Chickpea & Carrot Curry (gluten free, vegan)

Although I strive to eat a mostly Paleo diet (no grains, legumes, dairy, or refined sugar), I don't always want to eat meat at every meal.  In general beans don't completely agree with me digestion-wise (they are legumes), but I still love them, and chickpeas, which are also known as garbanzo beans, are my favorite variety.  I grew up eating chickpea curry, and until I discovered how much better I felt eating the Paleo way (almost 3 years ago now), this was in our regular rotation.  More commonly known as chana masala on Indian restaurant menus, this is a universally loved dish.  I have updated my version of it to be especially kid friendly for my boys by including carrots, because what kid doesn't love carrots?  I served our chickpea curry tonight with steamed cauliflower tossed in virgin coconut oil, and even my pickiest eater cleaned his plate.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans organic garbanzo beans

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 1/2 cups diced carrots (about 3 medium)

4 Roma tomatoes, quartered

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

scant 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup filtered water

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Place the olive oil, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.  Turn the heat onto medium, letting the oil and whole spices heat up until the mustard seeds start to pop.  Once they start popping, immediately add your diced onion and quickly give it all a stir to prevent the seeds from burning.  Now reduce the heat to medium low, and brown the onions, stirring frequently to ensure that they don't burn.  This can take 10-15 minutes, but be patient!  The rich flavor that the browned onions provide this dish is absolutely worth the wait.

While your onions are browning, puree your tomatoes, garlic, and ginger in a blender or food processor.  I used my blender, and got almost 2 1/2 cups of puree.

Once your onions have properly browned, add the pureed tomato mix, diced carrots, garbanzo beans, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the pot.  Stir well, and allow everything to simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Next, stir in the water and reduce the heat to your lowest setting.  Cover your pot, and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until your carrots are tender.  Be sure to stir your curry occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Once your carrots are properly fork tender, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.  Do a taste test, and add more salt if you wish.

Enjoy your chickpea curry with rice, steamed cauliflower, quinoa, or roasted sweet potatoes.  It's delicious with just about anything!

This was a hearty and satisfying vegan meal for us tonight.  What is your favorite vegetarian dinner?

Aromatic Chicken & Carrots (paleo, AIP)

Dinner just doesn't get easier than this when you're in the mood for a hearty, made-from-scratch meal.  Five main ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time will give you a mouth-watering, healthy supper that is kid friendly and perfect for any time of the year.  At 4 pm today, I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner, but luckily both my fridge and freezer are well stocked thanks to last week's trip to Costco, and today's jaunt to the grocery store and farmers market.  For tonight's meal I was inspired by the gorgeous, vibrant organic rainbow carrots that I got from the store. They must be in season right now because they are so crisp and fresh, despite having been flown (or shipped!) over from California.  I always have organic chicken thighs in the freezer, and lemons in the produce drawer, so I pulled out some shallots that I got from the farmers market, and tied it all together with the aromatic rosemary that grows so eagerly in our backyard.  After simmering on the stove top for about an hour, the result was a yummy, comforting dish that was perfect for this cool and rainy Sunday evening.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp ghee, divided

5 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into quarters

1 lb rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary

zest of a large lemon

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste (omit for AIP)

1 tbsp lemon juice, set aside

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee over medium heat in a large Dutch oven, or heavy enameled pot with a tight fitting lid.

Add the shallots and sautee over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until they are just golden brown, being careful to not let them burn.

Add in the chicken, carrots, rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper.  Give everything a good stir, bring to a strong simmer, tuck the rosemary sprigs under the chicken and carrots, then cover and turn the heat down to the lowest setting.

Let simmer for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender, and the chicken starts to fall apart.  Remove the tough rosemary stems.

Right before serving, stir in the remaining tablespoon of ghee, the lemon juice, and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.  Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Summertime Salmon Chowder (paleo, aip-friendly)

