Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary Chicken

Today was the last day of the Whole 30 and we decided to go out with a bang.  This meal was fabulous!!  My kids loved it and wanted to make sure we had enough to take to school for lunch tomorrow.  This is a Rachel Ray recipe I found online that I tweaked a bit.  If you use sugar-free prosciutto (Applegate), then this recipe is Whole 30 approved.  Enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary Chicken

Chicken waiting to go into the pan

3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6-8 sprigs rosemary, washed and dried
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus some for the pan
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
10 slices prosciutto
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar 

• Take one stem of rosemary and strip the spikes off.  Finely chop until you have about 1 1/2 Tbsp. 
• Add garlic, chopped rosemary and olive oil to shallow dish.
• Lay prosciutto slices out on a flat surface for easy access.
• Cut remaining rosemary sprigs in half.
• Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs.
• Take one chicken thigh and dredge in olive oil mixture and then lay it on a prosciutto slice.  Lay a rosemary sprig and roll all together.
• Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and allow it to heat for about 2 minutes.  Add your chicken wraps.  Cook about 8 minutes per side, or until no longer pink.
• After you remove chicken from pan, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

*Be sure to pull the rosemary sprig out of the chicken before you eat it

*I had more chicken than prosciutto so I just dredged my leftover thighs in the olive oil / garlic mixture and put a rosemary sprig in the center.  They turned out really good as well.

Dinner - Yum!

Enjoy!!!

Salads

Salad dressing, oh how I've missed you!!  I forgot how easy it can be to throw a side salad (or main dish) together when you have a salad dressing on hand.  These dressing recipes are from Melissa Joulwan of www.theclothesmakethegirl.com  She is also the author of Well Fed, a fantastic paleo cookbook in which most of the recipes are Whole 30 approved, yay!!  I hope you enjoy these as much as we have been.  I threw this cabbage salad together for dinner as a last minute side dish.  The cucumber salad is delicious and is thanks to Cathy. 

Creamy Italian Dressing

1/4 Cup Olive Oil Mayo
1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

• In a small bowl, crush the dried herbs with your fingers, then add mayo and garlic.  Blend well with a fork.
• Drizzle in the vinegar, mixing with the fork, then taste and season with salt & pepper.
• If your dressing is too thick, add 1/4 tsp water or vinegar at a time until it's the right consistency.  Keep in mind it will thin a bit as you toss it with your salad ingredients.

Red Cabbage Salad

1 bag shredded red cabbage (mine was from Fresh and Easy)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
Creamy Italian Salad dressing to taste

• Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Start with a little dressing and taste and go . . . you can always add more dressing but you can't take it back out.

Yummy Cucumber Salad (thanks Cathy)

 3 - 4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced (I use English cucumbers because they seem crunchier)
1 whole lemon
1 - 2 avocados, cubed
tiny tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc.), cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cashews

• Place cucumbers, avocado and tomatoes in a bowl.
• Squeeze lemon juice into bowl.  Add salt and pepper and mix well.
• Add chopped cashews just before serving.  (if you put them in too soon, they will get soggy)
• *Optional - Add garlic powder or chili powder to spice it up

Add chopped cashews before you serve it.  I add it as i'm eating it.  I don't put it in the mix cuz if you put it in the fridge it might get soggy.

You can be creative and add a little chili powder or garlic powder. 

Enjoy!!!

Quick and Easy Chicken Dinners from Friends

Two different chicken recipes from two different friends.  Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Last night I was not prepared for dinner.  My day didn't go as planned and I realized it was dinnertime about 20 minutes too late with 3 children hungry and ready to eat NOW.  What to do, what to do!?!  I remembered Bekki telling me about the easiest dinner she made and I happened to have all the ingredients, hallelujah!  This recipe is a keeeper because the ingredients are staples that should always be stocked in the pantry, it's very fast, you can customize it to your tastes and it's yum!  I made this for my family of 5 with enough leftover for me to have lunch the following day, adjust quantities to fit your family.

Bekki's Chicken
1 package broccoli and cauliflower florets (mine were from Trader Joe's)
3 cans chicken (from CostCo), drained
Collard Greens or baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 jar marinara sauce (make sure there's no added sugars Whole 30 peeps)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
Add whatever seasonings you would like -- Taste and stir, taste and stir until it's what YOU want
Seasonings to consider: oregano, italian seasoning, paprika, cayenne, red pepper flakes, TJ's 21 Seasoning salute, basil

• Add oil to pan over medium heat.  

• Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  

• Add the broccoli and cauliflower and stir to coat with the oil and garlic.  Cook a few minutes until the florets begin to soften.

• Add chicken and as much marinara as you would like. (I used a whole jar)  Stir to combine.

• Add two or three large handfuls of Collard Greens or baby spinach and stir to incorporate.

• Add your seasonings.

• Cover and allow to simmer a few minutes or until your veggies have reached your desired state of 'doneness'.  

Cathy sent me this recipe and I can't wait to try it!  It is super easy and how could anything with bacon be bad!?!?  Whole 30 people, be careful with bacon because it's almost impossible to find without sugar.  If anyone knows of a good sugar-free brand, please share the love!  This recipe is from keyingredient.com. 

Basil Bacon Wrapped Chicken
1½ lbs chicken breast tenders or chicken breasts cut into 1″ wide slices
1 – 8.5 oz jar of julienne cut sun dried tomatoes
8-12 fresh basil leaves
8-12 bacon strips
Pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 400. 

• Grease a baking sheet with either grass fed organic butter or coconut oil. 

• Take a chicken piece, top with a large scoop on sun dried tomatoes, top that with a basil leaf, and wrap the whole thing tightly with a piece of bacon. 

