Slow Cooker Chicken

We don't eat chicken* much anymore. For those times when I'm really craving chicken we only buy organic, pastured chickens.  Here's a recipe I adapted from Everyday Paleo.

1 5-6 lb free range organic chicken - giblets removed, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels
1 white onion sliced

 Everyday Paleo

1 tsp sea salt
1 pinch cayenne
1 tsp pepper
1 T sage
3-4 cloves crushed garlic, depending on how much you like garlic

Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with the sliced onions.  Mix all spices in a small bowl and then rub the spice mixture all over the whole chicken.  If you don't have some of these spices on hand, be creative and use what is in your arsenal.  Place the spiced chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (depending on your slow cooker).  No need for any liquid, the chicken will cook in its own juices. 

After I pulled the chicken out of the slow cooker I added some broth to the onions and blended them together with my immersion blender.  It made a nice sauce to pour over the chicken.  I served my chicken with rice, the onion sauce, and garlic green beans - Yum!

Family rating: 2 thumbs up and keep the recipe!

 *Chicken is high in unhealthy polyunsaturated fats that oxidize easily during cooking and promote oxidative stress inside the body, making chicken low on the scale of protein choices.  Chicken and turkey should be eaten sparingly.

Pi Day Shepherd's Pie

Today is Pi Day and on Pi Day you should eat pie.  I'm reposting my Shepherd's Pie recipe so you CAN eat pie!

The bottom is organic, grass-fed ground beef and 

any organic veggies.

Use your choice of grass-fed beef - ground is easiest for me.

Cook the ground beef until there is no more pink then sauté the veggies with the cooked ground beef.

Transfer beef and veggies to a baking dish.  To the skillet add raw cream, oregano, and thyme.  Thicken the sauce with a little arrowroot powder and add sea salt to taste. 

 Combine the beef mixture and the sauce and top with mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes .  Add 3-4 teaspoons of grass-fed butter on top and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until heated through and top is golden.

Coconut Crab Soup

I made up a new soup recipe.  I was trying to use ingredients already in the fridge.  The result was delicious.  So good, in fact, Brad and Cooper both had two bowls!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon turmeric
sea salt to taste
pinch of oregano
1 can lump crab meat (we bought ours at Trader Joe's.  Use fresh, if you want)
a handful of sugar snap peas, roughly chopped (that was all we had on hand, use more, if you wish)

Directions:

• Heat coconut oil in a soup pan or dutch oven and add your onion. 
• Sauté until soft and add your carrot. 
• Cook together for a couple minutes and then add your coconut milk, coconut oil, and spices.  Add more or less milk depending on how much soup you want to make.
• Cook through for about 20 minutes.  Coconut milk will start to thicken just a bit and the flavors will meld nice.
• Fold in crab and snap peas and allow to cook through
• Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries Over Wilted Kale

I totally made that title up.

We went to a friend's for dinner and I had offered to bring a veggie dish.  But when I looked in the fridge all we had was a bag of kale salad. 

Besides the obvious, what could I do with that?  I wasn't in the mood for a kale salad and didn't think the kids would eat it.

I also had one sweet potato.  So, I got creative and the result was delicious!

First, I washed, but did not peel, my sweet potato.  I cut it into "fries", tossed them in olive oil, and baked them at 400˚ for about 40 min. or until golden and crunchy.

Meanwhile, I sautéed in olive oil a large shallot and added my kale salad, garlic powder, and salt,  cooking until the kale was wilted but still a little crunchy.

When everything was done I put the kale in a pretty bowl, put the sweet potato fries on top, and served.  It was so easy and so yummy.

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Saturday we celebrated our beautiful friend Sierra's 16th birthday with a family potluck.  This dish is my new favorite potluck entreé.  It is DELICIOUS!  Here's my recipe adapted from Seasons with the Sewells and Tessa the Domestic Diva.

Photo: Tessa the Domestic Diva

Ingredients:

• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 1 pkg pepperoni (we like Applegate Farms w/ no nitrates and dairy free)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon each oregano, basil, thyme
• 4 cups roasted spaghetti squash noodles or cooked brown or white rice noodles
• 2 cups favorite spaghetti sauce
• 16 oz. mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat saute the ground beef and onion.
3. As the ground meat cooks sprinkle in the seasonings. 
4. In a greased 13X9 casserole dish add 1/2 C sauce, layer of noodles, layer of meat, 1 C sauce, layer of cheese, repeat.
5. Top with the pepperoni and more cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Apple Cider Donuts

We have a tradition at our house where the birthday person gets breakfast in bed.  The kids always choose to have a donut for breakfast.  Monday is Cooper's 11th birthday and, of course, he wants donuts!

Last year for Cooper's birthday we were only gluten-free.  It was easy to purchase gluten-free donuts in the frozen section at Mother's Market.  They were ok.  Coop was a good sport.  This year, being grain-free, I wondered if we were going to indulge and suffer with belly aches or do away with the traditional donut. 

Thank you Paleo Spirit for saving our tradition!  These Apple Cider Donuts are so good and the birthday boy gave 2 thumbs up to having them as his birthday breakfast.

Ingredients (makes 10-12 mini-donuts or about 9 regular donuts)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)
• 1/2 cup warm apple cider
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted – for coating cooked donuts

Cinnamon Sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. Preheat mini-donut maker or oven to 350˚F.
2. In a small bowl whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and honey.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Add the warm apple cider to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated into the dough.
6. Scoop the donut batter into the pre-heated donut maker/pan.
7. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or place in the oven for 20 min.
8. Carefully remove cooked donuts from the pan.
9. Brush donuts with melted butter or coconut oil to cover both sides.
10. Toss donuts with the prepared cinnamon/coconut sugar mixture until coated.

They are best served warm.  I made mine a day ahead and they were still good but the cinnamon sugar was soaked into the donut which changed the texture.  No biggie.

BTW - I did not go out and buy a donut maker.  I bought a donut pan at Michaels for $10.  Works great!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bars

Photo: Nom Nom Paleo

Thanks to my friend, Nicole, for passing on this great recipe.  It is another big hit with the kids.  Cooper said it was the best thing he ever ate!

Sweet Potato Bars
From the book Sweet Potato Power by Ashley Tudor

1/2 cup yam puree
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

1.  To make puree:  Heat oven to 400.  Place medium yam on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork.  Cool, scoop out flesh from skin.  Discard skin.  Puree flesh in food processor.  (Mash can be made days ahead and frozen or refrigerated until ready to use.)

2.  For bars: Heat oven to 350.  In a food processor, combine puree, honey, and eggs.  Pulse for 2 minutes.  Add dry flour and seasonings.  Pulse for a full minute.

3.  Pour batter into a greased, 8 inch square baking dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve