Category: Recipes

Game Day Fried Chicken

Published on by Christine1 Comment

Fried Chicken & KaleI’m always a little bummed when Labor Day arrives and brings an end to summer, but then I remember the good news – football has finally returned!  Lounging around all weekend, going to tailgates and attending watch parties can make it hard to eat healthy, but I try to take the challenge as an opportunity to create new versions of typically not-so-healthy foods.  Today, I’m sharing an easy twist on fried chicken that will totally satisfy your finger-food cravings.

Ingredients:

  • Approx 1 lb organic chicken (breasts, wings & drumsticks will all work for this!)
  • 2 organic, pasture-raised eggs
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut oil

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken and then pat dry.  If you are using chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch thick strips to make tenders.

Whisk the eggs in one wide, shallow bowl.  In another bowl, mix the coconut flour and spices.

Take each piece of chicken and coat it with egg, let excess drip and then dredge it through the flour mixture until completely coated.  Place these pieces on a new plate, put on your apron and you’re ready to fry ’em up.

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat on the stove in a frying pan.  For some extra flavor, I love to add a tablespoon of bacon grease to the oil.  You’ll know the oil is ready when you add a piece and it sizzles. Add 3-4 pieces to the pan and let it sizzle for 3 minutes per side.  Work in batches so the oil stays hot…. once those 3-4 pieces are done, you can add the next round.

Once you remove the chicken from the frying pan, place it on a baking sheet (best to add parchment paper underneath for easy clean-up).  If you made chicken tenders, they are likely ready to eat right-away, but thicker cuts, especially those bone-in, may need some time in the oven to finish cooking.  Use a meat thermometer to test so you don’t overcook.  I usually put drumsticks & wings in a 325 degree oven for just 5-10 minutes.

This fried chicken is crispy, tender and flavorful with just a bit of kick. Plus, it is gluten-free, paleo and full of health benefits from the coconut oil it’s fried in!

Best served with an ice cold kombucha & kale chips… Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Chicken

Published on by Christine3 Comments

Coconut curry chickenToday, I’m sharing another quick & easy recipe that’s full of healthy ingredients & perfect for a weeknight dinner: Coconut Curry Chicken.  This dish packs the flavor and two superfoods with some amazing health benefits:

Coconuts are full of antioxidants that helps your heart, skin, mouth, and immune system by fighting & preventing infection. The list of healing abilities goes on and on… read more here. I use coconut oil in place of all vegetable/canola oils (they have free radicals that are super harmful!), but I also often use coconut milk as a dairy-replacement.

Curry powder spice mix contains turmeric as the main ingredient.  Turmeric has been widely used in Indian medicine for centuries; one of its components – curcumin – is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Research has shown that curry powder can aid in the “prevention of cancer, protection against heart disease, reduce Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, ease pain and inflammation, boost bone health, protect the immune system from bacterial infections, and increase the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body.” (Source)  I also take a curcumin supplement daily and it helps greatly with my back pain.

Ingredients:

  • ~1 lb organic, pasture-raised chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)
  • 1 can (14 oz) unsweetened organic coconut milk
  • 1 can (14 oz) stewed & diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons organic curry powder
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • salt & pepper
  • veggies (optional): yellow or red bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, snap peas are all great

Preparation:

  1. Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch chunks, season with salt & pepper.
  2. Crush garlic cloves & dice onion.
  3. Add above ingredients to a skillet with coconut oil and coat with curry powder
  4. Cook on medium heat until chicken pieces cooked through (usually less than 10 minutes)
  5. Add can of coconut milk and tomatoes and stir to combine.
  6. If you are going to add veggies, add those now.
  7. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20-40 minutes, depending on the time you have… the longer the more flavorful.
  8. Serve in a bowl on its own or over rice.

The coconut milk cuts the spice of the curry, so it ends up mildly sweet and full of flavor. The leftovers are even better the next day, so you can savor every last bit. Enjoy!

P.S. While the smell of curry while you are cooking this will make your mouth water, I’m not the biggest fan of waking up to it in the morning… diffusing some lemon essential oil is always in order after I make this dish at my home.

