Chicken Tortilla Soup

I think the best recipes I've ever created come from requests from Rem.  I am always asking him what sounds good to make because I work better within constraints- an ingredients, a cuisine, or even better, a specific dish.  This time he said Chicken Tortilla Soup sounded good, so I commenced my research and ended up with this warming, satisfying, perfect-for-fall soup.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

4 large chicken breasts

sprinkled with olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

2 T olive oil

2 small red onions, chopped small

1/2 green pepper, diced small

1/2 red pepper, diced small

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder 

about 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic (*I used freeze dried garlic that I buy at Kroger in the produce section- my favorite because I HATE cutting garlic.  I just estimate 3 cloves)

4 c (1 carton) chicken broth (*I used Simple Truth Organic broth, regular salted variety)

4 c water

28 oz. crushed tomatoes (*I used pomi brand in the carton)

1 small can green chiles

2 c frozen corn

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

2/3 c maseca (corn flour- *also bought at Kroger) 

+ enough milk or water to create a paste of sorts (you are going to drop this into the soup like dumplings)

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1/2 c sour cream (optional, but delicious- you could use cream, milk, or plain yogurt instead, the idea is to add some creaminess)

juice of 1 lime

Bake chicken in an oiled glass dish at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (that's what worked well in my oven), OR prepare chicken however you normally do!  Another option is to use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.  If you are baking the chicken, let it cool for a few minutes when done, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, saute onions and peppers in olive oil.  After about 5 minutes, add spices EXCEPT garlic and saute until the veggies smell great and getting soft (10 minutes or so).  Add garlic and saute 3 minutes more.  Next add broth, water, tomatoes, chiles, corn, beans, and the chopped chicken.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  At this point, stir together the maseca and water/milk by putting the maseca in a bowl, making a well, and then stirring while you add the water/milk until a thick paste forms and all of the flour is incorporated with the liquid.  Then drop by very small spoonfuls into the hot soup.  This will create dumplings of sorts!  Stir the dumplings around in the soup.  Simmer the soup for 20 min-1 hour.  The longer the simmer, the deeper the flavor, but ours was really delicious after only 20 minutes or so.  Once you've decided you're done simmering, take the soup off the heat and stir in the cilantro, sour cream, and lime juice.  Enjoy!  

Party Foods! Featuring Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins, Bacon Burger Meatballs with Paleo "Big Mac Sauce" and Homemade Garlic Mayo

I just had a doTerra party today and of course wanted to have an adequate supply of snacks and treats to serve my friends and family!  I made some tried and true favorites but also tested out some new ideas and recipes I found around the web.  I figured since a lot of people might be having SUPERBOWL parties next weekend, posting some party food recipes would be very timely!  
On the menu today was:

Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins (see below)
Bacon Burger Meatballs with Paleo "Big Mac Sauce" (see below)
Veggies with Homemade Garlic Mayo (see below)
Homemade Guacamole with Trader Joe's plantain chips
Sweet Potato Almond Butter Fries
Knock-off Rolos *I doubled the recipe and altered it slightly, adding a little more peanut butter
Baklava Balls

I hope this list is helpful, especially for those of you who came to the party and wanted the recipes. :)

Without further ado....

Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins

Adapted from Balanced Bites
Makes 48 mini muffins or 24 regular size muffins

My mom got me this awesome 48 cup mini muffin pan that I am using a lot lately to make egg muffins!  This version is a great breakfast or appetizer recipe!

2.5 lb chicken breasts (or thighs), baked with salt, papper and garlic powder
1/4 c Frank's Red Hot
2 T grassfed butter
4-5 green onions, chopped
12 eggs
garlic powder (about 1 tsp)
pepper
1/4 c Frank's Red Hot

Immediately after chicken is done baking (I cooked frozen breasts on a foil lined baking sheet at 375 degrees for 35 minutes), immediately shred with forks or your hands.  I also used some kitchen scissors to further chop the chicken up so it would fit well into mini muffin cups.  Mix together 1/4 c Frank's Red Hot and 2 T grassfed butter.  Pour over the chicken and refrigerate overnight to "marinate."  
The next day, prepare your mini muffin tins by greasing them with some olive oil or coconut oil.  If you're using standard size muffin tins, you could use liners for easier clean up!  Divide chicken mixture evenly among muffin cups.  Then sprinkle each cup with green onion.  Next, whisk our eggs with garlic, pepper, and Frank's.  Ladle the egg mixture into each cup, filling each almost to the top.  
Bake at 375 degrees 20 min. (For standard size muffins you might need to bake them for 10 min. longer).  Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold later!  They are great both ways.  

Bacon Burger Meatballs

I don't know exactly how many meatballs this makes, but hopefully this picture is helpful! The amount pictured is roughly the number of meatballs it makes, depending on the size. I form mine about the size of a ping pong ball.  

3-4 lb. grassfed beef
12 oz. bacon (use the kind without all the preservatives- Kroger Simple Truth is good, or Applegate Farms)
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 large pickle spears, diced
1/4 c tomato paste (about 1/2 a 5 oz. far)
garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste
3 eggs
3/4 c almond meal

First, you will need to thinly slice the bacon and cook it over medium heat until you have brown and crispy pieces.  Next, mix ALL meatball ingredients together- it works best if you mix it with your hands until everything is fully incorporated.  You can prepare this mixture in advance and just refrigerate it for up to a day until you're ready to make the meatballs!  When you're ready to cook them, form the meat mixture into balls and place on either a foil lined baking sheet OR a broiler pan with grates.  (I like to use this because it helps drain some of the fat from the meatballs and helps the outside of the meatballs brown a little better).  Bake at 375 degrees about 30 min. 

Paleo "Big Mac Sauce" 

Honestly I have never had big mac sauce, but this is based on copycat recipes for big mac sauce, with substitutions to make it paleo.  All I know is, this is GOOD.  

1 recipe homemade mayonnaise (see below)
4 T tomato paste
1 T honey
1 pickle spear, diced
onion powder (1/4 tsp)
garlic powder (1/4 tsp)
pepper
salt to taste

Make homemade mayonnaise then add remaining ingredients and mix with immersion blender until tomato paste is incorporated throughout.  Refrigerate, then serve cold.  

Homemade Mayonnaise (*use this for the Paleo "Big Mac Sauce" and Homemade Garlic Mayo)

This is the easiest mayo recipe ever, it just requires that you have an immersion blender.  I asked for an immersion blender for Christmas a few years ago for the sole purpose of making homemade mayo (true story).  I use it all the time to make mayo all the time.  I often use mayo as a dressing, a veggie dip, or a dressing for chicken salad or cole slaw.  It's easy and infinitely healthier than store-bought Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise.  

1 egg
1/2 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 tsp dry mustard (optional)
1 c avocado oil or light olive oil

Crack egg into cylindrical container that is wide enough to fit an immersion blender into.  (I use the measuring cup that came with my immersion blender).  Add apple cider vinegar/lemon juice and dry mustard.  Pour in 1 c of oil (all of it at once).  Then stick your blender over top of the egg and let it run, without moving it, for 30 sec.  Then, gradually and gently, swirl the blade head around and bring it to the top of the mixture.  It should be nice, thick, and creamy!

Homemade Garlic Mayo (Best Veggie Dip!)

1 recipe homemade mayonnaise
handful fresh chives, chopped
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 garlic clove, minced (then sprinkle some salt on it and mash it up)
1/8 tsp paprika
pepper

Make homemade mayonnaise then add remaining ingredients and blend again until everything is mixed together.  

Indian Chicken and Vegetable Stew

Rem and I discovered the original recipe for this stew when we started experimenting with Indian recipes at home a few years ago.  Indian is one of our favorite cuisines and we love to try new Indian recipes!  If you're not the adventurous type or think you don't like Indian cuisine, this stew might be a good stepping stone for you because the flavors are sweet and warming but not too overpowering.  

The original recipe is a vegetarian stew, but we like meat in all of our meals, so we added chicken to the mix.  We also subbed chicken stock for some of the water, replaced the red potatoes with sweet potatoes, and added peas.  I can imagine many other meat/vegetable substitutions would be great as well! Just keep that onion, garlic, and spice mixture! 

This is a great recipe to make for a big group OR if you want to have a lot of leftovers because it makes a LOT.  We never have enough leftover to freeze, but it would freeze well!  

Indian Chicken and Vegetable Stew

(Makes 10-12 generous servings)
Adapted from Eating Well

2 lbs. chicken thighs, baked with cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, pepper

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
10 good grinds black pepper

2 c unsalted chicken stock (I used Kitchen Basics brand)
2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 cups baby carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cups frozen peas
2 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

3/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

whole milk, plain Greek yogurt for topping


The day before (or earlier in the day): bake chicken thighs then cut into bite-sized pieces.  Save for later use in the soup.  (You could also just use any kind of leftover chicken).  

To prep: Cut the onions (place in dutch oven), cut the sweet potatoes (leave on cutting board), and mix together the spices in a small bowl.  

