake for 25 minutes and let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving

Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Chinese-Style

This was really good! It's time consuming because I feel like frying chicken takes forever, but the time is worth it in the end. It also tastes just as good left over.

Ingredients

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup gluten free tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Cornstarch, for dredging (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch square pieces
1/4 – 1/2 cup oil, for frying (I used coconut oil)

Directions

1. In a heavy-bottom, medium pan, place the lemon juice, tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, and ground ginger, and whisk to combine well
2. Pour about half of the chicken stock into a small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons cornstarch into the stock until it is smooth and pour into the saucepan
3. Pour the remaining chicken stock into the saucepan as well, and whisk to combine well. Set the saucepan aside
4. Place the egg and water mixture in a medium bowl
5. Place the cornstarch for dredging in a separate, medium bowl
6. Add the garlic salt to the cornstarch, and whisk to combine
7. Dredge the chicken pieces through the egg wash, then dip in the cornstarch to coat lightly. Shake off any excess. 
8. In a wok or a large pan, place about 1/4-inch of the oil over medium heat until shimmering
9. Add the chicken in batches and fry until crisp. When the chicken is done, remove and drain on paper towels. Add more oil as necessary
10. To make the sauce, place the saucepan with the lemon/soy mixture over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly until thickened
11. Toss the chicken in the sauce either in a large pan or bowl

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Easy White Bean Soup

This was not a favorite recipe of mine. Will I make it again? Probably not. I made it in a crockpot instead of on the stove top. I also added chicken sausage and kale to it. It was not terrible, but it wasn't the best either.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head of celery, including leaves, chopped (10-14 stalks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup tomato sauce
500 grams (1 pound) dried white navy beans, sorted and rinsed
2 bay leaves
2 cups vegetable stock
12 cups water
fresh or dried herbs (sage,thyme, etc...)
salt and pepper to taste
Chicken sausage
Kale

Directions

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large stockpot
2. Add all the vegetables and garlic; saute for a couple of minutes
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 2- 2½ hours or until beans are tender and the soup is thick
5. Stir occasionally, especially during last 30 minutes
6. Add more water if soup becomes too thick
7. Season with salt and pepper at the end of the cooking time

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Brown Butter Scallops with Polenta

This was very good! I was feeling something different, so I decided to find a recipe for scallops. This was my first time making scallops too.


Ingredients

Fresh sea scallops
5 tablespoons butter
4-5 sprigs italian herbs such as oregano, parsley, and thyme
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 cup dried polenta (I used Bob's Red Mill brand; do NOT use instant polenta for this recipe)
5 cups water

Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions

To prepare polenta:

1. Combine dried polenta and water. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Whisk frequently to avoid lumps. When mixture begins to spit, turn heat down to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until polenta is thickened and soft and pulls away slightly from the edge of the pot. You can add some butter to it

To prepare scallops and sauce:

1. Pat the scallops dry and season lightly with salt and pepper
2. Using a regular or cast-iron skillet, bring a few tablespoons of oil to high heat. When pan is very hot, add scallops and sear for about 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and sear on the opposite side for an additional 3 minutes, or until scallops are cooked to your liking. Remove scallops and set aside
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the  butter and herbs to the pan. Butter will bubble and brown while herbs fry rapidly. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until butter is lightly browned 4. Turn off the heat and finish sauce with lemon juice  
5. Serve the scallops over a bed of polenta, with a drizzle of the brown-butter sauce and fried herbs