Chicken Fajita Seasoned Whole 30 Compliant (Paleo)

Not that I am judging BUT....consider not buying pre-made seasonings and make your own.Overall, there are so many benefits to trying new recipes and you can create CLEAN seasonings very easily.  Recipes are everywhere so it's not rocket science you are dealing with, just personal preference.  

Tonight I made a fajita seasoning and used it on chicken.  This meal was serving myself and my three children who primarily have a vanilla palate.  The recipe I am posting below comes from Chocolate Moosey (whom I shall mentions takes beautiful pictures of the process.  Meanwhile you have my one shot and a picture of my finished Whole 30 compliant/Paleo meal.  I had Fajita chicken with onions and peppers, guacamole and a lettuce salad. I added tons of cilantro and fresh lime juice. I think a clean hot sauce would be a great addition if you can't fire up the seasoning too much because you have children with vanilla palates like I do!  

The What's:

1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)


The How:
Simply place all of the What's into a airtight container and shake!

Go ahead and give it a shake.  Shake it off, Shake it off. Below is my Whole 30 compliant dinner in which I had two servings of.  I normally skip the green peppers but since I need to make sure I eat enough green stuff, I made it work for the better!  Enjoy and remember you can use this seasoning recipe on mostly any protein. 

Paleo and Whole 30 compliant Soup De Jour: Chicken Chili Soup

We are forecasted to have many many days of rain this week I prepared this recipe when my energy was high and time just ticked away until I had a delicious Whole 30/Paleo compliant lunch! I added in more tomatoes and some avocado and viola, a Whole 30 compliant Soup de Jour.  I boiled a whole chicken instead of using a store-bought one and the broth made this soup extremely rich and tasty.  I added garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and salt to the broth so after the chicken boiled, the broth was rich.  If you have some extra time, add this element to the recipe. Marissa Says posted this recipe and I had to make some minor modifications to remain compliant for the Whole 30 program. 

The What's:
 3 tablespoons ghee  
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced  
2 large carrots, diced  
1 jalepeno, diced (if you want your chili to have a kick include the ribs and seeds)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder  
1 tablespoon paprika  
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper  
5 C. of Whole 30 Compliant Chicken Broth (I used broth from the boiled chicken)  
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 whole beefsteak diced tomatoes or 1 can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
Meat from the whole chicken, no skin or you can use a compliant store-bought compliant Whole 30 chicken.  I diced the chicken in large pieces.   
Juice of 2 whole limes Salt to taste
(top with more cilantro and avocado)

Directions
In a large soup pot sauté the green pepper, onions, zucchini, carrots, jalapenos and minced garlic in butter over medium heat stirring frequently.

Once soft (about 5-8 minutes), season with the chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Add in 4 cups of chicken broth {reserve remaining 2 cups} stir and bring to a simmer. Stir in tomato paste.

Add in the diced tomatoes and shredded chicken. Stir and in more broth {as needed, you may end up using almost the whole container}. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over medium-low, then remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Add lime juice and stir. Season with salt to taste.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Paleo Whole 30 compliant

This is a great, summer inspired Whole 30 and Paleo compliant recipe.  This recipe is designed for 1lb of shrimp so just increase it as you are serving more than 3 people as an entree.  This recipe is delicious and versatile for many protein sources.  I can imagine this even being good on a hearty vegetable, that will take a good grilling!  I found the original recipe on Closet Cooking. I used the recipe below but omitted the jalapeno because my children aren't fans of the spice.  As we ate, we kindly tried not to eat the last shrimp but each of us wanted to eat more.  Personally, I would not make enough for leftovers because I can't imagine the reheating process to keep them tasting as great as they are, so keep reaching for the shrimp until they are all gone.  I hope you enjoy this and use it many times! 

The What's:
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 limes, juice and zest or 1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste

The How:

Marinate the shrimp in the mixture of the lime juice, zest, oil, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper for 30 minutes. Skewer the shrimp and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Whole 30 Paleo compliant Detox Salad

 Hi!  I don't know if I was overly hungry but I couldn't stop eating this salad.  This recipe claims to be a detox salad because of the ingredients and I will share with you my adaptation of the original recipe found at DetoxDIY (get it?  Detox D-I-Y? funny).  So what attracted me to this salad it's portability.  I liked that they were all crunchy pieces that could take a beating in a container and still taste fresh.  I did skip the dressing, mainly because I am on the Whole 30 Program and I wanted to stay compliant.  The only ingredient that I would not recommend making prior to consumption is the mixing in the avocado.  I am not a huge fan of avocado mixed into a salad. I think it loses it's composition and starts to spread itself onto everything else and I don't like that.  Avocado in guacamole is different, because it is a spread.  So, let's get to it! 

The What's:

• 1 small broccoli head, cut in small florets
• ¼ small red cabbage head, finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced (I don't like raw onions so I omitted)
• 1 avocado, peeled and cut in cubes
• To garnish: toasted almonds and chia seeds

The How's:

Prepare everything as listed in the ingredient section and mix all together. I added cherry tomatoes quartered and left out the avocado until I dressed the salad.  I skipped the dressing portion and used the juice of a lemon, salt and light olive oil as my dressing.  Once dressed, I added in the almonds, chia seeds and avocado.  I lightly tossed these together and serve.  I ate and I ate and I ate.  Pretty guilt-free too I may add!

Paleo Whole 30 compliant One-Pot Chicken

This recipe comes from Stupid Easy Paleo.   In my spare time I search for Whole 30 compliant meals, heck I have even made a pinterest board with all of my findings-Follow me here! This particular recipe is called Tuesday Night Chicken Recipe and since I have planned ahead, I naturally wanted to serve this on Tuesday! 