Saute onions in large dutch oven or stockpot over medium high heat.  Cook until the onions begin to brown just a little.  Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.  Add all of the spices and saute 1 min longer.  

Next add the sweet potatoes, 2 c chicken stock and 2 c water.  Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the carrots, frozen peas, garbanzo beans, and tomatoes.  The pot will be very full at this point.  Cover the pot again and turn the heat down to medium-low.  Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and sweet potatoes are cooked through.  

When ready to serve, stir in the cilantro.  This is great served with plain Greek yogurt on top too!  

Mexican Chicken, Rice and Beans

(Fair warning: this recipe is not paleo (it contains rice and beans), but it is gluten-free).  

This dish is inspired by my mom, who is an awesome cook and a master at throwing together crockpot recipes that always taste amazing.  Most of her crockpot recipes are not written down, and they're rarely the same each time she makes them, but she has made a dish like this one several times, and both Rem and I loved it every time!  

This one-pot meal is super delicious, EASY, and very filling.  It's great for when you're craving Mexican but don't want to take the time to prepare every component separately.  If you don't tolerate or like beans, you could easily add more veggies (peppers,  in their place or just leave them out.  I would imagine you could also replace the rice with riced cauliflower.  You could also change it up to make this an Indian dish rather than Mexican by swapping the spices below for turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and swapping the beans for chickpeas.  Let me know if you try out any variations on this recipe!    

Mexican Chicken, Rice and Beans

2 1/2 lb uncooked chicken breasts or thighs, fresh (or frozen then thawed)

32 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 c salsa (I used Mrs. Renfro's habenero salsa- a super hot salsa!)

1 onion, diced

Sprinkle liberally over the top: 

cumin

garlic powder

pepper

oregano

Cook the above ingredients on HIGH in the crockpot for 4 hours (anywhere between 3 and 6 hours would work).

Then add:

2 cans drained and rinsed black beans

1 c uncooked basmati rice (I used Trader Joe's brand; you could use ANY type of rice for this)

Continue to cook on HIGH for 2 hours.  

Enjoy!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Crockpot Whole Chicken

I made this chicken yesterday and was absolutely thrilled with the results!  Basically, I had a whole, thawed chicken in the refrigerator and wasn't sure what to do with it.  Rem makes some awesome beer can chicken and rotisserie chicken on the grill, but since I do not possess his grilling skills, I had to decide on some kind of indoor cooking method.  I had never tried a whole chicken in the crockpot so I gave it a stab and it was SO easy and SO good!  The only caveat is that the chicken skin does not get as crispy as when it is grilled or roasted in the oven.  But, slow cooked in the crockpot, the chicken gets so tender that it falls off the bone.  It literally does melt in your mouth!  I don't think I've had more tender chicken in my life!  I highly recommend this recipe for it's simplicity and superb taste.  

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Crockpot Whole Chicken

Originally from Paleo Slow Cooking by Chrissy Gower

1 fresh Bell and Evans Whole Chicken (3-5 pound chicken)
1 T coarse kosher salt
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T seasoning of choice (I used an Italian seasoning mix with garlic, basil, marjoram, thyme, and pepper)

1. Rinse chicken and remove giblets from the inside cavity if there are any.  
2. Dry chicken thoroughly and place in crockpot breast side up.  
3. Rub chicken (the whole outside as well as the inside cavity) with salt, pepper, and other seasonings.
4. Turn the crockpot to HIGH and set the timer for 5 hours (anywhere from 4-6 hours should work as well).
5.  No need to stir or do anything while the chicken cooks!  After 5 hours, your chicken will be ready to go. You'll know it's done because the chicken will be falling off the bone.
6.  Remove chicken from crockpot and place on cutting board or large plate  Separate into pieces for serving.  You probably won't even need a knife because the chicken is so tender that you can separate it into pieces with your hands!  

This chicken is delicious on it's own, served with some veggies on the side, but here are some other ideas for what to do with it:
1. Shred chicken with your hands and use as the base for your favorite chicken salad.
2.  After removing the chicken from the crockpot, strain the liquid that remains in the crockpot, getting rid of any solid pieces.  Pour the strained liquid back into the crockpot.  Shred the chicken and add it back to the crockpot.  Make your own chicken soup by adding some more water or chicken stock, vegetables, and cooked rice/quinoa/brown rice noodles.  Heat on low until the veggies are cooked through.