Despite our humid, 88 degree weather here, I found myself craving salmon chowder of all things the other afternoon.  I did an online search for a Paleo version, and thought that the ingredient list of Sarah Fragoso's Scrumptious Salmon Chowder looked appealing.  I had most of what I needed at home except for carrots, bacon, and leeks, so the boys and I took a trip to our well air conditioned grocery to get some stuff.  It was a great excuse to get out of the house and cool off. Although Sarah's recipe doesn't call for it, I picked up some crisp celery at the store to add to my soup because I wanted that extra savory flavor in there.  I also opted to cook the bacon in whole strips, and then poured off the bacon fat and replaced it with virgin coconut oil before sauteing my veggies.  I know it's common in Paleo cooking to use a fair amount of bacon fat, but I'm just not a fan.  I made a few more changes to the recipe, but mostly stuck to Sarah's ingredient list and I have to say that the result truly was scrumptious!  Both of my boys enjoyed the dish, and I ate two large bowls at dinner, plus a bowl for lunch the next day.  I shared it with a friend of mine, and her response to her first bite was "yes!"  So, even though this is not my original recipe, I wanted to share it with you because it's just that good.  And if you feel like checking out the Everyday Paleo website, be sure to look for Sarah's Puerto Rican Beef and Chocolate Custard recipes.  They are two of my faves.

Adapted from Everyday Paleo

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz nitrate and nitrite free bacon, cooked until crispy

1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 ½ cups leeks, sliced into thin rounds- about one medium sized leek*

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick half moons

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cups chicken stock- not reduced sodium**

1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1 lb of wild salmon fillets (skin and bones removed)

10 turns of the pepper mill (omit for AIP)

*A tip about cooking with leeks: I was taught to use the white and light green portion of the leek, and not the darker green, tougher part.  Leeks grow in sandy soil, so you want to be sure to properly rinse your leeks in a colander after slicing them.  You can also soak the sliced leeks in a large bowl of water to let the heavier soil sink to the bottom, and then rinse several times to ensure that all debris has been removed.  You don't want gritty soup!

**If you use reduced sodium stock, you may need to add salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.

DIRECTIONS:

First, cook the bacon in a large skillet until it's crispy, then transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb the excess oil), and pour the bacon fat from the skillet into a disposable receptacle.  You may need to cook the bacon in two batches.  Add the coconut oil to the skillet (or a soup pot if your skillet is too shallow), then add in your leeks, carrots, and celery.  Saute the veggies until they are tender- I cooked mine for about 7 minutes over medium heat.  While your veggies are cooking, chop the crisped bacon into small bite sized pieces.  Now add your coconut milk, chicken stock, bacon, black pepper, and dill to the pot and bring to a low simmer.  Add in the whole salmon fillets and gently simmer until the fish starts to flake apart, which should take 5 minutes or so.  Once the salmon has cooked through (but not overcooked!), and the carrots are tender, your chowder is ready.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh dill if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Chickpea & Carrot Curry (gluten free, vegan)

Although I strive to eat a mostly Paleo diet (no grains, legumes, dairy, or refined sugar), I don't always want to eat meat at every meal.  In general beans don't completely agree with me digestion-wise (they are legumes), but I still love them, and chickpeas, which are also known as garbanzo beans, are my favorite variety.  I grew up eating chickpea curry, and until I discovered how much better I felt eating the Paleo way (almost 3 years ago now), this was in our regular rotation.  More commonly known as chana masala on Indian restaurant menus, this is a universally loved dish.  I have updated my version of it to be especially kid friendly for my boys by including carrots, because what kid doesn't love carrots?  I served our chickpea curry tonight with steamed cauliflower tossed in virgin coconut oil, and even my pickiest eater cleaned his plate.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans organic garbanzo beans

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 1/2 cups diced carrots (about 3 medium)

4 Roma tomatoes, quartered

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

scant 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup filtered water

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Place the olive oil, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.  Turn the heat onto medium, letting the oil and whole spices heat up until the mustard seeds start to pop.  Once they start popping, immediately add your diced onion and quickly give it all a stir to prevent the seeds from burning.  Now reduce the heat to medium low, and brown the onions, stirring frequently to ensure that they don't burn.  This can take 10-15 minutes, but be patient!  The rich flavor that the browned onions provide this dish is absolutely worth the wait.

While your onions are browning, puree your tomatoes, garlic, and ginger in a blender or food processor.  I used my blender, and got almost 2 1/2 cups of puree.

Once your onions have properly browned, add the pureed tomato mix, diced carrots, garbanzo beans, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the pot.  Stir well, and allow everything to simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Next, stir in the water and reduce the heat to your lowest setting.  Cover your pot, and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until your carrots are tender.  Be sure to stir your curry occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Once your carrots are properly fork tender, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.  Do a taste test, and add more salt if you wish.

Enjoy your chickpea curry with rice, steamed cauliflower, quinoa, or roasted sweet potatoes.  It's delicious with just about anything!

This was a hearty and satisfying vegan meal for us tonight.  What is your favorite vegetarian dinner?