Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 4 tsp fresh thyme, minced

• 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour

• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

BISCUITS

• 3/4 cup skim milk

• 2 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp whole-wheat pastry flour, divided

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/8 tsp sea salt (optional)

• 1 tbsp safflower or olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Prepare filling: Heat a large cast iron or ovenproof nonstick pan over medium-high for 1 minute. Mist with cooking spray. Sauté chicken until no longer pink, 3 minutes.

Add onion and carrots. Sauté until onion is slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add peas and sauté for another minute or until thawed.

Stir in broth and thyme and cook until broth is warmed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour and reduce heat to medium. Stir constantly until broth is thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper and turn off heat, but do not remove pan from element.

Begin preparing biscuits: Pour milk in a cup, then add vinegar to milk. Let stand for 2 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, blend 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, if desired. Stir in milk-vinegar mixture, a 1/4 cup at a time, add oil, and then add remaining 2 tbsp whole-wheat pastry flour. (NOTE: The dough will be slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, add another tbsp of flour.)

Using your hands, form 12 small biscuits, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. (TIP: If the biscuits are exceptionally sticky, dust your hands with a little bit of flour to make it easier to form them.) Ladle chicken-vegetable mixture into 4 large ramekins, individual casserole dishes or soup tureens, about 3/4 cup per serving. Place 3 biscuits on top of each ramekin and place all ramekins into a cookie sheet or baking pan lined with aluminum foil. (NOTE: The biscuits will bake on top of chicken-vegetable mixture.) Place pan on rack in middle of oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until chicken-vegetable mixture is bubbling and biscuits are slightly browned on top. To serve, place ramekins on individual plates, as they will be too hot to handle.

 

NOTE:
Adding apple cider vinegar to the skim milk slightly curdles it, which will give the biscuits a buttermilk flavor. Instead of using your hands to form the biscuits, you can also roll out dough and use a small cookie cutter to cut out 12 biscuits.  

Also, if you are gluten free, replace with gluten free flour.

Zucchini Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

5 medium zucchini (2 lb.)

1½ tsp kosher salt, divided

½ tsp black pepper, divided

½ tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb. lean grass fed ground beef

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 (15oz) whole milk ricotta cheese, room temp

2 large eggs

½ cup (packed, 1oz) chopped fresh basil

1⅓ cup no sugar added marinara sauce

8oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

 

 DIRECTIONS:

 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice zucchini

lengthwise, into ¼-inch-thick strips. Brush

with olive oil & sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp black pepper & ½ tsp garlic powder. Grill the slices, 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden & firm.  Spread on paper towels to soak up moisture.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, approx. 3 minutes. Add the meat, garlic, ½ tsp kosher salt & ¼ tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until meat is browned, 5-7 minutes. Drain into a colander, then mix in a bowl with 1 cup marinara sauce.

In another bowl, with a fork, mix together the ricotta, eggs, basil, & remaining salt and pepper.

Assemble the lasagna: Spread ⅓ cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish; Top the marinara sauce with a layer of zucchini, then a 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, a 1/3 of the meat mixture, & a 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese; Repeat. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. You can finish by broiling for 2 minutes on high to brown the cheese.

 

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce (Bragg liquid aminos)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup cold water

3 Tbsp.  organic cornstarch

(optional toppings: sliced scallions & toasted sesame seeds)

 

DIRECTIONS

Add chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, & black pepper. Pour mixture on top of the chicken breasts. Cover slow cooker, & cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through & shreds easily with a fork.

Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl & shred it using two forks.

Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water & cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved & no longer lumpy. Pour the cornstarch mix into the teriyaki sauce mixture, & whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, & let boil for approx. 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, & pour sauce on top of the shredded chicken. Toss to combine.

Serve over brown rice or quinoa topped with scallions (green onions) & toasted sesame seeds if desired

Blackened Cod w/ Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS

•  4 wild caught cod filets

•  1 tbsp ground cumin

•  1 tbsp ground coriander

•  1 tbsp ground chili powder

•  sea salt and pepper

•  2 tbsp coconut oil

•  1 ripe mango, diced

•  1 ripe avocado

•  ½ of a medium sized red onion, diced

•  1 bell pepper, any color, diced

•  1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced

•  ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

•  juice of 1 lime

 

DIRECTIONS: 

First prepare your mango salsa. Place diced mango, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno in a mixing bowl. Season liberally with sea salt and pepper.

Squeeze the lime juice into the bowl and stir to combine.

Add the cilantro in and give it a mix.

 Let sit for at least 15 minutes, but it will only get better the longer it sits.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If your mango isn't quite ripe, you can add in a bit of honey to sweeten it up.

For the fish, heat a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove top.

Add the coconut oil to the pan and let it get hot!

Season your fish on both sides with sea salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and coriander.

When the oil is hot, place your filets in the pan and leave them alone! Don't try to move them. They will just break apart. If you leave them alone, they will form a crust and pull away from the pan on their own.

Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Top the fish with the mango salsa.

Garnish with a wedge of lime, fresh cilantro and slice avocado on top. Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS

•  3-4 lbs pork tenderloin

•  2 tbsp coconut oil

•   Sea salt and pepper to taste

•  2 tbsp herbs de Provence

•  1 tbsp garlic powder

•  1 onion, sliced

•  1 bell pepper, sliced

•  1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

•  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

•  Heat the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet (or other oven safe skillet) over high heat on the stove top.

•  Season all sides of the pork with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs de Provence.

•  When the oil is hot, sear the pork on all sides until evenly brown. The pork should sizzle when you put it in the pan! If it doesn't, it's not hot enough. Searing the meat will lock in the moisture so don't skip this step!

•  When the pork is browned, remove it from the pan and add in the onions and peppers. Season with sea salt and pepper.

•  Add the pork back in to the skillet. The onions and peppers serve as a bed so the pork doesn't burn.

•  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

•  Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest before slicing for 10-15 minutes.

•  While the pork is roasting, make the balsamic glaze. In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Let it simmer until it has reduced by half. As you let it cool, it will thicken.

•  Drizzle the glaze over the pork or serve on the side as a dipper! Enjoy!

 

 

 

Asian Chicken

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken:

•   1 lb boneless skinless organic chicken breast

•   1/4 cup coconut aminos

•   2 tbsp organic raw honey melted

•   1 inch knob fresh ginger, grated

•   3 cloves of garlic, crushed

•   1 tsp red pepper flakes

Non-Noodles:

•   3 medium zucchini. To make the noodle shape, I use a julienne peeler. You can find these at the regular grocery store. But if you don’t have one, just use a vegetable peeler. Your noodles will be thicker like fettuccine, but they will still be great.

•   1 onion, thinly sliced

•   1 bell pepper, any color, julienned

•   2 cloves of garlic, minced

•   1 inch knob of ginger, minced

•   1/4 cup coconut aminos

•   1/4 cup tahini (if you don’t have tahini, just use pure almond butter )

•   juice of 1 lime

•   2 tbsp honey, melted

•   Cilantro to garnish

DIRECTIONS

For the Chicken:

•   Throw the chicken along with the coconut aminos, honey, ginger, garlic and rep pepper flake in a dish and massage it into the chicken. Refrigerate and marinate for at least one hour but overnight is great.

•   Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 5 minutes per side if you’re using thighs.

•   When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan and set it aside to let it rest while you cook your non-Noodles.

Noodles:

•   In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add a bit more coconut oil if needed and heat it over medium-high heat. Throw your bell pepper and onion into the pan and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.

•   Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, and saute another 2 minutes, until fragrant.

•   Add the zucchini to the pan and saute another 1-2 minutes.

•   In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl combine coconut aminos, tahini, lime juice and honey. Whisk to combine.

•   When you have saute’d the vegetables, remove from the pan and place into the mixing bowl with the sesame sauce. Toss to coat.

•   Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

 

Shrimp w/ Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS

• 1 2 1/2- to 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoons for spaghetti squash 

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt, divided

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/3 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio

• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (16-20 per pound), tails left on if desired

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

• Lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS

Place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into a medium bowl. Add cilantro, olive oil, pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Serve the shrimp over the spaghetti squash with a lemon wedge on the side.