Roasted Asparagus and Red Pepper Chicken Salad

I was sad when I realized it's been a whole month since I last posted a recipe!  The past month has been very eventful and busy: 2 weddings (1 in Niagara Falls!), a fender bender which required lots of work, a trip to urgent care after biting it doing box jumps, getting to spend time with our families, a college reunion, a Girls on the Run 5k, and all the events that come with the last month of school!  I can't believe I'm almost done with my first year of having my own classroom!  It has flown by and has been truly great.  I am so thankful for this job, my wonderful students, and my amazing colleagues.  

Anyway, since summer is around the corner my goal is to post much more frequently!  Meanwhile, enjoy this yummy chicken salad that features roasted asparagus and fresh herbs.  It has tons of texture and flavor, and is fantastic served on a bed of greens.  

Roasted Asparagus and Red Pepper Chicken Salad

Originally from Multiply Delicious

Chicken Salad:
2 lb. cooked chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small pieces (I usually use boneless skinless thighs, place them on a foil lined pan, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c unsalted, roasted almond slivers
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus (woody ends trimmed, coated in about 2 T coconut oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, roasted in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes)
1/4 c fresh basil, minced
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
1/2 jar roasted red peppers (or red and yellow peppers), diced
salt and pepper

Dressing:
1/3 c fresh parsley
1/3 c fresh basil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Combine all chicken salad ingredients in large bowl.  For dressing, combine all ingredients except olive oil in food processor and blend OR in a bowl with tall sides, use an immersion blender to blend.  After the herbs, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper are mixed together, drizzle in olive oil as you blend until the dressing has a pourable consistency.  Pour dressing over the chicken salad and stir to combine.  Enjoy!  I like to eat this over a bed of spinach or mixed greens.  Makes about 6 servings.  

Pad Thai

This is a super flavorful, easy meal that Rem and I made the other night and both LOVED!  We adapted it from many paleo pad thai recipes we found on various blogs out there.  I suppose I could call my version "two tablespoon" pad thai since I added that much of almost every ingredient.  This would be an easy recipe to memorize!

Instead of the traditional noodles used as the basis of pad thai, I decided to try using zucchini in their place.  I've never tried making "noodles" with zucchini before because I thought I needed a vegetable spiralizer, but as I searched for pad thai recipes I noticed that many cooks just use a vegetable peeler to create noodles from the zucchini.  I tried it and it worked perfectly!  Ironically, we also made brown rice pasta to go along with the pad thai (which you can see in the picture).  Also pictured are some steamed green beans.  I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Pad Thai

2 T coconut oil

2 large onions, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T ginger, minced

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T raw almond butter

2 T sriracha

2 T fish sauce (I used Dynasty brand, which is only made from anchovies and water)

2 T lime juice

3 medium sized zucchinis, sliced into thin strips with a vegetable peeler (I tried to make the strips about 1/4 inch wide by turning the zucchini each time I sliced)

1-2 lb. chicken, cubed and cooked in sesame oil (exclude if you want to make just the noodles)

Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.  After the coconut oil melts, add onion, garlic, and ginger.  Saute for about 5-8 minutes or until fragrant and the onion has begun to soften, stirring around occasionally.  Stir in apple cider vinegar, almond butter, sriracha, fish sauce, and lime juice.  Add zucchini, cover wok, and cook about 10 min. or until zucchini is soft.  Take the lid off and stir occasionally during this time.  Then add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes more or until chicken is hot.  Enjoy!

Favorite Chicken Salad

I eat a huge salad most days for lunch, and this one is one of my favorites!  I think I ate it every day for lunch this week.  It's definitely a staple in my diet.  The recipe below makes 1 very large salad (in the picture I actually just photographed about half of the salad).

Favorite Chicken Salad

spinach, a few large handfuls, torn into small pieces
baby carrots, chopped into small pieces
fresh sugar snap peas, chopped into small piece
1/4 c red onion, chopped fine
1/2 avocado, sliced into pieces
salsa, about 1/4 c
pepper, a few grinds
cumin (this makes it extra tasty!), a few shakes
4 oz. chicken breasts or thighs, cooked any way you like and chopped into bite size pieces

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Eat!  This makes 1 serving for me.

*Sometimes I swap out or add cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, or broccoli slaw.
I also swap out ground beef (heated) or tuna for the chicken.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Here's an easy, delicious crock pot recipe for thai green curry chicken.  It takes minutes to throw together and is extremely satisfying.  You could really use any vegetables you want in this dish (cabbage, carrots, or pea pods would probably be good), but I highly recommend broccoli and mushrooms.  The broccoli soaks up the green curry sauce and the mushrooms give the dish richness.  

