THAI CHICKEN ZUCCHINI NOODLES

I'm running back to the blog "Running to the Kitchen."  It's often hit or miss, but the hits are always big.  This recipe for a Thai dish using zucchini noodles is my new fave.  LOVE. IT.

Husband loved it, too.   Look it over, then I'll tell you how it can be modified.


THAI CHICKEN ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Prep time - 15 min. 

Cook time - 8 min.

Total time - 23 min.

A simple thai inspired chicken dish made healthy with zucchini noodles.

Author: Gina Matsoukas

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large zucchini, peeled/spiralized (I used a julienne peeler)
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cashews, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• ½ lime, juiced
• ½ tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut cream from a can
• ½ tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tablespoon jalapeno, minced

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt coconut oil.
2. Season chicken breast with salt & pepper and once hot, add to skillet.
3. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
4. Remove from skillet and shred, set aside.
5. In a small bowl combine, peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, garlic & jalapeno. Whisk together and set aside.
6. Combine shredded chicken in a large bowl with peeled/spiralized zucchini, cilantro, cashews and carrots.
7. Pour the sauce in the bowl and toss to combine.

OK, I replaced peanut butter with almond butter.  Forgot at first to add the honey and coconut cream because it's not in the instructions, so I had a good before and after taste.   Coconut makes it creamier like you'd expect from a Thai dish.  That, and honey, make it sweeter, but not so much that you can't leave either of them out.   Try putting those two ingredients last and see the difference for yourself.

Enjoy!  Making it again tonight.

SWEET POTATO BACON BISCUITS

First, let me say anything that pretends to mimic bread never does it for me.  I have to get out of my head that this is a biscuit.  It's not.  It is it's own Paleo thing.  I'm coming to terms with that.   But I'm always interested in the food on the blog  Running to the Kitchen, so I tried her recipe.

Now, do I like it?  Yes.  No.  Not sure.  I guess.   It has a lot of possibilities, but I have to wait to see how these fit into a real meal.

They're tasty but a touch over-powering.  Lots of strong flavors:  roasted garlic, fresh rosemary and bacon fat.   Now with an egg in the morning, maybe it'll all fit in; but alone, something has to be cut back.

SWEET POTATO BACON BISCUITS

They have a crispy outside but a softer middle.  I would also like to consider this as a baked side dish.  Not separated into "biscuits" but as a casserole-style side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 slice cooked bacon, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wrap garlic cloves and sweet potato in aluminum foil (separately) and roast for 45 minutes for the garlic and about an hour for the potato (or until it’s fork tender). Alternatively, you can microwave the potato to cook it faster, but since you need to roast the garlic, you may as well roast the potato too.
3. Remove from oven, let cool and then transfer 1 cup of the potato and roasted garlic to a medium bowl.
4. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the bacon and let cool and pour 1 tablespoon of the remaining bacon fat into the bowl with the sweet potato.
5. Add the egg, rosemary, salt & pepper and mix to combine.
6. Add the coconut flour and baking powder and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
7. Lastly, add the bacon and fold into the mixture.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
9. Spoon the batter onto the baking sheet. The biscuits won’t really change shape while cooking.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes.
12. Best served warm.

Next time I'll cut the garlic and make 12 small biscuits not six larger ones.   The original blogger says they're best served warm, but they're a lot of work for breakfast.  

UPDATE:  I woke up the next morning and not only were these biscuits soggy, but they were green.  Yes, green, as though the rosemary which I had chopped up (perhaps too finely in a grinder) had taken them over.  So disappointing.

Asian Chicken Wings with Egg Fried "Rice"

First I'm obsessed with every way to make cauliflower, namely the riced cauliflower in "Everyday Paleo."  I love it.  My husband loves it.  It makes the house smell good, too.

RICED CAULIFLOWER

1 head cauliflower
3 Tbs. coconut oil
3 diced green onions
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 whisked egg
1 tsp. coconut aminos or Bragg Liquid Aminos (I use Bragg)
1 Tbs. sesame oil 
Black Pepper

Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cook Time:  15 minutes
Serves:   5

Rinse and dry the cauliflower and cut into florets.  Put the florets in a food processor until they are finely minced like rice.  In a large skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Saute' cauliflower for 5-6 minutes.  Add green onions and garlic to skillet and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Push cauliflower to the side of the skillet and pour in whisked egg.  Cook until firms then mix it into the cauliflower mixture.  Add Bragg Liquid Aminos, the sesame oil and black pepper.  Done!

 

Courtesy: Everyday Paleo

ASIAN CHICKEN WINGS

Wow.  What a great surprise this was.  Great for dinner and great for parties.  Just regular chicken wings sussed up.   Another great recipe from the cookbook "Everyday Paleo." 


2 1/2 lbs. chicken wings 

Marinade:
 2 cloves minced garlic 
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 
3 Tbs. coconut aminos or Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 Tbs. sesame oil 
1/2 c. apple juice

Sesame seeds and minced chives or green onions for garnish

Prep Time:  20 minutes plus 30 minutes at least for marinating
Cook Time:  35-40 minutes


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.  I put the mixture in a large Ziploc storage bag then tossed in the wings.  Let them set for 30 minutes, at least, but as long as two hours.

Line the baking sheet with foil then place the wings on it.  Don't crowd them.   Roast the wings for 35-40 minutes turning them halfway through.  I did 40 minutes total, but my husband thought they could have cooked another five minutes for a crispier skin.

When they're done sprinkle them with sesame seeds and chives or green onions.

Enjoy!  Easy and all of it is good cold, too!