Chipotle Tuna and Cucumber Salad

This is a super quick and easy meal that packs a flavor punch! You could serve this on toast, in tacos, or in a pita.

You could also add bell peppers and roasted potatoes to make this dish more filling!

  • 2 servings Tuna: freshly cooked, rested and flaked is best, or in a pinch, drained canned tuna will do!
  • 2 TB Chipotle mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 tsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp Honey
  • 2 very large pitches Sea salt
  • Some black pepper
  • 2 cucumbers, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup Cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 TB pumpkin seeds

Combine chipotle mayo, lime juice, mustard, honey, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar.

Combine tuna, cucumber and cilantro or parsley in a bowl.

Add the chipotle dressing to the tuna and veggies and stir to combine well. Season to taste with sea salt. Top with pumpkin seeds.

Arrowroot and Coconut Breaded Chicken

This recipe is so easy and the chicken always turns out wonderfully! Cooking times will vary based on the cut and size of chicken you are using.

1 1/2 lbs chicken

large pinch sea salt

pinch pepper

4 TB avocado oil

1/4 cup arrowroot

pinch of sea salt and pepper

1 egg

2 TB water or milk

1/2 cup arrowroot

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp chili powder (smoked chili is awesome!)

Take the chicken out from the refrigerator and pat it dry. Season it with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large cast iron pan(s) (or two if needed to not crowd the chicken) with the avocado oil

Get out three bowls. Place 1/4 cup arrowroot in the first bowl. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.

Add the egg and water or milk to the second bowl. Whisk together.

Add 1/2 cup arrowroot, 1/4 cup coconut flour, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and chili powder to the third bowl. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken pieces, one at a time, to the first bowl, then the second bowl, then the third bowl. Place the coated chicken in your greased cast iron pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is done (165 degrees), flipping halfway through cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or tray to rest for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Coconut and Turmeric Breaded Chicken Strips

These chicken strips are delicious! I love them on top of a salad, served for dinner with roasted sweet potatoes and my tangy mustard dipping sauce or as part of a chicken and waffle brunch.

  • 2 lbs chicken. You can get any cut of chicken. I usually buy skin on chicken thighs and breasts.
  • 1/2 cup of rosemary extra virgin olive oil (recipe below)
  • 3/4 cup cassava flour or cornmeal
  • large pinch of sea salt
  • large pinch of black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 TB water
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos
  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 TB sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried turmeric

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

  1. You can use any cut of chicken for this recipe. I usually buy skin on chicken thighs and breasts and cut the bones away. Whatever cut of chicken you have, cut away the bones and then slice the chicken into 1 1/2″ wide by about 3 inch long strips. Lightly season the chicken with sea salt and pepper.
  2. Make rosemary oil using one of two methods:
    • Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over very low heat. Add 3 stems of rosemary. Cook the rosemary in oil for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the rosemary.
    • Blend 1/2 cup of olive oil with the leaves from 1 stem of rosemary in your Vitamix (or another high power blender of your choice) until well combined.
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Add the cornmeal, salt and pepper to one bowl. Stir to combine. Add the eggs, water and coconut aminos to another bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the coconut flour, shredded coconut, salt, pepper and turmeric to a third bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. Bread the chicken using the standard breading procedure: first add the chicken strips, a couple at a time and using one of your hands, to the cassava/cornmeal mixture. Turn to coat both sides. Then using the other hand (your wet breading hand), transfer the chicken to the egg mixture bowl. Turn to coat. Add the chicken to the third bowl with the coconut mixture. Using the first hand (your dry breading hand) coat the mixture onto the chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board. Bread the rest of the chicken using the above technique.
  6. Heat 1/4 cup of rosemary oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken strips (make sure not to crowd your pan. Cook the chicken in batches.) and cook about 4 minutes per side, lightly browning the coconut breading. Make sure the pan doesn’t get too hot, turn the burners down slightly if the breading turns a color deeper than golden. Add more extra virgin olive oil to the pan, as necessary. Remove the chicken to a plate until all the chicken has been browned. Place all the chicken back on the pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the chicken to a plate or serving board. Enjoy!

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Manchego Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates

Everyone loves bacon wrapped and cheese stuffed dates: they are sweet and salty and crunchy. Yum!