I found the green curry paste and fish sauce at Krieger's Health Food Market up in Stow, Ohio, but I've also seen them at Giant Eagle stores.  There are other brands of curry paste but many have artificial or harmful ingredients- the Thai Kitchen brand is purely spices.  For the fish sauce, make sure you buy a brand that is made of only anchovies, salt, and water.  Asian Gourmet and Red Boat are two good brands with only these ingredients.  

Thai Green Curry Chicken

2.5-3 lb. frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts 
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
3 heaping T green curry paste (about 3/4 of the jar if you're using the Thai Kitchen brand)
2 T fish sauce
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped

4-5 cups of fresh broccoli
4-5 cups of fresh mushrooms, sliced

Sitr together coconut milk, green curry paste, fish sauce, pepper, and onion in crock pot.  Add frozen chicken breasts.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Thirty minutes before you want to eat (sometime in the 6-8 hour range), add the broccoli and mushrooms to the crock pot and stir together with chicken.  Turn crock pot to high and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Chicken and Eggplant Curry

I realize I just posted two other curry recipes, but I think you'll forgive me if you try this recipe!   The picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice... this chicken and eggplant curry is so delicious you’ll want to drink the sauce, seriously.  I based this on a recipe from Crockpot365 (great resource!) and adapted it a bit to suit our taste.  I highly recommend it.  This is a great meal to make in a huge quantity if you have a roaster oven.  We made this on Saturday and it should last us all week.  It's delicious served with oven roasted cauliflower or broccoli, or over spinach.  I've also added sweet potatoes to it before (add peeled and chopped sweet potatoes 2 hours after you put the other ingredients in the crockpot) and loved that combination as well!  

Chicken and Eggplant Curry (in a 20 quart roaster oven; makes 15-20 servings)

3- 2.5 lb bags frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3- 15 oz. cans full fat coconut milk

2- 15 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes

2- 5 oz. cans tomato paste

2 onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggplants, peeled and chopped into large pieces

6 T curry power

3 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

A few shakes Frank’s Red Hot or Tobasco

Combine everything in a 20 quart roaster oven.  Cook at 250 degrees for 3 hours, then 200 degrees for 4-6 hours more.  Stir occasionally.  Enjoy the delicious smell that will fill your kitchen (or entire house) as the curry cooks… yum!

Chicken and Eggplant Curry (in a 5 or 7 quart crockpot; makes 5-6 servings)

1- 2.5 lb. bag frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1- 15 oz. can full fat coconut milk

1- 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, with the juice

1- 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 eggplant, peeled and chopped into large pieces

2 T curry powder

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

A few shakes Frank’s Red Hot or Tobasco

Combine everything in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 9 hours.  Stir occasionally as it cooks.  Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Salad

While shopping at Earth Fare the other day, I noticed a curry chicken salad in the deli case and couldn’t help but try it.  It was so good that I instantly knew I had to try to recreate it at home!  This is my version of what I had there.  The Earth Fare version had agave and raisins in it as well, but I chose not to add those and liked it just as much!  I ate it for lunch today mixed with broccoli slaw, which was a crunchy and delicious combination! 

Curry Chicken Salad

2.5-3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, baked (I used 1 bag of trader joe’s frozen chicken breasts, sprinkled with curry powder and baked at 400 degrees for 40 min.) and chopped into small pieces

4 stalks celery, diced

6 green onions, diced

1 large or 2 small granny smith apples, diced

½ c raw cashews, chopped

1 recipe olive oil mayonnaise (see below) + 3 T curry powder, 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp garlic powder (mix the spices into the mayonnaise while it is still in the food processor)

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp coarse salt

Combine chopped chicken, diced celery, diced green onion, diced apple, cashews, mayonnaise, pepper, and salt.  Stir until everything is mixed together. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.  Makes 4 large or 6-8 small servings. 

Olive oil mayonnaise

2 eggs at room temperature

2 T lemon juice

½ tsp mustard powder

¾ c extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp salt

In food processor, blend eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard powder until frothy (about 30 seconds).  Continue to blend the mixture as you slowly drip the olive oil in, drop by drop (through the drip hole in the top of the food processor), until you’ve added about ¼ c.  Continue blending and pour the rest of the olive oil into the container on the top of the food processor which will slowly let it drip into the mayonnaise.  Blend until the mayonnaise thickens a bit.  It won’t be the consistency of jarred mayonnaise but it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

*Update 6/23/13: I have been using a slightly different recipe and technique lately to make my mayonnaise.  I have found that the fresh lemon juice and light olive oil are key to making the mayonnaise thick and creamy.  Below is the recipe I am currently using:

1 egg at room temperature
1 1/2 T FRESH lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
1/2 c LIGHT olive oil
1/4 tsp salt 

Blend egg, lemon juice, mustard powder with IMMERSION BLENDER until frothy.  Then slowly, drop by drop, add the olive oil as you continue to blend.  Add oil slowly until it is all added, blending the whole time.  Continue to blend after you've added all of the oil until the mayonnaise has thickened, coating the head of the immersion blender.  

Curry Meatballs

I attempted making meatballs a few weeks ago and they turned out absolutely terrible.  I think they were too wet and didn’t have enough binding to hold them together.  Plus I tried to make them in the crockpot without browning them first… big mistake.  Since then I have made this curry meatball recipe (originally from Paleomg) twice, once with ground turkey and once with ground beef.  The turkey ones were just ok.  The turkey didn’t hold together very well and resulted in meatballs that fell apart quite a bit.  The beef version was perfect!  I couldn’t believe how well they held together.  I think one thing that helped was making sure the beef was very cold.

If you don’t have a 14” skillet, you will want to halve this recipe.  Two pounds of meat fits about perfectly into a 14” skillet, so if you’re going to use a small skillet, just make 1 lb of meat.  You could still make the same amount of sauce though, because it is delicious!  More sauce would definitely not be a bad thing.  If you enjoy curry, you will definitely love these meatballs!

Curry Meatballs

Originally from Paleomg (ratios adjusted)

Meatballs:

2 lb. grass fed beef

1 onion, diced

2/3 c almond meal

2 eggs

4 tsp curry powder

4 tsp garam masala (or use the recipe below)

1 tsp ginger

Salt and pepper

Coconut oil (1-2 T) or extra virgin olive oil

Sauce:

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 c beef stock (I used giant eagle market district brand)

1 onion, diced

8 tsp curry powder

4 tsp garam masala (or use the recipe below)

2 tsp ground ginger

1. Mix ground beef with all other meatball ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, stir together coconut milk, beef stock, diced onion, curry powder, garam masala and ginger (sauce ingredients) so it’s ready when you need to add it to the meatballs.

3. Shape meatballs into golf ball sized balls.  They should stick together well.

4.  In a 14" skillet (one that can fit all of the meatballs; if you don’t have a skillet this large, brown the meatballs in 2 batches or halve the recipe), add coconut oil then diced onion.  Brown onion for about 1 minute then add meatballs.  Let meatballs brown for a few minutes on the bottom side, then turn them with tongs to let the other side get browned.  This took about 15 minutes for me.  The meatballs don’t need to be cooked all the way through because they will continue to cook once you add the sauce.

5. Pour sauce into the skillet and move meatballs around so they are coated in the sauce.

6. Cover the skillet and let meatballs and sauce thicken until they meatballs are cooked all the way through.  This should take about 5 minutes.

7. This is delicious served with roasted spaghetti squash! Makes about 8 servings. 

Homemade Garam Masala (makes ¼ c- I just split it between the meatballs and the sauce in this recipe)

Mix together:

1 T ground cumin

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp ground cardamom

1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

Our Take on "Jasmine's Favorite"

One place we really like to go when we’re visiting our families is a restaurant called Aladdin’s Eatery, which serves delicious Middle Eastern food (probably our favorite type of cuisine!) like hummus, baba ganouj, kebabs, and mujadara.  They have a delicious chicken, rice, bean, potato and vegetable dish called “Jasmine’s Favorite” that Rem and I have ordered on many occasions.  One night we decided to try our hand at making our own version of the dish.  Since my sister works at Aladdin’s, we called to ask her what vegetables were included and used that as our starting point.  Aladdin’s uses a special, top secret spice mixture and we’re not exactly sure what’s in it, but we approximated the best we could using coriander and cumin, two spices that are common in Middle Eastern cuisine.  Our first attempt turned out pretty good but we thought it could have used some more flavor from the cumin and coriander.  We made it again on Christmas Eve for Rem’s mom, dad, and sister.  It turned out even better than the first time and was enjoyed by all!   It is a very filling dish that is perfect for a cold winter night! 