• Place all the wrapped chicken pieces on the greased baking sheet, sprinkle them all with pepper, and bake for 15 minutes. 

• Finish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes to crisp the bacon.

Enjoy!

Chicken Apple Hash

This recipe is great because you almost always have these ingredients on hand and it is very quick and simple.  Plus, the apple makes the dish sweet which can help take the edge off your sweet tooth.  A big bonus, my kids LOVE this meal!

Chicken Apple Hash

1 lb ground turkey
1 apple, grated (use a sweet apple, Granny Smith would not be good in this)
1 Tbsp seasoning of choice: Garam Masala (our favorite) or Jamaican All Spice or Cinnamon
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  

• Add the seasoning and allow to infuse for about 2 minutes.  (if you decide to use more than one of the listed spices, limit the amount to 1 tsp each unless you enjoy intensely flavored food)

• Add turkey to the infused oil and stir frequently to brown.

• When turkey is brown, add the apples and cover pan for 3-5 min, stirring occasionally.

• If the hash becomes watery, finish cooking uncovered until the apples have cooked down.

I usually serve this on top of collard greens.  I also double the recipe when I make it because I have a big family and I like to have leftovers.  This time I actually added the greens to the pan and just mixed it all together (as you can see).  Enjoy!!

Pork Tenderloin and Nutty Cabbage

Happy New Year!!

It is tradition in our family to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day to bring luck in the new year.  Here's my Whole 30 version for this year.  The cabbage recipe is actually a modification from the Whole 30 success guide and the pork is something I throw together when I need a quick dinner. I hope the new year brings you all health and happiness!

Pork Tenderloin
2 - 1 lb pork tenderloins
3-6 Tbsp Gulden's spicy brown mustard (you can use any spicy mustard, just make sure the ingredients are clean) *horseradish mustard is really delicious but my kids complain about it being too spicy so this is our compromise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt & pepper to taste

Marinade

Place all ingredients in a large freezer bag and mash around with your fingers to combine well.  Add the pork and seal the bag.  Again, work with your hands to make sure the pork is well coated and place in the fridge.  4 hours before you want to eat, slice 1 small onion and place in bottom of crockpot.  Place contents of freezer bag on top of onion.  Pour enough liquid (water or chicken stock) to just cover the bottom of your crock.  Cook on low for 4 hours or until your desired state of doneness is reached. (my crockpot runs pretty hot so I will only cook mine for about 3 1/2 hours, adjust your cooking time according to your crockpot).  You can also cook these on the grill or in the oven. 

Pork, cabbage and collard greens

Pork, cabbage and collard greens

Nutty Cabbage
1/2 large head of cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups) (I get mine pre-shredded from Fresh and Easy)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup chopped onions
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 Cup blanched almonds
1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute the onions over medium heat in the oil.  Meanwhile, shred the cabbage by slicing it thinly.  After the onions begin to soften, add the cabbage to the skillet, along with the vinegar.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for 20 minutes, mixing occasionally.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook 5 minutes longer.  Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

CHILI

Crock pot season has begun.  The weather is getting cooler and it makes you want to come home to a house that smells delicious with a nice warm dinner that's already ready.  This chili recipe has more of an adobo kick and is really delicious.  It's a nice change of pace from your standard chili.  I got the recipe from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook and made a few modifications.  I made this for Halloween and it was a hit although it was a bit spicy so if you're making it for kids or you're sensitive to heat, you might want to adjust the spices for your palate.  This made enough to feed 8 adults with some leftovers.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 C olive oil
1 1/2 lb beef (I used chuck roast), cubed
2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin seed
1 tsp chili powder
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 cups onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
6 bell peppers, chopped (I used red, yellow and green)
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
28 oz canned diced or crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste

Toppings:
sliced green onions
cilantro
lime wedges
guacamole

• Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle peppers, ancho chili powder, chili powder and red pepper flakes in food processor and process for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  
• Add 1/4 cup olive oil into a large pot and get it good and hot.  Take cubed meat and brown in pot on all sides.  Remove browned cubes from pot and place in your crock pot.
• Return your large pot to medium heat and brown ground beef.  Once browned, add onions and spice / seasoned paste from processor.  Cook until onions are slightly translucent, then add the chicken broth.  Combine well and bring to a simmer.  Add to the crock pot.
• Add in both cans of tomatoes (diced and whole), tomato paste and the chopped peppers.
• Stir to mix all ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Banana Ice Cream

This ice cream is amazing and so easy!  It really only has one ingredient unless you want to spice it up and add more goodies.  My kids love this and we have a fun taste testing game when I make it.  It is totally Paleo and Whole 30 approved.  While there's no added sugar to the ice cream, it is still full of sugar from the bananas so enjoy in moderation. 

Ingredients:

4-5 bananas with black spots (you don't want the bananas to be too ripe, the texture won't be the same)

• Slice your bananas into 1/2 inch pieces and lay flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper
• Put baking sheet in the freezer until bananas are completely frozen (I usually put them in the day before I'm going to make the ice cream)
• Remove frozen bananas from baking sheet and place in food processor
• Process until bananas are smooth and creamy (you will have to scrape the sides a few times until the bananas start to break down)

Add any additional goodies you want.  We scoop out a bowl full of just banana and then add 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder to the remaining ice cream.  Then we process and remove a bowl full of that and add 1 1/2 Tbsp almond butter.  Process and remove a bowl full and add coconut.  Our final concoction is banana, cocoa, almond butter and coconut.  We like to sit down with all four bowls in front of us and debate which one is our favorite at that moment and why.  It's really a fun process with delicious results!  Other add-in ideas: chocolate chips(not paleo), nuts, frozen berries . . . the options are limitless.  Let me know what you come up with.  Enjoy!

Delicious chocolate banana ice cream!