Tag Archives: paleo

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

What to do with pumpkin seeds!

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It’s pumpkin season.. OK, I get a little obsessed when pumpkin lattes arrive and then it just takes off from there. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin frosted cupcakes :-),  pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry.. I’ve been feeding fresh cooked pumpkin to baby Anders who is 7 months and chowing it down! And let’s not forget pumpkin seeds! Roasted and salted.. YUM!

Blog pumpkinseeds 1

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin seeds (if you are digging them out of a pumpkin, first rinse and pat dry w/paper towels)
  • Oil or cooking spray
  • Salt

Directions

  • Oven to 350*
  • Toss pumpkin seeds with oil or just spray a large pan with some cooking spray
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until you hear them start to pop or they start turning golden
  • Salt

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

 

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Pumpkin Spice Frosting

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These are amazing!blog pumpkinchococupcake1

Ingredients
For the Paleo Pumpkin Spice Frosting
  • 1 cup canned coconut cream/milk, full fat, refrigerated overnight (I used 1 can)
  • ¼ heaping cup canned pumpkin or pulp from roasted pumpkin
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsps vanilla
  • ½ tsps apple cider vinegar
  • pinch sea salt
  • a few dashes of cinnamon to taste and some to sprinkle on the cupcakes
  • a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice to taste
  • a few dashes of cloves to taste
  • Coconut palm sugar to sprinkle on the cupcakes
For the Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes
  • 1 cup of blanched almond flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut palm sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • pinch sea salt
  • a few dashes of cinnamon
  • 1 cup of enjoy life mini chocolate chips
  • ½ cup of full fat canned coconut milk, room temperature
  • ¼ cup of organic palm shortening or coconut oil, melted
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, whisked
Instructions
  1. To make the frosting: In a tall cup or bowl, put the hardened layer of coconut cream/milk from the refrigerated cans, equaling about a cup, along with the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to combine and whip the ingredients together. Add more spices if needed to preferred taste. Put in the refrigerator uncovered to thicken for 30 minutes or longer while you make your cupcakes.
  3. To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners
  4. In a medium sized bowl combine your dry ingredients, almond flour, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir together with a fork and set aside.
  5. In another medium sized bowl combine chocolate chips and coconut milk and melt using the double boiler method. Stir consistently until completely melted. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir in the melted organic palm shortening or coconut oil, vanilla and eggs into the melted chocolate and coconut milk mixture.
  7. Now fold your dry ingredients into the melted chocolate mixture until completely combined.
  8. Pour batter into the cupcake liners or pan and fill about ⅔ full, they will rise slightly when baking.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Let completely cool before frosting. To frost, transfer the frosting to a decorating bag and use desired tip. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon and coconut palm sugar and enjoy!

Source and inspired by PaleOMG.com

dit-elle-Esther

Curry Cashew Chicken Salad

1 Reply

So yummy! A great variation to basic chicken salad.currychixsalad2

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked and diced chicken
  • 3 stalks celery
  • Handful of frozen peas (optional)
  • Handful of cashews, chopped (toasted, optional)
  • Handful of raisins, chopped dates and/or grapes

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions

  • Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl
  • Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl
  • Toss salad with dressing
  • Serve warm or chilledcurrychixsalad1dit-elle-Esther

Guacamole

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This is my basic, go to, never fail- guacamole recipe. Enjoy with tortilla chips, tacos or fresh cut veggies.blog guacamole2

Ingredients

  • 5-6 ripe avocados
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and divided
  • 2 tomatoes, diced and divided
  • Bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
  • Lemon juice and/or some lime juice
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  • Heat some olive oil in skillet
  • Add onion and sauté until mostly done
  • Add garlic (careful not to let it brown as it turns bitter) and half of the diced tomatoes and sauté for 30-60 seconds more
  • Remove from heat
  • Peel/core avocadoes and mash coarsely with a fork
  • Add the sautéed onion/garlic/tomato to the avocados along with the rest of the fresh chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, salt
  • Add some additional fresh crushed garlic if desired, salt and more lemon juice to taste
  • Mix to desired consistency, serve fresh or let sit and flavors will meld

Serve with tortilla chips or cut fresh vegetables!blog guacamole 1

Super mom tip: don’t have time to chop onions and tomatoes and cilantro? Get some Pico de Gallo and save a step or three!dit-elle-Esther