Tag Archives: dinner

Paleo Chicken with Sauteed Apples and Onions

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I got this recipe from my Real Simple magazine back in 2008 (LOVE IT!), and you can check out the original recipe here.  It’s one of those go to recipes that is not only simple, but healthy and delicious.  Or as I like to call it…the trifecta 😉  I really haven’t messed with the recipe much, because it is so good as is.  My notes are in italics 🙂Blog Chicken Sauteed with Apples and Onions-1

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 25m Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
     (I frequently use 5 or 6 chicken breasts and then use 2 apples/a really big onion and use the same of everything else if I have more people to feed)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 firm apple, such as Braeburn, cored, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (original recipe calls for 1/2 inch slices, but I think those are too thick)
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (I cheat and use 1 tsp from the jar of crushed garlic :))
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

  1. Place each chicken-breast half between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet until about 3/4 inch thick (Ok, I tried to use parchment paper and the chicken breasts went flying, so now I put them in a large zip lock for containment 🙂  And…I can never get them to 3/4 inch thick, so I’m happy with 1 inch.  I just cook it a little longer)
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side (I do 4 minutes per side since my chicken breasts are usually bigger).  Add the apple slices, apple juice, onion, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until the chicken is fork-tender.  Again, since my breasts are usually bigger, I don’t necessarily simmer.  I just cover and keep on medium heet for the 6-8 minutes.  Because they are cooking in liquid, the chicken breasts don’t get dried out.
  3. Remove the chicken, apple slices, and onion to a serving platter and keep warm.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Whisk in the mustard. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve

It’s Paleo if you stop right here, but I usually serve it with bread or quinoa to make it more filling.  Tonight I used quinoa, which I LOVE!  It’s so easy, good for you, and yummy.  I cook it in my rice cooker, but you can cook it in a sauce pan too.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup quinoa
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 7-8 slices of apple diced
  • Tsp of garlic (or a clove minced if you have the time :))
  •  Few grinds of sea salt or sprinkle of regular salt
  • 1/4 C of diced onions
  • 1 Tblsp of olive oil

Directions

  1. Put all this into the rice cooker and hit cook-DONE!  Or….combine all in a sauce pan, bring water to boil for 5 min or so til most of the water evaporates.  Then let it simmer til it’s fluffy.

dit-elle-Lauren

Pumpkin Soup

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This is a hearty pumpkin soup, garnished with a bit of bacon and chives for added flavor! Curry and cumin give it some warmth and a subtle flavor but are not distinct enough to make this a ‘curry’ flavored dish.

Blog pumpkinsoup2Blog pumpkinsoup1

Ingredients

  • 1 little sugar pumpkin (about the size of a cantaloupe)
  • 3+ cups vegetable or chicken broth (more for a thinner soup, less for a chunky pumpkin stew)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp butter, olive oil or other fat
  • 1/2 tsp curry
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, milk or coconut milk
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  • Bake your pumpkin by slicing it in half, cleaning out the seeds, de-stemming and putting it cut-side down in a baking dish with some water, ~45mins on 350* (I did this a day or two in advance when I was baking other veggies). Peel and discard skin.
  • Sauté onions in butter or oil until translucent and soft
  • Add curry and cumin and sauté for another minute
  • Add pumpkin pulp, chicken broth and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins
  • Remove from heat and use an inversion/hand blender directly in pot until soup is smooth
  • Stir in cream
  • Add salt & pepper as needed and garnish with crumbled bacon and chives

Paleo tip: For ‘true’ paleo, omit dairy items and instead use coconut fat and coconut milk.

Super mom tip: You guessed it – it’s ‘freezable’! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Chestnuts

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I’ve been so busy making pumpkin dishes, I almost forgot that it is also MUSHROOM season! Yay, love, especially in soup! I’m not that adventurous when it comes to mushrooms in general. I’m mostly familiar with white mushrooms, the kind that come fresh in a package, or those canned button mushrooms. But mushrooms are clearly in season as the local grocery store has been featuring large bins and while I really have no idea what to do with them, I mustered up some courage, picked (well bagged) a pound of mushrooms and made some soup. The chestnuts add some texture in this soft, blended and flavorful soup. It was delish!Blog mushroomsoup1

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs or so of fresh mushrooms
  • 3 Tbsp minced shallots or onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (for paleo version)
  • 1 cup chestnuts (bottled or canned, liquid removed)
  • Springs of thyme
  • 2 or more slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 3 Tbsp sour cream
  • Olive oil
  • Dusting of pepper and salt to taste