This was the first time I ate Fire-Roasted Tomatoes.  I really dig them, yum!  I thought this recipe was good enough to prepare for others but I wished my family appreciated my efforts more.  I did save some chicken for my children (second image) and left those pieces out of the sauce so they wouldn't complain; overall it's important to get them to eat than require them to enjoy the recipe! In addition, I didn't follow the recipe well enough so I marinated the chicken in the Italian Seasoning instead of the House Seasoning but added the House Seasoning to the chicken while I cooked it.  I am trying to lay off of salt, but I noticed others using salt at the table while eating it.  

The What's:

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound [454 g])

1 tsp (5 g) House Seasoning Blend (see below)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (150 g) diced white or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 batch Italian Seasoning Blend (see below)
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 (14.5 oz [411 g]) can fire-roasted tomatoes
Fresh basil and/or flat-leaf parsley for garnish
For the House Seasoning Blend:
1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp black pepper
For the Italian Seasoning Blend:
1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp marjoram, ½ tsp thyme, ¼ tsp red chili flakes

The How's:

1. Prepare the chicken breasts first by filleting lengthwise to make 2 thick breasts into 4 thinner ones. Dust both sides with the House Seasoning Blend.
2. Heat a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and add a little bit of olive oil to the pan—enough to just coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, lay the seasoned chicken breasts in to sear. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan as overcrowding leads to steaming, not browning. When the chicken has been seared (note, not fully cooked) on both sides, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the temperature to medium and replenish the pan with a little more olive oil if it looks dry. Add the onion, garlic, Italian Seasoning Blend, kosher salt and cinnamon and cook, stirring often. If you are not accustomed to building sauces this way, I know it may appear a bit strange, but trust me on this. Applying heat and oil to the dried herbs prior to immersing in liquid revives the oils and creates a deeper flavor. It’s the trick to crafting a rich tomato sauce in such a short amount of time.
4. Cook until the onion is translucent and the garlic and herbs fragrant. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and mix together. When the sauce bubbles, add the par-cooked chicken back to the pan, nestle it into the spiced-tomato-goodness, cover and reduce the temperature to a simmer.
5. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes while chopping the fresh garnishes—use either or both basil or flat-leaf parsley.
6. I like to serve this directly from the pan after scattering with the vibrant green fresh herbs.

 

Whole 30 compliant Roasted Turkey Breast

Today it's TURKEY!  I am on The Whole 30 eating plan so I have been using more seasoning when I cook and today I am excited to share with you a fantastic find! Today's recipe Clean Eating Roasted Turkey Breast adapted from: Barefoot Contessa comes from Whole Foods New Body.  I found Turkey Breast at a great price so I thought we should eat it early in the week so I could have leftovers. I followed the recipe pretty much to the "T" (my exception was the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan) and found the breast extremely flavorful.  We could taste the seasoning throughout the breast when eating everyone found it very tasty. 

The What's:

Clean Eating Roasted Turkey Breast (adapted from: Barefoot Contessa)

• 5-6 lb. turkey breast (thawed in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. garlic (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice ( fresh squeezed or organic)

The How:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix garlic, herbs, oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in small bowl.  Place turkey on a roasting pan skin side up. Make a pocket underneath the skin and rub half of the herb mixture under the skin of the turkey. Use the other half of the mixture to rub all over the top of the skin.  (Optional: Pour chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan.)

Bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees. I covered my turkey most of the roasting time but left uncovered the last 20 minutes after turning off the oven giving me time to prepare the sides.  Recipe says to cover with aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes (assuming you have left it uncovered the majority of the roasting time-opposite of my method). Slice and serve with the pan juices.

 I can't wait to for my husband to have his dinner tonight.  With myself I am well pleased. 

Raging Cajun

I am so excited to share a chart of seasoning's you can use to create your very own clean dishes!   I made a quick lunch for the hubs and I am jumped right in using the Cajun recipe.  I tasted it once the chicken was cooked and added a few more sprinkles of cayenne.  That was just enough to have you running for the bayou.

I thought the seasoning was great,  especially since I added ingredients like Coriander that I haven't found a use for very often.  The key here people is to have basic spices on hand and spend your money on those.  Don't buy the blends if you can make them yourself.  

I know you will thank me after you try some of these out so readers, you are welcomed! 

Chicken Asparagus Almond Salad

There is a small market up the street that is the land of a farmer, so Farmer's Market?  I THINK SO!  This place has been open a few years now and today was their first day open for this season.  They will stay open until late summer and into the beautiful falls days of the orange foliage.  My children and I bought these items for less than $20 and we immediately sliced the cucumbers up and squeezed lemons for a salad dressing. 

From the above image, I have already made a My Grandmother's Greek Dressing and it was delicious!  Mine was a little tangy because I love lemon and I added in some dill weed.  This dressing should cover a salad for 4 people.

It was lunch time when I drove home from the market.  I wanted to use the lemon's for the dressing recipe (shown above) and the asparagus in a salad I saw a recipe earlier that day.  At least once a week, I cook about 10lbs of chicken breast so it's all done.  I prepare the chicken many different ways then eat it during the week whenever I am short on time, which is always.  The chicken is cooked, it is seasoned (not too much) and it is portioned for breakfast lunch or dinner.

For my Chicken Asparagus Almond Salad, I found this Whole 30 approved recipe.    

The What's:

1 bunch of trimmed and sliced asparagus
1 large chicken breast, pre-cooked, cubed
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. Silvered Almonds
Cubed cucumber, as many as you desire 

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Combine asparagus, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and almonds in a bowl. Spoon dressing into salad mix and toss.  Serve cold.  Remove to an airtight container.