Stuffed & Wrapped Chicken

17 01 2013

The meat soirĂ©e continues…. This time with prosciutto. How have I survived this far without it?! This is super easy and can be served with whatever else you fancy. The chicken is stuffed with what is essentially a pesto that I made from what was left in the fridge, there was no measuring so just experiment with what you have in the quantities you have. That’s helpful isn’t it. Off you go.

Stuffing-
2 big handfuls Italian parsley (you could use basil or regular parsley if you like)
2 big handfuls kale
1 long red chilli
1 tbs grated ginger
2-3 handfuls walnuts (or whatever nuts you like)
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs olive oil (or oil of your choice)

Chuck everything but the nuts into the food processor & blitz until it is all chopped up & looking “pesto-ish”. Add the nuts & pulse a few times until it is at the consistency you like. If it is too wet, add some more herbs/kale, if it’s too dry add a dash more oil or some water. Done.

Wrapped Chicken-
4 chicken breasts- sliced open so that you can stuff them
About 8 pieces of prosciutto (bacon would probably work too)
1 tbs coconut oil for cooking

Preheat the oven to 200C. Stuff the chicken breast with the pesto stuffing and close over to contain. Wrap the chicken with 1-2 pieces of prosciutto to cover the outside. Heat the frypan & add the coconut oil. Once hot, add the chicken breasts, cooking just enough on each side to seal them. Pop into a baking paper lined tray & into the oven for about 15 mins until cooked through. You could cook them completely in a frypan if you like, I find they stay more juicy & the outside doesn’t burn in the oven though.

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Chicken & Bacon Meatballs

15 01 2013

My fabulous friend Jac sent me this recipe from PaleOmg (who I LOVE) for these curry beef meatballs. They looked delicious but I didn’t have beef, or the patience to read the recipe, so off I went on a tangent. Here’s what happened. High in protein, low in carbohydrates and packing the punch of amazing health benefits from all of the wonderful spices, not to mention being a taste sensation. Thanks for the inspiration Jac & of course PaleOMG- you need to go to her blog. You’ll laugh so hard you’ll probably pee…. Oh she makes great food too.

200g organic bacon, diced (chorizo would work well instead)
1kg chicken, minced
1 tbs coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 tbs curry powder
1 tbs garam Marsala
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
500ml coconut cream
2 big handfuls finely shredded kale (optional)

In a dry pan add the curry powder, garam marsala & cinnamon and cook on a low-med heat until spices are fragrant (about 2-3 mins should do). Pop spices into a bowl with the coconut cream and mix well. Put aside.

Into the same pan add the coconut oil, bacon & onion & cook until the onion is translucent. While this is happening, roll your minced chicken into balls (I did big ones because I am lazy but any size will do) and pop into the pan with the bacon & onion and brown the meatballs on all sides. Pour over the coconut & spices sauce & add the shredded kale. Turn down to a low heat and allow to simmer for about 10-15 mins, turning the meatballs occasionally. We served ours with some zucchini noodles but cauliflower rice would be awesome too!!

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Vietnamese Chicken & Green Mango Salad

11 01 2013

This happened because we have a mango tree that hangs over into our back yard & pretty much just makes a big-a$$ mess. Along with this, the possums in said tree make a cr@p load of noise and upset the dog. He doesn’t like possums, they scare him, 70kg Dane scared of a 3kg fruit-eating fur ball…. That happens. Don’t judge. I am sure they say mean things to him that we can’t hear. Anyway, back from the tangent, I decided to pick some of the mangos and see if they actually tasted any good, all the ripe ones had bites out of them so I grabbed some green ones. I have had a few delicious green mango & green papaya salads before so I thought I’d give it a crack. Green mangos are LOADED with vitamin C- about as much as a whole pineapple in one mango.

Dressing-
2 tbs coconut aminos
Juice 1 lime
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped
2 tbs olive or sesame oil
1-2 tsp raw honey (optional)

Mix all dressing ingredients well in a container. I just chuck mine in a little jar & shake the cr@p out of it. Done.

For the Salad-
3 chicken breasts, grilled/poached however you want to cook them.
1/2 wombok cabbage, shredded
1 cucumber, I “noodled” mine with my veggie twister
Handful fresh coriander, chopped finely
Handful fresh mint, chopped finely
1/2 cup nuts, chopped & lightly toasted (optional) – I used walnuts because that’s what I had, almonds or cashews would be fab too
3-4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 green mangos, sliced as finely as possible- I used a mandolin.

Shred the chicken with 2 forks or just chop it however you fancy. I am loving shredded meats at the moment so I went fork-style pull-apart.

In a big bowl add all the other salad ingredients, pour over dressing and mix really well to coat- get your hands in there and toss it around. Now add the shredded chicken, give it another big mix up, pile onto plates, shovel into your gob. Easy peasey.

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Surprise Chicken

27 12 2012

This was a “surprise” that it actually tasted delicious, I threw random things together and thought it would be average at best. Trav says it’s the best thing I have ever cooked…. Not that reliable, he says that at least once a week, and often about things I don’t find that impressive. Regardless, it turned out to be pretty tasty so here it is.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, stomach-soothing and also has liver and heart protecting effects. Turmeric has been shown to reduce joint pain and inflammation and assist in protecting our liver agains toxins like alcohol- somewhat essential this time of year. Paprika contains loads of vitamin C, it contains an antibacterial protein that has been found to naturally control certain bacteria, it can also help improve circulation and normalize blood pressure!

1kg chicken thighs, chopped into big chunks
1 tbs ground turmeric
1 tbs smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
2 cups almond milk
1 tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

You can do this in your slow cooker, in a crockpot or just use a frypan and a baking dish like I did. Preheat your oven to 150C. Heat the oil in your fry pan or crockpot, add chilli, garlic, turmeric & paprika and cook until it is fragrant and chilli is soft. Add chicken thighs and brown the outside. Add stock and almond milk (liquid should be covering the chicken, if not, add some extra almond milk) and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 mins. If you are using a frypan, now transfer the contents to a baking dish, ensuring it allows the chicken to be covered with the liquid. Pop it in the oven for about 2 hrs uncovered. The liquid will reduce and become thick, the chicken will be so tender it just falls apart. OMG yum! Sprinkle with parsley and eat it! I served mine on a bed of rocket with a side of broccoli & beans. Some Cauliflower Rice would be delicious with this too!

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Baked Chicken

12 10 2012

This is a super easy, low carb, high protein meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. You can leave out the coconut cream if you really want to, but seriously, why would you want to? It is so delicious and so good for you. Don’t be deterred by the high fat content of coconut, the saturated fat in coconut is made up of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids the body quickly turns into energy instead of storing as fat. Therefore, even though it’s high in saturated fat, coconut can aid in weight loss. Half the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut are composed of lauric acid, which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Coconut can help boost the immune system.

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup coconut cream (optional)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus
2 zucchini, cut into big chunks
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 180C. Cut chicken breasts in half and lay them side by side in a baking dish. Pop the chopped zucchini around the dish on top of the chicken. In a bowl mix herbs, tomatoes and coconut cream together well then pour over chicken. Pop the asparagus spears on the top and cover with foil. Bake for 20mins then remove the foil and bake for another 20mins. Serve with a salad, some steamed quinoa or we had ours with a big pile of steamed broccoli.

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