Our Take on "Jasmine’s Favorite" 

Inspired by the dish at Aladdin’s Eatery

2 c long grain brown rice OR jasmine rice (cook according to time on package directions; in the pot with the rice and water add 1 T grass grazed butter and generous amounts of salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander)

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 lb. chicken breast

1 onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 potato, chopped small (with skin on)

1 yam or sweet potato, chopped small (with skin on)

1-32 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, with the juice

1-15 oz. can organic kidney beans, drained but not rinsed

1-15 oz. can organic garbanzo beans, drained but not rinsed

2 handfuls baby carrots, chopped into small rounds

1-2 c frozen peas

Cumin, coriander, more salt and pepper

Combine rice, water, butter, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander as described above.  Once the rice starts to boil, put the lid on, turn to low and let cook for 50 min (do not take the lid off!).  Pour 2-3 T extra virgin olive oil in large dutch oven and heat to medium-high.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, then place in dutch oven.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the chicken is almost cooked through, add the onion and continue to sauté the chicken and onion until very little liquid is left in the pan and the onions are soft.  Meanwhile, cut potatoes and carrots into small pieces.  Microwave the potatoes and carrots in a large bowl for 3-4 minutes, then add them to the dutch oven.  Sauté the potatoes and carrots with the chicken and onions for about 5 minutes.  Next, add the tomatoes (with the juice), beans, and peas.  There should be a fair amount of liquid form the tomato juice to simmer the mixture in.  Sprinkle on a generous amount of coriander, cumin, pepper and a little more salt. Cook with the lid on (taking it off to stir the mixture occasionally) until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through, about 15 minutes.  At this point the rice should also be done.   Stir the rice into the chicken and vegetable mixture and serve the whole meal hot!  Yum!  This also makes great leftovers.  Makes about 8 large servings.

*Note: The pictures are from our first attempt, which did not include a yam, had fresh tomatoes instead of canned, used minute brown rice instead of long grain rice, and had much less spice.  If you make it the way described in the recipe above, it will be thicker and a bit darker in color than the pictures.  

Avocado Chicken Salad

  

This chicken salad recipe is adapted from one by my friend Mike.  It is easy, delicious, and a definite crowd-pleaser!  The avocado is the perfect simple, creamy alternative to mayo or dressing on a traditional chicken salad.

A few tips on buying and using avocados:

You have a few options when buying avocados.  You can buy avocados that are very hard when you squeeze them.  Store on the counter until they give a little when you squeeze them but are not at all mushy.  Then, either refrigerate them (for up to 4-5 days in my experience) OR use them right away.  You could also just buy avocados that give a little when you squeeze them but are not mushy.  Then refrigerate them for up to 4-5 days or use them right away.  I find the easiest way to cut up an avocado is to slice it longways down the middle, rotating the knife around the pit.  Then remove the pit with your fingers.  Hold one half of the avocado in the palm of your hand and (with a butter knife), score the avocado down to the skin in one direction and then again in a perpendicular direction.  Then use the knife to pop the chunks you have created out of the avocado skin.  Avocados are a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your meals.  I love to eat them in this salad, alongside eggs, mixed with salsa as a "dip" for raw vegetables, or in guacamole.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Adapted from Mike Lassak

2 lb chicken breasts or thighs

4 avocados

¼ cup lime juice

Salt

Pepper

8 ribs celery, diced

6 green onions, diced

1 c dried cranberries

Prepare chicken however you would like- bake, sauté, grill, etc.  You could also shred up a rotisserie chicken.  Whichever way you choose, just make sure you have about 2 lb. of meat.  (We like to bake 1 bag of Trader Joe’s chicken breasts or thighs and then cut it up to use in the salad).  Cut up chicken and set aside.  Mash up 4 avocados.  Squeeze about ¼ cup lime juice (fresh or bottled) and a liberal amount of salt and pepper onto the avocados.  Dice 8 ribs of celery and 6 green onions, then add that to the avocados.  Then add 1 cup of dried cranberries.  Next add the chopped up chicken.  Stir everything well and refrigerate before serving.  This keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days but tastes best when eaten within a day of making it.  

Balsamic Mustard Chicken and Blog Recommendation

One fantastic blog I read often is Everyday Paleo.  The recipes are easy and very tasty.  The author, Sarah Fragoso, also has several books and cookbooks.  Check out her blog and recipes!  I like to make the Balsamic Mustard Chicken recipe on her blog, but I add a diced onion to the pan with the chicken.  So delicious!  The marinade is so flavorful, and the onion diced up in it is amazing because it soaks up all of the marinade flavor and becomes sweet and caramelized.  It is very good served with quinoa, steamed broccoli and green beans (as pictured).  I’ve also marinated the chicken and then baked it on a bed of chopped onions, carrots, and celery.  If you do this, make sure you pour the extra marinade over the veggies so they soak it up as they bake.  Enjoy! 

