Paleo Veggie Plate

After realizing I could roast veggies at a high temperature (500 degrees) for a shorter amount of time and still get some great flavor, I tried some additional options. This mix is carrots, broccolini, and asparagus tossed in avocado oil, salt, pepper, and onion powder, then roasted for about 20 minutes. The cabbage is sauteed in bacon fat with salt and pepper (OMG) and it's all topped with some rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Delicious reheated too!

Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

Good old paleo crockpot chicken three ways! First with some sauteed veggies (yellow peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach cooked in olive oil), a big scoop of salsa and green onions on top.

Next with lemony butter veggies (broccolini, yellow peppers, zucchini, carrots, and shallots sauteed in butter, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

And finally with some sliced zucchini and spinach sauteed with butter, salt, and pepper and topped with sliced green onions. Never gets old!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

I subbed carrots for mushrooms and next time I think I'd add in some cauliflower rice to help make it more 'casseroley' but otherwise pretty tasty!

https://www.grassfedgirl.com/chicken-broccoli-casserole/

Chicken and Peppers

I've been working a LOT lately and it's definitely impacted my meal planning and time available for grocery shopping and cooking. So I've had to go simple and accept that pretty good is better than nothing at this point. This is pulled chicken from Jim 'n Nicks with a sauteed CSA bell pepper and the Jim 'n Nicks white sauce (they sell it at the restaurant).

Lazy Chicken with Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Not totally paleo because of the flours in the gnocchi (store bought gluten free sweet potato gnocchi) but still relatively good for you. Drop gnocchi in boiling water for about two minutes and drain. Saute a thinly sliced yellow squash in ghee until smooshy. Pour in half a can of coconut milk and puree with the squash using an immersion blender. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Throw in several big handfuls of fresh spinach once it starts bubbling and serve with gnocchi and torn rotisserie chicken (I topped with chives). Warm and comfort foody.

Mason Jar Nicoise-ish Salad

I love me some mason jars. This was a great way to pack up several salads in advance and then have them ready to dump in a bowl with more lettuce and eat when I didn't feel like cooking. Starting at the bottom, I layered oil and balsamic vinegar, boiled potatoes and green beans, kalmata olives, diced pre-cooked chicken, sliced hard boiled eggs, some lettuce and diced tomatoes. Piece of cake!

Lazy Girl Mexican

Step 1: Buy some veggies, including thinly pre-sliced cabbage, and pre-roasted chicken strips.

Step 2: Pick up salsa from your favorite Mexican restaurant on the way home.

Step 3: Slice and saute your veggies (minus cabbage) in some coconut oil and add the chicken tenders in at the end so everything is cooked through and warm.

Step 4: Saute the cabbage in some coconut oil and chili powder until soft.

Step 5: Using cabbage as the base, top with veggies and chicken and add salsa on top. Done!

Gimme Chimichurra!

I had the most amazing fish at Sesame recently with homemade chimichurra sauce and can't stop thinking about the cilantro-y flavors. So I got some pre-grilled chicken from Earth Fare and roasted a sweet potato, sauteing some spinach and onions in a pan while it cooked. I ended up tossing it with a lot more sauce and am thinking of other ways to work it in...baked potatoes next?

Greek Pita Pizzas

This paleo naan recipe is the gift that keeps on giving! Tonight I threw some oregano (along with lots of garlic and onion powder and parsley) into the batter and topped it with hummus (not paleo), mixed greens, diced tomatoes, black olives, shredded rotisserie chicken, and caramelized onions, topping the whole thing off with a spritz of lemon juice. Heaven.

Chicken Zucchini Patties

Let me just preface this by saying I have no idea how they made these cute little 'poppers' in the original recipe because we tried baking them and frying in coconut oil and the mixture is pretty loose and blobs out no matter what. BUT it makes really delicious patties! These were great by themselves, with the leftover pad thai, on other mixed veggies. The second batch I added some extra seasonings and chives because I was out of scallions and they were excellent.

Original recipe:  http://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-zucchini-poppers-gf-df/

Well Fed Pad Thai

This is a delicious recipe from the Well Fed cook book series. I kept reading good things about Sunshine Sauce and decided to go all in with the sauce and Pad Thai recipe. I added shredded carrots, bean sprouts, omitted the onions, and scrambled the eggs. We made chicken tenders baked in coconut aminos and dipped in extra Sunshine Sauce as the protein.

Original Recipe:  http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/05/08/paleo-pad-thai/

Homemade Broth

So what do you do with all the roasted chicken bones? Make broth! Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill with bones and veggie/herb scraps and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so. Drain into mason jars and you're all set!

Whole Roasted Chicken

Isn't that beautiful? I'm loving the dutch oven. So this was a bunch of chopped root veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions) with some broth on the bottom, topped with a local whole chicken that I stuffed with butter, garlic, and rosemary. Seasoned everything with salt, pepper, and parsley, and topped with 3 sliced lemons (and the juice). Cooked until the chicken was 165 degrees, about an hour. Simple and delicious!

