Grown Up Chicken Soup

I found this winner of a stew recipe on a friends blog.  I ended up making just a few tweaks, but I would equally encourage you to check out her original recipe! 

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/3 c almond flour

8 springs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 red peppers, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 peeled & coarsely chopped sweet potato

1 1/2 cups gluten free chicken broth 

3 cups coarsely chopped kale 

Directions:

1) Toss chicken, flour, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & cayenne pepper in a medium bowl until chicken is coated.

2) Heat large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add oil, heat until hot. Add chicken mixture, cook and stir 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink on outside.

3) Add onion, bell pepper, sweet potato and broth; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 5 minutes. 

4) Stir in Kale, cook, uncovered, 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.

5) add additional seasonings to taste 

Breakfast Frittatas

This great recipe comes from Nom Nom Paleo. I'm a big fan of eating real veggies at every meal, including breakfast. This is perhaps the best recipe I've found for a portable, high protein, veggie packed feast! I made a few muffins without the  Prosciutto di Parma, and they were equally delicious, so feel free to skip that step if you're not close to a grocer carrying that meat.  Go here to get the directions, complete with photos!

Here are the essential ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons fat (coconut oil, ghee, etc.)
• ½ medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ pound of cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• ½ pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 large eggs
• ¼ cup coconut milk (the fatty stuff at the top of the can works best)
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour 
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 ounces of Prosciutto di Parma (I found this at my Dallas Central Market)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• A regular 12 cup muffin tin

Swordfish and Salsa

Swordfish was on sale on my local sprouts, so I decided to give it a try! This recipe is great. Swordfish is a little heartier than most fish, so even non-seafood lovers may enjoy it!

Ingredients

For the swordfish marinade

• 2 swordfish fillets
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch of salt and pepper

For the salsa

• 2 peaches, seed removed, diced
• 1 avocado, halved and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ red onion, finely chopped
• ½ jalapeno, finely chopped
• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Place your marinade ingredients in a shallow, mix together. Then put your swordfish in the marinade and flip on both sides to coat. Leave in fridge for a few hours to marinate. 
2. Now make your salsa. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place in fridge to chill.
3. Once your swordfish has marinated,cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until fish flakes easily.
4. Top your swordfish off with the salsa and enjoy! 

Orange Chicken and Broccoli

Oh, you guys have got to try this recipe. It's almost embarrassing how much I love this meal. It keeps very well. I've brought this exact meal to work three times over the past month. So easy to transport!

1) Orange Chicken
2) Sesame Broccoli
3) Green Tea

1) Orange Chicken

(recipe source here)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces)
• 3 T fat (coconut oil works well here)
• juice of 2 oranges*
• zest from 1 orange
• 1 t fresh ginger
• 3 T coconut aminos or wheat-free soy sauce
• 1 t chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• 3 green onions, chopped 

Directions:
In a medium size sauce pot, add the orange juice, zest, ginger, coconut aminos and chili garlic sauce or sriracha. Set over medium heat and let simmer to reduce and thicken while the chicken cooks. In a saute pan, heat 3 T of the fat of your choice, over medium high heat. Add the chopped chicken thighs and cook until a nice brown crust has developed on the chicken pieces, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce pot and stir to coat with the orange sauce. Serve topped with sliced green onions. *Taste your oranges. If they don’t taste orange-y, then neither will this dish. Use tangerines if you gotta or add a teaspoon of sweetener until you’re satisfied with the flavor.

2) Asian Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli, separated into chunks
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 2 t ginger
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 T fat (coconut oil works well here)

Directions:

 In a medium sized skillet, heat your oil until it has melted. Add the ginger and garlic, followed by the broccoli. Mix well. Let the broccoli cook until it has reached your desired level of tenderness. Sprinkle the coconut aminos. Enjoy!

Tomato Seafood

This recipe is incredible. I wanted to drink drank the whole sauce after I finished it. It's fresh and filling...truly one of my Top 5 favorites of all time.

Ingredients

• 5-6 sea scallops, rinsed & pat dry
• 1 lb medium shrimp
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, minced (I used basil, rosemary and lemon thyme)
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions

1. Heat butter in a medium pan over medium heat.
2. Season scallops with salt & pepper and place in the pan once hot.
3. Let cook for about 3 minutes until nice and golden brown, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
4. Remove scallops from the pan and set aside on a dish.
5. Grill shrimp in a second pan until cooked, then set aside with the scallops.
6. Add olive oil to the pan with shallots and garlic.
7. Saute for about 1 minute.
8. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, stir to release any of the bits stuck to the bottom and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
9. Once thickened, transfer the sauce to a plate and top with the scallops and their juices.
10. Garnish with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

Recipe Source here. 

Ratatouille

Oh, y'all. This is my absolute favorite vegetable dish. You must try it. It involves a lot of chopping, but it's easy to make. 


Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion1 teaspoon minced garlic2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves2 cup diced green bell peppers2 cup diced red bell peppers1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leavesSalt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.
Original Recipe here

my ingredients

the finished product

Steak, Asparagus, Avocado

I love special treat meals to finish off the week well. It's tempting to go for a simple carb meal of bread and pasta, but a higher fat, higher protein meal will better contribute to muscle maintenance and fat loss. This meal is filling, delicious, and nutrient dense...also one of my favorites! Easy to make at home, too!

1) Steak with caramelized mushrooms and onions
2) One whole avocado
3) Asparagus with olive oil
4) Malbec!

Breakfast Muffins

Friends, I have mastered my breakfast recipe. These little gems are easy to make and so delicious. portable, too. I am microwaving them in my office as I type:

8 eggs, whisked
1lb spicy breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 sweet potato, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, pour into muffin tins, heat on 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool for a while, then place the happy muffins in a container in your fridge and take muffins to go each morning. Then microwave for 2 mins before eating! Delish!

Asparagus and Egg Salad

Who knew a combo like this would taste so amazing?

1) Steam some asparagus
2) Steam some red peppers
3) Place yummy veggies on a plate
4)Sprinkle some pine nuts around the veggies
5) Fry an egg and place that little eggy on top of those tasty veggies.
6) eat!