Archive - March 2015

Currently  working on a 30 day Paleo plan…it’s extremely time consuming, but I’m pleased with how it’s coming out.  Stay tuned for that!  Make sure you subscribe to the blog so you get the updates.  🙂

So I made one of my favorite dinners tonight, and figured it was time to share my recipe with my loyal followers.  Takes about 15 minutes to prep, and 45 to prepare.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
4 TBSP grass fed butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C white wine (I use moscato)
Juice from a lemon
1 TBSP capers, diced
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 egg
1/2 C cashew meal
1/2 TBSP onion powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt
green beans – enough for 4 servings
1 TBSP EVOO

What you need to do:

In a small pot, melt 4 TBSP of grass fed butter; add the minced garlic, diced capers (or whole small ones), wine, and lemon juice.  Let that reduce on a low heat.  While you’re preparing your chicken put another pan on low heat with the EVOO and let it get warm.  The egg, cashew meal, onion powder, oregano,  and sea salt are for breading your chicken breasts.  Now put your egg in one bowl and beat; in another bowl, put the other breading items and mix them up.  Dredge the chicken in the egg, then the breading mixture, and place it on the hot pan.  Leave it uncovered for now.

After the chicken starts to cook, pour the reduced sauce into the pan with the chicken.  Put your halved cherry tomatoes in the pan with the chicken.  While that starts to cook, steam or boil your green beans.  After about 20 minutes I covered the pan with the chicken.  I let it stay covered for about 10 minutes, then flipped the chicken.  After I flipped the chicken I added a little bit more wine and butter (the chicken soaks up the sauce).  Depending on how thick your chicken breasts are, will depend on time cooking time.  I had thicker cuts so it took about 45 minutes to cook them through.  When the chicken was done, I plated the breasts; put the green beans into the sauce pan, mixed it up, let it soak up the flavors for about 5 minutes or so, then plated that mixture.  I poured a little juice on top of the breast…and VOILA!

This is by far one of the best things I think I make.  My mom really enjoys my breaded chicken…and that’s saying a lot.  🙂  The cashew meal, which I got from Trader Joe’s, was a nice change from the coconut flour (which is my go-to).  I know the wine isn’t so Paleo, but it cooks down and adds nice flavor…so comments about that are not needed.  😉

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

“I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.”

Warning: I had 2 Woodchuck ciders prior to writing this.  Don’t judge me.

So it’s snowing AGAIN in New Jersey…I figured a little yoga and some chicken soup would do the job today, along with some spring cleaning.  I have today and tomorrow off from work.  WOO!

Got out the good old Crockpot.  Made a pretty simple, but oh so satisfying version of chicken soup.  I got this pretty neat contraption for Christmas that finely dices my onions with a little bit of effort, but much less effort than chopping with a knife.  So, get yourself a medium yellow onion and dice that mo-fo!  Then get some carrots and celery…you can chop as much as you’d like.  I tend to do a lot, just because I like a lot of veggies in my soup.  After you’re done chopping all of that goodness, throw it in the Crockpot.  Then get yourself 8 cups of chicken broth (homemade or box), I go with low sodium because my dad has to limit his salt intake and I always make him extras.  Pour it into the Crockpot and give it a good stir.  Take your chicken (I never use whole chicken in my soup, just because I’d rather use chicken breasts, but go crazy!); I take a couple chicken breasts and throw them in.  Then use 1 tsp. of kosher salt, 1 tsp. of black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp. thyme, and 2 tsp. EVOO…I actually omit the salt, but you can add it….and put in into the Crockpot.  Add a bay leaf or two.  Chop up a little bit of fresh parsley and throw that in too!  Now you’re all set.

Turn the Crockpot on low for 7 hours.  Around hour 6, I take my chicken out and shred it with two forks, then throw it back in for another hour to soak up all the tasty soup.  Hour 7…OPEN THE CROCKPOT AND ENJOY!  You can add more salt and pepper to taste.  …and VOILA!  After you go out and shovel the fifteen feet of snow that just fell from the sky, you can come in and enjoy a nice hot bowl of chicken soup…paleo style.

Hold tight my New England friends…spring is near!  You may have to hide your Easter eggs in the snow, but at least you’ll be able to enjoy whatever it was you gave up for lent (dark chocolate for me).  😉

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!'”