Ingredients

  • Sauté mushrooms with a little olive oil for ~15 minutes or until soft
  • Add shallots, sauté for 1 minute
  • Remove 1/2 cup mushroom mixture and set aside
  • Add broth, water, chestnuts and thyme to pan and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Remove from heat and discard thyme
  • Use a hand blender/inversion blender until soup is liquefied
  • Stir in cream, sour cream, reserved mushroom mixture, salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnish individual bowls with crumbled bacon

Super mom tip: Mushroom or chicken broth + sliced white mushrooms or a can of mushrooms + milk/cream/coconut milk + whatever garnish you have on hand = toss together heat and serve. That’s the 5 minute version! 🙂

Blog mushroomsoup2dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

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I got this recipe off of the Food Network (scribbled the recipe onto a notebook while watching the actual show not online!).  I’ve made a few changes, but feel free to refer back to the original!  It’s SO yummy, and relatively easy (especially if you cheat and get the pre-cut butternut squash ha!)

blog Butternut Squash SaladIngredients

  • 1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced.  If I’m in a hurry, I grab 2 bags from Trader Joe’s, but I still cut those pieces in half because they are pretty big.
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (I usually just drizzle over the top of the butternut squash and don’t measure :))
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup.
  • Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/3 C Dried Cranberries
  • 3/4 C Apple Cider
  • 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Diced Shallots or I’ve also used 1/3 C diced red onion
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 4-5 cups (or really, you choose depending on how many mouths you have to feed!) of spinach or arugula.  I personally LOVE arugula, but our boys don’t.  When I make this for friends, it’s arugula.  When I make it for the family-spinach.

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Place butternut squash on a large cookie sheet.  Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over the squash, grind a little salt and pepper over and toss around until coated.
  • Bake squash for a total of 15, but take it out and toss every 5 minutes, and add cranberries on the last 5 minutes (at the 10 minute mark)
  • While squash is baking combine cider, vinegar, onions/or shallots, and a little salt and pepper in a small sauce pan.  Bring that to a boil and stir for about 6-7 minutes so that it reduces.  Take off heat and whisk in mustard.  (original recipe calls for adding a 1/2 a cup of olive oil now, but I forgot to do that once.  It tasted fine, so I’ve left it out ever since :))  You choose!
  • Place salad greens in a large bowl.  Toss in butternut squash mixture and dressing.  Pepper to taste.
  • Online recipe also calls for walnuts and freshly grated Parmesan.  I’m fairly certain the tv show didn’t/or I just forgot to write it down.  In either case, I’ve never added either, but feel free (and let me know what you think!)  I have sprinkled pumpkin seeds on the top for crunch and it was yummy too!

Super Mom Tip

I’ve turned this into a meal (not vegetarian), by adding some sliced aidells smoked chicken and apple sausages into the butternut squash mix at the same time as the dried cranberries.  The flavors all go so well together!

  • dit-elle-Lauren

Paleo Salmon Chowder

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I’m taking a break from pumpkin today and making this hot and delicious salmon chowder that is full of veggies and protein! I love making this with a combination of canned AND fresh salmon – but you can do one or both – whatever is easier for you! As there are no flour/grains, dairy or legumes in this recipe, it’s very paleo friendly!

Blog salmonchowder 2

Ingredients

  • 3 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp fresh dill
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1-2 cups finely chopped or small cauliflower florets
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • One 7.5oz can salmon (red, pink or other) including juices
  • One 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
  • Extra minced dill for garnish

Directions

  • Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until bacon fat is released. Add onion, dill, bay leaf, black pepper, cayenne, and cook until bacon is firm but not crispy
  • Add celery, cauliflower and chicken broth and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, 5-7 minutes
  • Add salmon chunks and juices and simmer for a few more minutes
  • Stir in coconut milk and simmer
  • Remove bay leaf before serving

Super mom tip: This recipe does great in the freezer. Freeze small batches of soup for easy re-heating later!

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Sloppy Joes

1 Reply

This Paleo Sloppy Joes recipe is chock full of veggies and is a staple in our house. This is a great dish to make in a large batch and freeze in portions!Blog paleosloppyjoes

Ingredients

  • Garlic
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 1-2 Red bell peppers
  • 2-3 shredded carrots
  • Large can of diced tomatoes
  • Small can of tomato sauce
  • 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
  • Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

  • Chop onion and place in a large sauce pan with meat
  • Brown meat with onion
  • Add garlic, chopped bell peppers, carrots, stir and cook for another minute
  • Add in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce
  • Bring back to a simmer and cook for another few minutes

Serve with steamed broccoli or other green veggies, and call it a meal! 🙂

Super Mom Tip: Use the chopper blade on your food processor for the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and the grater blade for the carrots! Takes <1 minute!

