Chicken Faux Mein!

So I have been on a bit of a Chinese food kick lately. I decided to make something that resembled lo mein, but was a heck of a lot healthier for us. The cabbage in this dish really resembled curly noodles and my 2 year old ate them without even questioning their vegetable status. It also provided a nice sweetness to the meal, without adding any kind of sugars. The sauce on lo mein is typically soy sauce based, so use whatever substitute here that you would like.



Paleo Chicken Lo Mein

Coconut oil (for greasing the skillet)
2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 onions, minced
1-2 heads of cabbage, cut into noodle type shapes
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp arrowroot powder


Heat a very large skillet over medium heat. Melt coconut oil, then cook chicken until almost cooked through. Add onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add cabbage. Toss to combine. Add vinegar, aminos, oil, ginger and garlic. Saute until cabbage is soft and tender. Add arrowroot and simmer for 2-4 minutes more. Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Macadamia crusted chicken with pineapple coconut sauce and ginger carrots

So tonight I am posting the recipe to a full meal. This dinner was so yummy. The chicken had a yummy slightly salty and crunchy crust, the sauce with sweet and tangy, and the carrots were almost creamy with a little hint of spice. Everything just flowed together perfectly. I think that this dish would likely also work well with a simple white fish instead of chicken. Also, the sauce contains coconut butter, if you do not have coconut butter, I recommend trying a mix of coconut milk and coconut oil. However, I highly recommend getting your hands on coconut butter. Its decadent and very healthful at the same time.






Paleo Macadamia and Coconut Crusted Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
5-6 oz roasted salted macadamia nuts, chopped finely
3 tbsp unsweetened coconut, fine shred
1/2 can coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil and enough to grease the pan

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a pan with coconut oil. Pour coconut oil into pie dish (or some sore of plate), mix coconut and macadamias and place in a separate pie pan (or plate). Dip the chicken breast into the coconut milk and turn to coat. Then move the chicken into the macadamia mixture, and toss to coat. Place chicken in the pan. Repeat until all chicken is coated. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Serve with the Pineapple Coconut Sauce or your other favorite sauce.

Paleo Pineapple Coconut Sauce

1 8oz can pineapple rings, in juice
3 tbsp coconut butter
1 lime juiced
2 tsp honey
1 6 oz can pineapple juice
2 tsp arrowroot

Add juice from pineapple rings, coconut butter, lime, pineapple juice and honey to small sauce pan. Heat over medium low heat. Add arrowroot and stir until well mixed. Heat until sauce thickens to desired consistency. Dice pineapple and mix to combine. Serve with macadamia crusted chicken or other favorite meal.

Paleo Coconut Ginger Carrots

1 bag of baby carrots
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp coconut milk
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
sea salt

In large skillet melt coconut oil, ensure it coats the pan, over medium heat. Add coconut milk, carrots, ginger and salt. Stir to combine, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. If the liquid steams off, then add a few tablespoons of water to continue allowing the carrots to steam. Stir every 5-7 minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve and enjoy!

Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

So you may catch on to a theme today...garlic and bacon. These two items make so many dishes wonderful that I figured why not give them a go on one of my favorite vegetables...Brussel Sprouts! These came out beautifully, lots of flavor and perfectly tender.



Paleo Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2 lbs brussel sprouts, quartered
2 pieces of bacon, cut into small pieces
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
oil of choice (I used avocado)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in roasting pan and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes, then stir. Roast for another 15-20 minutes, be sure to stir every 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Banana Muffins

These muffins are great. My little guys loved them and what I loved most was their very low sugar content. You can feel pretty good about feeding yourself or your children these, but the best part is the way that they taste. Yum!



Paleo Banana Muffins

3 bananas, very ripe
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1-2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with papers (this recipe makes about 14 muffins, or 12 larger muffins). Place bananas in a bowl and using an electric mixer blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, beat to combine. Add coconut and almond flour, mix to combine. Add oil, honey and nutmeg, mix to combine. Add baking soda and mix to combine. Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, serve and enjoy!

Paleo Bacon Garlic and Seafood Medley

My son Cavan was begging for some shrimp. He was fascinated by a bag of wild caught seafood I picked up in the freezer section. He wanted to see what squid and octopus tasted like. I quickly whipped up this lunch so he could give it a try. My boys loved this dish. The little guy was hesitant at first, but then he ate seconds and thirds. You can do this dish with just shrimp, or you can use a shellfish mix like we did.



Paleo Bacon and Garlic Seafood with Bok Choy

5 pieces bacon, cut into small pieces
2 lbs shrimp, shellfish, or mixed seafood
1 lbs bok choy, sliced thinly
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
sea salt
pepper

In large skillet, brown bacon over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook seafood until nearly cooked through. Add bok choy, garlic, white wine and seasoning to taste. Allow to cook until bok choy is soft and wilted. Serve and enjoy!

Paleo BBQ sauce

My husband and I love to use our smoker. We try to make it a weekly ritual. We will typically do some delicious baby back ribs, which of course need a great barbecue sauce to accompany them. I have tried many variations, but this morning I feel like I finally nailed it. The key with this sauce is to adjust it to your own personal preference. I prefer a flavorful, slightly sweet, non spicy bbq sauce. However, if you like spicy, add some paprika and chili powder. Or if you prefer more vinegar, go to town. :)



Paleo Barbecue Sauce

1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1.5 tsp yacon (can also maple syrup)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp honey

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve and enjoy!