Lemon Cream Pasta

Published on by Christine4 Comments

I can’t believe it has been over a year since our trip to Europe.  I so miss the days of walking everywhere, drinking wine & cappuccinos and eating ALL the pasta.  My favorite part of the trip was a 5-hour private cooking class in Lucca, Italy – check out my brother’s travel blog for all the yummy details!  When I am craving comfort food, my new go-to is the lemon cream sauce we learned to prepare.  It’s light and perfect for summer. Today, I’m sharing it prepared two ways.  The flavors in both of these recipes will blow you away… they certainly don’t taste healthy. Plus, both of these recipes can be made in 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

For the Lemon Cream sauce…

Simmer the zest of 1 lemon in a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil for one minute on low heat.

Then add 4 tablespoons of bone broth (or white wine).  I always have bone broth on hand and try to use it as much as possible… it’s a super-food that helps with digestion, supports our immune system, remineralizes our teeth, and is vital for our connective tissues (ligaments, joints).  Simmer for another minute.

Next, add 1 cup of organic heavy cream, the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt). Bring to a low boil, whisking frequently, to reduce the cream.  After 10 minutes, remove from heat and let it sit – it will continue to thicken as it cools. While the sauce is sitting, you can make the pasta.

Veggie Noodles with Italian Sausage

For a completely grain-free version, you can make “noodles” from squash & zucchini.  I use this julienne peeler to make the veggie strings, but of course you can use a spiralizer if you’re fancy.  Then, saute the “noodles” in a bit of olive/coconut oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes just until they are soft. Season with salt and toss with the warm sauce.

Complete the meal by topping with sliced organic Italian chicken sausage for some protein.

Veggie Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce

Einkorn Pasta with Kale & Pancetta 

Despite the fact that so many people are having problems with the gluten in modern wheat today, not all gluten is actually bad.  Societies have eaten wheat for the centuries and been entirely healthy… even Jesus broke bread!  Over the years, wheat has been hybridized to increase crop yield and is now high in they type of gluten to which most of us are intolerant.  There is an ancient version of wheat that remains unhybridized and contains a completely different, more digestible version of gluten.  This is the traditional wheat that our ancestors ate and were nourished by.  Many with gluten allergies & intolerances are even able to eat Einkorn wheat without reaction. Read more here.

Anytime I want to enjoy real pasta, I make Einkorn pasta. I buy mine at Whole Foods or Natural Grocers and it’s prepared just like any other pasta.

To complete this meal, I saute sliced pancetta (or turkey bacon) and kale, then toss with the pasta and lemon cream sauce.

Einkorn with Kale and Pancetta

Happy cooking!

Healthy Summer Salads

Published on by Christine8 Comments

Peach, Goat Cheese & WalnutY’all. Memorial Day weekend is this weekend. Crazy. Summer is officially upon us. If you are trying to lose those few extra pounds for swimsuit season and looking to add a few more veggies into your diet, here are a few easy salad recipes to take advantage of the abundant fresh, seasonal produce right now.

When it comes to salads, there are couple things that are a must for me:

  • Lots of color = way more appetizing (and instagram-worthy).  Plus, the variety of colors means you are getting a variety of nutrients.
  • If you want to make a salad a meal, you’ve got to add protein to keep you full.  The easiest (and cheapest) ways I’ve found to have this on-hand to add are: pre-cooked hard boiled eggs or shredded chicken – find my two-step chicken crock pot recipe here.  Or if you want to be fancy, add grilled wild-caught salmon for some healthy Omega-3s.

If I can, I always try to make my own salad dressing for two very important reasons:

  1. A store-bought or restaurant dressing can quickly turn your “healthy” salad into a calorie-loaded fat bomb.
  2. Pre-made dressings are filled with preservatives and vegetable oils.  Vegetable/canola oils are full of free radicals that cause serious damage to your cells, meaning that your salad has become nearly as harmful to your health as those french fries you really want to eat instead. Learn more at my favorite doctor’s website here.

