» garlic

Greek-Inspired Baked Chicken Breast

March 2, 2013 in Main Dishes, Meat and Poultry

This simple chicken dish is quick to put together and makes a perfect mid-week meal when time in the kitchen is not the easiest thing to find. It has a souvlaki-inspired flavor and works really well with salad, simply steamed or roasted veggies, and cauliflower rice. This dish works really well with boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, but you could use any chicken pieces/parts you like for this dish (with or without the skin). You will have to cook about 10 minutes longer for thighs or breasts with bone. Serves 5-6.

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken, cut into parts (boneless, skinless breast or thigh works particularly well)
zest of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp dried oregano (or substitute 3 Tbsp fresh oregano)
1/4 tsp salt to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (or substitute butter or ghee) plus a little extra for greasing the pan

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the bottom of a large casserole dish or deep roasting pan.
Pat chicken dry with paper towel and place in the prepared casserole dish.
Combine lemon zest, garlic, oregano, and salt. Melt coconut oil and mix with spices. Pour over chicken and mix to coat (this is easiest using your hands).
Arrange chicken in a single layer and bake for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Optional: drizzle fresh lemon juice over the chicken before eating.
Enjoy!

Tags: bake, Breast, chicken, Dairy-free, easy, garlic, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, greek, lemon, oregano, paleo, Paleolithic, primal, quick, Recipe, simple, souvlaki, thigh
1 Comment »

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Cauliflower (21DSD-friendly!)

January 7, 2013 in Side Dishes, Veggies

Okay, admission time: cauliflower is not my favorite. When I make mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice, I have to season heavily with herbs and spices (and fat!) to make it tasty for me. But, cauliflower is very healthy. It’s a cruciferous veggie and it’s in season right now. So, I challenged myself to make cauliflower so that it looks like cauliflower and so that I would like it. I decided to try roasting it! What a revelation! Granted, it’s still seasoned, but something about the texture of roasted cauliflower is just awesome. Plus, this is a very simple dish, which is always a bonus! Serves 5-6.

To make this autoimmune protocol-friendly, simply omit the pepper.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower
¼ cup of lard, butter, tallow or coconut oil (you could also use bacon fat and then omit the salt; I used lard).
8-10 coves fresh garlic, crushed
Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cracked pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450F.
Wash cauliflower and cut into florets. You can use the stem too. Place in a casserole dish.
Melt cooking fat (either in the microwave or on the stove top). Toss with cauliflower in the casserole dish. Next toss with lemon zest, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to coat well.
Roast for 25-35 minutes (depending on how big your florets are; mine took 30 minutes), stirring once half way.
Remove from oven and toss with fresh parsley. Serve!

Tags: 21, ancestral, baked, Broccoli, broiled, Cauliflower, day, detox, dsd, easy, garlic, lard, lemon, low-carb, paleo, Paleolithic, parsley, primal, Recipe, roasted, Sugar
4 Comments »

Puerto Rican-Inspired Green Plantain Mash (Mofongo)

November 24, 2012 in Side Dishes, Starchy Staples, Veggies

Mofongo is a traditional fried plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico. It is typically made with fried green plantains mashed together in a wooden mortar and pestle, with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. It is often filled with vegetables, chicken, crab, shrimp, or beef and is often served with fried meat and chicken broth soup.

This version of mofongo is a fantastic paleo mashed potato replacement. Delicious and starchy, but also with a relatively neutral flavor, it would go well beside just about anything. I would even fry up leftovers with eggs for breakfast.

I must thank Gloria for sending me the base recipe for Cuban kufu (and her suggested modifications for mofongo) for me to work from to put together this absolutely awesome starchy side dish. You will not miss mashed potatoes any more! (As an aside, kufu is the same dish made with ripe plantains. It has a very different flavor, but worth a try if you’re like me and are on a plantain kick! The only difference is that the ripe plantains don’t take as long to cook.)

Green plantains are fairly starchy, but if you can handle starches then this recipe is AIP-friendly.