Chicken Fajitas

Alright kids, it's time to get down to business again--paleo nutrition challenge deuce is starting at our gym! I spent the latter part of the weekend shopping and prepping meals so I can kick ass over the next 40 days.

Chicken Fajitas
Chicken - Marinated in olive oil/chili powder/cumin/paprika/garlic powder and grilled in a cast iron skillet and chopped into chunks.

Veggies - Sliced green and yellow bell peppers and an onion on the mandoline (so they'd be super thin), then sauteed on the stove top in butter and garlic powder/parsley/black pepper until soft.

Cauliflower Rice - Chopped up a head of cauliflower in the food processor and sauteed in a pan with a large spoonful of tomato paste, chili powder, garlic/onion powder, paprika, cumin, and a little broth until soft.

Some cilantro and fresh lime would have been awesome on top, but I forgot to pick it up at the store (womp, womp).

Curry Chicken and Veggies

This was an easy dinner I threw together while we were in the mountains. Baked chicken in the oven covered in curry powder, salt, and pepper. Roasted a tray of carrots and cauliflower in the oven covered in curry powder and butter. Sauteed diced sweet potato and spinach on the stove top in butter until soft, then combined everything in a bowl, added a little salt to taste, and chowed down.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I think I've finally cracked deglazing. Here's what went down with this chicken:

1. Heat lots of ghee (like 5-6 tablespoons) in a skillet until hot. Season chicken tenders with herbs of your choice. Throw those babies in the hot ghee and let them cook until 3/4 or so is white. Flip over and let the rest cook through.

2. When all your tenders are done cooking, remove the pan from the heat, then pour in about 1 cup of white wine (I used a mini bottle of chardonnay) in with the ghee. All the delicious seasoning gunk should start to loosen up from the pan as the wine cooks down. I turn the heat back on medium-low and let it reduce by half then mix in some shallots, lemon zest, salt, pepper, sundried tomatoes, and garlic. Then I threw in a little GF flour (a tablespoon or two) to thicken things up.

3. Serve tenders with sauce on top (I made mine with steamed broccoli and mashed white sweet potatoes from our CSA). Enjoy!

Prosciutto Roll-Ups with Cauliflower Mash

Another made up dish that turned out awesomely--prosciutto wrapped chicken roll-ups with green beans and cauliflower mash. Let's dive in.

Preheat oven to 385. Rinse and dry chicken tenders, then cover them with saran wrap and beat them into submission. Sprinkle with some seasonings (I used this Coastal spice mix), then top with a small pat of butter and some veggies (I used asparagus and roasted red peppers). Roll 'em up, then roll them in a slice of prosciutto and set on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes, or until chicken is done.

For the cauliflower mash, steam a head of chopped cauliflower in the microwave (with about a 1/2 cup of water) for 12 minutes or so (until soft). Put in a blender while hot with garlic and any salt or seasonings. Once pureed, scoop it into a bowl and top with grass-fed butter and chives.

Finally, boil a pot of water and throw in the green beans (ends trimmed). Cook for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a colander with cold water and then top with a pat of butter and some salt and pepper. Shake 'em until coated. Bam!

Italian Chicken Thighs

Sounds racy, doesn't it? I just made this up on the fly, but it came together nicely. I baked a package of chicken thighs (maybe like 8 of them?) in the oven at 385 in some olive oil and Italian seasonings for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, I got some beautiful veggies going in the sauce pan (zucchini, onion, carrots, yellow pepper...but really anything would work) with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Once the veggies were cooked I added a large can of crushed tomatoes and seasoned until the sauce tasted good (Italian seasoning, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes), then plopped the mostly cooked chicken thighs in there and simmered with the lid on for about 10 minutes. I threw in a big pile of fresh spinach the last few minutes too, just for good measure. Enjoy!

Andrea's Awesome Buffalo Chicken Recipe

Andrea brought this to our paleo potluck and it is my new favorite chicken recipe. I made it today and it could not be any easier. I'm going to double it next time and have lunches for a loooong time!

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Recipe:  http://fastpaleo.com/recipe/buffaloranch-pulled-chicken/

 Also, the chicken is the bomb.com in a coconut paleo wrap with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Just sayin'.

Lazy Girl Chicken Parm

Okay, slightly misleading name because this isn't a true Parmesan dish (no cheese or pasta), but it is easy and yummy. Peel and slice an eggplant and salt each side (drying with a paper towel) to pull out bitterness. Saute eggplant in a pan about 8 minutes (or until nearly done) with some olive oil, then throw in a big handful or two of quartered cherry tomatoes and some diced pre-cooked chicken. Throw on some garlic salt and pepper, then top with chopped basil once everything is warm. Dig in!