Homemade dressings are much easier to make than you’d imagine and if you make more than you’ll need that meal, put the mixture in a mason jar and keep for a week or two in the fridge.  Here are a few of my favorite salad & dressing recipes that take 10 minutes or less to prepare:

Strawberry Pecan SaladStrawberry & Pecan – Slice strawberries and add to raw baby spinach. Add pecans (or even better, honey-roasted pecans) for some crunch. Top with either goat or feta cheese for some tangy-ness. Another great item to add to this salad: snap peas.  Make a simple balsamic vinaigrette for this one; it pairs perfectly with the strawberries. Put the following ingredients in a jar with lid and shake: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp raw honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove minced garlic, salt & pepper to taste.

Peach & Goat Cheese (pictured above) – Slice some fresh peaches and lay on a bed of mixed greens.  Add some goat cheese crumbles and walnuts for crunch.  Top with a peach-basil vinaigrette: 2 parts extra-virgin olive oil to 1 part peach vinegar (find this at your local farmer’s market – I get it from Hill Country Olive Co.). Whisk with chopped basil and a pinch of sea salt. Variation: use other flavored vinegar to mix it up.. some of my favorites are the pineapple, pear & lemon.

Grapefruit Avocado SaladGrapefruit & Avocado – Peel and slice half of a ruby-red grapefruit and an avocado.  Pair with mixed greens and add sunflower seeds. Add thinly sliced cucumber for extra crunch. This is best with a sweet honey mustard dressing: Mix 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp raw honey with 1/3 cup olive oil. Add dash of salt, pepper, & garlic powder.

Caesar Salad – Chopped romaine with cherry tomatoes, topped with grated Parmesan cheese. The easiest way to make homemade Caesar dressing is by blending 1 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp each of: garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. I often add a few Italian herbs from my garden to the mix – rosemary, thyme, oregano. To make it creamy, add 2 Tbsp of  plain Greek yogurt.

Heirloom Tomato SaladMexican Heirloom Tomato – Nothing beats fresh heirloom tomatoes… slice one and season with a pinch of sea salt. Add with sliced avocado to an herb salad mix. Shredded raw cheddar cheese is a perfect topping for additional flavor, and a few tortilla chip crumbles for crunch.  The dressing for this one is one of my favorites – cilantro-lime vinaigrette. Mix 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 pressed garlic clove with 1/2 cup olive oil. Add dash of salt & pepper.

Happy Summer & Bon Appétit!

Easiest Egg Drop Soup

Published on by Christine2 Comments

Egg Drop SoupWith all this rain lately, I’m all about eating soup like it’s cold outside. I recently discovered (out of necessity- aka no groceries) a super easy recipe for those days you don’t feel like cooking or just need a quick immune boost.

This version of egg drop soup is quite healthier than the sodium-filled version you’ll find at your local take-out spot, but still packs all the flavor and lots of protein. The base is bone broth – one of the four pillars of authentic world cuisine; here’s quick summary of why it is so healthy:

Animal bones contain a protein molecule called glucosamine.  Glucosamine, the main ingredient in arthritis meds and joint supplements, helps build and repair joints and also triggers the growth of new collagen. Collagen provides structural support for our bones, tendons and ligaments, and gives our skin shape, texture and youthfulness. By simmering the nutrients out of the bones, joints and cartilage slowly, you are able to safely extract the minerals and vitamins (magnesium, vitamin D & calcium) and make a bone broth filled with glucosamine & collagen – these not only help prevent issues, but also rebuild and repair your skin, hair, bones & arteries.

You’ll also notice that this recipe is completely soy-free.  I went soy-free a couple of years ago to avoid the effects that the toxic processing & GMOs were wreaking on my hormones.  Read more here.

Ingredients:

Simply put a bowlful of bone broth in a pot and bring to a boil.  While you’re waiting, crack open your eggs and whisk them in a separate bowl. Once the broth is boiling, add the salt and coconut aminos.  Then, turn off the heat (if using an electric stove top, also remove from the burner).  Next, put the whisk in the broth and start swirling the liquid as you slowly pour the eggs into the center of your cyclone. You’ll see that the eggs cook immediately, but not too much that they’re scrambled. Ta-da – you’re done.  Serve immediately and enjoy!