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

When we still ate gluten, Rem and I used to make this chicken noodle soup a lot in the winter.  We made it with thick, Amish egg noodles, which tasted amazing.  Now we make it with brown rice penne pasta, which is also extremely delicious.  Either way, it is a hearty chicken soup that warms your soul on a cold fall or winter day!

Even though we typically make it with chicken, yesterday we used leftover turkey from a whole turkey my dad cooked on the grill.  Thanks, dad, for letting us cook at your house and for buying all of the ingredients!  Normally we roast a whole chicken in the oven and then shred some of it up to use in the soup.  You could also shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.   I highly recommend making this soup with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, especially if you’re experiencing the first real signs on winter like we are here in Ohio.  I am not looking forward to the freezing cold weather that winter brings… but I do love making soup to warm us up, so maybe it’s not all bad!

One thing we learned from a few trials of making this soup is that it is best with regular chicken broth, not reduced sodium.  I like it best with Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth.

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving!  What do you like to make with leftover turkey or other Thanksgiving leftovers? 

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Tyler Florence

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins

4 celery ribs, diced

4 fresh thyme sprigs (sometimes I also age a little fresh sage and rosemary)

1 bay leaf

2 quarts chicken broth (regular, not reduced sodium)

8 oz. brown rice penne (I use Hodgson Mill brand) 

1 ½ cups shredded, cooked chicken or turkey (we like to roast a whole chicken in the oven just prior to making the soup and then shred up about half of the chicken to put in the soup)

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Coat a medium dutch oven or stock pot with oil and turn heat to medium.  Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf.  Cook until the vegetables are softened but have not turned brown, then remove bay leaf.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.  Add the brown rice pasta and simmer for 4-6 minutes (or according to package directions).  Add the chicken and simmer for about 3 more minutes to heat up the chicken.  Taste, then season with salt and pepper if the soup needs it (it shouldn’t need too much salt since the broth has salt in it, but it may need some pepper).  Then stir in the fresh parsley.  Serve hot!  This makes outstanding leftovers, so don’t be afraid to double the batch if you want lots of yummy soup leftover.  The recipe as written makes 4-6 servings.  

Sweet Potato Chicken Salad: Paleo Version

Last night I made a paleo version of our Tzatziki Chicken Sweet Potato Salad.  Instead of the yogurt based-dressing, I used the follow combination:
1/2 c olive oil
2-3 T dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
salt, pepper, and dried parsley to taste

Depending on how "saucy" you want the salad to be, you might want to double the amount of dressing.  It's funny to think that not long ago I hated all types of mustard, but lately I've been adding dijon to a lot of my recipes.  I particularly enjoyed the zing the dijon gave to this dish.  It was also well received by some fellow CrossFitters!  For those of you who are vegetarians, you could leave out the chicken and add 1/2-1 cup of sunflower kernels, or even tofu.  Enjoy, and let me know if you try any new variations!

Tzatziki Chicken Sweet Potato Salad

We have a new favorite mid-afternoon/post-workout/whenever you’re hungry snack at our house - another weekend concoction that ended up being mighty tasty.  We have other sweet potato salads we like to make (if you still don’t know, we eat LOTS of sweet potatoes), but this one is refreshingly light with the tzatziki dressing and big chunks of veggies.  Also, the chicken adds enough protein to make it the perfect, well-rounded snack.  When Rem or I take it out of the fridge to eat, the other one usually sneaks over and steals a couple bites.  That’s usually how we tell a recipe is a keeper.

One tip when you make it: don’t cut the pieces too small.  Just smaller than bite size for each piece is good, so you can still eat the components together, but can enjoy each individually too (plus it maintains a nice texture that way).

Tzatziki Chicken Sweet Potato Salad

**Note: this was another one of our throw together recipes, so all measurements are approximate.  We went with the “that looks like a good amount” method of measuring.

2-3 lbs chicken (we use the frozen chicken thighs from Trader Joe’s)

4 large (2-3 lbs) sweet potatoes (skin on or skin off, your choice)

1 large cucumber

1 lb broccoli florets

Dressing:

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. lemon juice

Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste

Bake the chicken until done (will depend on what type of chicken you use; we just follow the directions on the bag).   Chop sweet potatoes and boil until just tender.  Dice chicken once it’s done cooking, and allow sweet potatoes and chicken to cool.

Chop cucumber and broccoli. Combine with cooled chicken and sweet potatoes.   Combine yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice with whisk (start with the yogurt, add lemon juice, then continue to add oil until it reaches dressing-like consistency).  Pour dressing onto mixture and season to taste.