Ingredients:

3 green plantains (also called raw bananas)—the greener, the better!
6 oz bacon
1 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
(extra bacon grease, lard, or butter may be used to make a thinner mash)

Peel plantains and cut into 1” semi-circles. I made that sound too easy. Peeling green plantains can be an exercise in frustration. Cut in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise. Get your thumbs under the peel and pry off. If the peel breaks, use a paring knife to cut off whatever is stuck on.
Place plantains into a pot with 2” of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to maintain a simmer. Simmer covered until plantains are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut bacon into small pieces (I like a pair of scissors for this job). Dice onion finely and finely chop garlic.
Add bacon to a cold frying pan then turn on the heat to medium high. Cook bacon 5 minutes, then add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until bacon is crisp and onion is soft and caramelized.
Drain plantains when they are finished cooking, but keep the cooking liquid! (I like to drain into a large pyrex measuring cup).
Add ½ cup cooking liquid back to the plantains. Mash with a wire potato masher to your desired consistency. Add bacon, onion, garlic and all of the grease from the pan. Stir to incorporate.
If you like a thinner mash, you can either add more of the cooking liquid or you can add additional bacon grease (or substitute lard or butter). Mofongo tends to get thicker as it sits, so if you have any leftovers, you will likely want to add some liquid to them before reheating.
Enjoy!

Tags: bacon, Dairy-free, garlic, Gluten-Free, kufu, mashed, mofongo, nightshade-free, paleo, Paleolithic, plantain, potato, potatoes, primal, Recipe, starch
11 Comments »

Ginger-Garlic Cauliflower Rice

August 6, 2012 in Side Dishes, Starchy Staples, Veggies

I have to admit that I’ve never really liked rice, not unless it was drenched in the sauce from several different Chinese food dishes from an authentic restaurant. When I first started eating low carb, I often made rice as a starch for my husband because it was so easy for me to abstain and just stick with my low-carb veggies. Now, we don’t eat rice at all except for very rare occasions when I’ll make some for my husband and kids. If a dish calls for rice (typically a stir fry or Indian-inspired dish), I make the standard paleo substitute of cauliflower rice. But, I have to admit that, unless it’s going to be drowned in sauce, I find this just as boring and bland as rice itself. At least, I used to find it boring. I started playing with flavorings for cauliflower rice to jazz it up and make it stand alone as a flavor on the plate (no sauce required!). The inspiration for this variation comes from Asian flavors, almost reminiscent of sushi rice. This cauliflower rice has a mild enough flavor that it won’t compete with other flavors on your plate (so you can serve it with any variety of meats and vegetables) but all of a sudden, it isn’t just boring filler. I hope you enjoy this rice substitute as much as we do. It’s now one of our staples. Makes 4-5 servings.

Note: coconut water vinegar, which is used in this recipe, is very similar in flavor to rice vinegar (you could substitute apple cider vinegar, but it wouldn’t quite taste the same), so it’s fabulous for replicating Asian flavors. Coconut Secret brand is available at Whole Foods and Amazon and Tropical Traditions also sells it.

Ingredients:

1 small head of cauliflower (4-5 cups riced)
3 Tbsp tallow (or substitute lard, coconut oil or Unsalted Butter)
4-5 slices of Fresh Ginger (~1” diameter and 1/8” thick)
3 cloves Fresh Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Coconut Vinegar
1 Tbsp chives, chopped (or use a good quality Dried Chives)
1/8 tsp Salt, to taste

1.    Trim cauliflower and place florets in a Food Processor (you may have to do this in batches). Pulse until chopped to rice grain size. Set aside.
2.    Heat tallow and ginger slices in a large frying pan or Wok over medium-high heat until fragrant and ginger has browned.
3.    Remove ginger slices. Add cauliflower and garlic to the oil and cook, stirring frequently until cauliflower is cooked al dente (about 7-8 minutes).
4.    Stir in vinegar, chives and salt. Enjoy!