dit-elle-Esther

 

Chicken Chili

1 Reply

First of all – what’s easier than awesome Chicken Chili? I don’t know.. Little prep, super easy, slow cooker Chicken Chili! This is a fantastic slow-cooker/crock pot recipe! And let me say that I haven’t always been a huge fan of the crock pot (let’s just say we have a love/hate relationship). I’ve had many recipes turn out as just a pot of mushy vegetables (well what do you expect after 8 hours of cooking?). BUT – there’s hope – some recipes lend themselves very well to the crock pot and you can rest assured that I’ll be sure to try them before posting here! I also put them to the toddler/husband test and will give options for adjusting spices, etc. 🙂 blog chicken chili

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 2 c chicken broth
  • 2 green, yellow or red peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tsps ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder or cayenne (careful, as this adds heat!)
  • 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp chopped jalapeno (careful, this also adds heat)
  • If you are not doing the paleo thing, a can of corn and one of cannellini beans are an excellent addition

Garnish/topping

  • Shredded cheese
  • Sliced avocado or guacamole
  • Chopped cilantro

Directions

  • In the slow cooker, combine onion, chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, peppers, and spice
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours
  • Once cooked shed the chicken with two forks
  • If you are adding corn and beans, do that now
  • Return lid and let the soup heat
  • Sprinkle desired toppings on individual bowls of soup and serve hot

So easy, so yummy!

Super mom tip: the recipe above makes a large batch. Ladle into freezer containers and store for easy re-heating!

Paleo what? What’s up with the whole Paleo thingy? Read more about my journey and some great resources on my food blog, Les Petits Pois!

dit-elle-Esther

Carrot Soup with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro

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It’s a damp October evening in Seattle. Get your cozy on with this hot soup that is so bright and cheery you will forget about the rain!

Fresh ginger, lime, cilantro, coconut milk and carrots.. create a delicious fusion of flavors! I won’t say this is super easy as there are some steps to prepare this soup, but it’s worth the effort!Blog Carrot Soup-1 Blog Carrot Soup-3

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 lbs carrots
  • 1 lime, divided – grated (for zest) and squeezed for the garnish
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • salt, pepper
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 avocado
  • Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk or heavy cream

Preparation

  • Melt butter in large pot
  • Chop the onion and the ginger into small pieces and grate the lime zest, and add to pot
  • Sauté the onion, ginger and lime zest in a pan with the butter
  • Add the carrots and some pepper and then sauté for another 2 minutes
  • Add the broth and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes
  • Puree the soup with a hand blender and add the cream

Garnish

  • Cut the avocado into pieces, chop the cilantro add some lime juice, salt and pepper and toss together lightly. Set aside.
  • Serve soup w/2-3 spoons of avocado mixture in each bowlBlog Carrot Soup-2

Paleo tip: use coconut milk, not cream, that’s it!

Super mom tip: Use a 2lb bag of peeled baby carrots – who has time for peeling or scrubbing carrot skins anyway? If you are peeling them, consider that there are good nutrients in carrot skins and just scrub them with a vegetable brush to clean.

South of the border turkey loaf

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I wanted a turkey loaf that was reminiscent of south of the border flavors – this turned out to be excellent, juicy and flavorful. It is delicious topped with sour cream and sliced avocado! This is another dish that you can easily double or triple and freeze in smaller portions. Minus the dairy, it’s a wonderful paleo dish.Meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • can of chopped mild (or hot) green chiles
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper
  • 1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • Garnish with: sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro

Directions

  • Heat oven to 375*
  • Prepare all the veggies
  • Beat eggs, add spices and veggies and mix
  • Add ground turkey and mix well
  • Top with shredded cheese
  • Shape into greased loaf pan or 9×13 pyrex baking dish for double batches and bake for ~50 minutes

Super mom tip: run all your veggies through the food processor to quickly chop! Grater blade works great for carrots and use the chopper blade (pulse 10-12 times) for onion and peppers.dit-elle-Esther

Baked garlic-lemon cauliflower

1 Reply

Tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and topped with grated parmesan, cauliflower florets are baked to the point of being juicy yet still have a little crunch. The flavors meld together to make this a tasty side dish! I picked a yellow cauliflower (hence the bright color), you could also use a traditional white head or they even come in purple!Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, washed and cut into 1″ florets
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • juice from one squeezed lemon
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and toss with cauliflower florets
  • Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes, stirring to turn once or twice
  • Top with parmesan cheese and broil for a couple minutes to melt and toast the cheese

Paleo tip: omit the cheese for a truly delicious paleo dish!dit-elle-Esther