Category: Mains

Arrowroot and Coconut Breaded Chicken

Mains, Recipes, Savory Recipes

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!

Quinoa Bowls

Mains, Recipes

Makes 4 servings:

  • 4 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup veggies of choice
  • 1 cup of cooked beans (chickpeas and black beans are my favorite)
  • 1 cup raw quinoa
  • 1 3/4 cups water or veggie stock
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable sauce (tomato and vegan pesto are my favorites)
  • 2 large handfuls of greens
  • 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

  1. Heat 2 TB of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add veggies of your choice and a pinch of sea salt and cook (how long depends on which veggies you choose) until veggies start to brown and are crisp. Add 1 more TB of extra virgin olive oil and beans. Cook until the beans are browned.
  2. Add 1 TB of oil to the pan and stir in your quinoa. Add sauce and water or stock and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and cover the quinoa dish. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir.
  3. Season greens with sea salt and balsamic vinegar.
  4. Add the greens to the quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Season with sea salt, if needed and remove to bowls.
  5. Top grain bowls with nuts or seeds and half an avocado seasoned with lemon juice and sea salt. Enjoy!

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Coconut and Turmeric Breaded Chicken Strips

Mains, Recipes

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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Pasta Bake with Meat and Mushrooms

Mains, Recipes

 

Serves 10:

  • 3 TB oil
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground turkey, chicken, beef or lamb
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 TB fat
  • 3 cups mushrooms
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 cups of sauce (tomato, pesto or cheese– click for recipes)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lb pasta
  • 1 TB parsley
  • 2 oz (1/2 cup) manchego or parmesan cheese, grated
  1. Turn oven to 425. Prepare a large baking dish (9×13) or several smaller baking dishes. I usually split this recipe into 3 or 4 portions and freeze the extra pasta. Grease the baking dish(es) with a small amount of oil.
  2. Infuse oil with rosemary and garlic: heat oil over low heat. Add rosemary sprig and garlic. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Discard the rosemary and garlic.
  3. Heat oil over high heat. Add meat and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat, about 7 minutes.
  4. Cook mushrooms in 3 TB of fat. Heat the fat over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, stir and add 1/2 of the leftover mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, stir and add the last handful of mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook the pasta according to the package 1 minutes before al dente. Cook the pasta in very salty boiling water. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water.
  6. Combine the pasta, reserved pasta cooking water, cooked meat, mushrooms and sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and half the cheese.
  7. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish(es). Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
  8. This pasta dish freezes well. Reheat from frozen at 425 for 30 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 for another 20-30 minutes, until hot.

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

Basic-Intermediary Culinary Skill Level- click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes

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Roasted Chicken Thighs

Mains, Recipes

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

Mains, Recipes

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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