These are great served as an appetizer. They are also fantastic chopped up and served over a light green salad with chickpeas, avocado, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Makes 6 bacon dates:

  • 6 dates
  • 3 pieces of organic bacon
  • 6 pieces of sheeps milk manchego cheese, cut into pieces that fit inside the dates
  1. Turn oven on 350 degrees. 
  2. Cut a lengthwise slit in each date and remove the pit. 
  3. Chop the cheese into logs that fit inside the dates. Stuff the pieces of cheese into the dates. 
  4. Cut each piece of bacon in half and use each half to wrap one cheese stuffed date. Secure the bacon in place using a toothpick.
  5. Load the dates onto a cast iron pan and bake for 15 minutes. Flip dates and cook for another 15 minutes. Flip dates one last time and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
  6. Cool enough to eat. Enjoy!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible. 

This recipe requires basic culinary skills- click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes.

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Roasted Chicken Thighs

This is my go-to roasted chicken thighs recipe. These are delicious, moist and well seasoned. I make this recipe almost every week. Chicken thighs are delicious!

I have a few variations on this recipe: maple mustard glazed, honey mustard glazed, soy and chile glazed and coconut cayenne glazed. Recipes with these variations coming…

  • 2 lbs of bone-in skin on chicken thighs
  • 3 TB extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter or coconut oil
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 small onion or half of a large onion, medium dice
  • 3 carrots, medium dice
  • optional 1 bell pepper, medium dice
  • 1 1/2 cups stock, water or beer
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1/2 TB wheat berry flour- click for information (or another wheat flour)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  1. Turn oven to 375 degrees. Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Season well with salt and pepper and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove a large cast iron pan to cook chicken (cast iron and enameled cast iron would be my two pan choices for this recipe).
  2. Infuse the fat with rosemary and garlic: heat fat over very low heat. Add 2 sprig of rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic to the oil. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Discard the rosemary and remove the garlic from the pan (but don’t throw it away. Put it on a plate to use later).
  3. Turn heat to high and let oil get very hot (it will shimmer). Add the chicken skin side down (it should sizzle a lot- if it doesn’t the oil isn’t hot enough). Brown the chicken over high heat about 3 minutes a side (until the skin is beautiful, crispy and golden).
  4. Remove the chicken to a plate. Turn the heat down to low. Add the onions and carrots (and optional bell pepper) and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes.
  5. Place the chicken on top of the cooking onions and carrots. Add the garlic cloves and another sprig of rosemary. Add the liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer. Add the lemon halves.
  6. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
  7. Remove the pan from the oven. Use tongs to squeeze the lemon over the chicken and veggies. Discard the lemon. Remove the chicken from the pan onto a clean plate.  Remove the rosemary and throw away.
  8. Bring the onion carrot mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Add the flour and boil for another 3 minutes. Turn of the heat. Stir in parsley.
  9. Add the chicken back to the pan and voila! Roasted chicken thighs!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

Roasted Chicken Thighs= Intermediary Culinary Skill Level- click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes

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Beef Short Ribs

Beef Short Ribs are fantastic!

  • 6 grass fed beef short ribs (about 2.7 lbs)
  • 8 TB oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 onion, medium dice
  • 4 carrots, medium dice
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 15 oz tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 TB apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups water or stock
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • a handful of parsley stems
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 TB wheat berry flour- click to read about wheat berry flour  (or another wheat flour of your choice)
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley leaves
  1. Turn the oven to 275 degrees and get out a large enameled cast iron pan with a lid.
  2. Sear the short ribs in 4 TB of oil over high heat for about 3 minutes a side. Remove to a plate. Turn off the heat and ditch the fat.
  3. Add 4 TB of oil to the pan and place over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the garlic and stir. Add the tomatoes and apple cider vinegar.
  5. Place the short ribs on top of the veggies and pour the stock or water around the meat.
  6. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the rosemary, parsley stems and bay leaves. Cover with the pans lid.
  7. Cook in a 275 degree oven for 4 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the bones and herbs and pull the fat off the short ribs. Shred the meat and stir to combine.
  8. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and add flour. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. This is great served with roasted potatoes or your grain of choice!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

Beef Short Ribs= Intermediary Culinary Skill Level- click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes

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