Spicy Turkey Boats (paleo)

 We met some friends down at Waikiki a few weeks ago to share a dinner picnic and watch the Friday night fireworks, and these yummy, easy-to-pack turkey boats were my contribution to the spread.  I gathered up ingredients from my fridge and spice cabinet that I thought would go well together, and I have to say that the mix I came up with turned out to be one of my favorite things I've ever made. Bold statement, but it's true!  The citrusy notes of the lemon and coriander pairs nicely with the smokey cumin and bacon, and the ground turkey and kale provides a nutrient dense, mild background that really lets all of the flavors shine.  A final touch of spicy sweet sriracha gives just the right amount of kick, and the whole thing is so tasty that I could eat this for days. We spooned generous portions onto crisp romaine "boats" for a high protein, low carb starter, but it would be equally delicious paired with roasted root vegetables, your favorite gluten free grain, or on top of a salad of leafy greens and chopped crunchy veggies.

INGREDIENTS 

3 tbsp EVOO

1 pound organic ground turkey

1/2 large onion, diced

5 large cloves garlic

1.5 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

Zest of one lemon

1.5 tsp Himalayan salt

4 strips bacon cooked crisp then finely chopped

1 tbsp sriracha

Juice of 1.5 lemons (or 1 if it's very juicy)

4 large stalks of curly green kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped small

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Romaine heart leaves, washed and dried

DIRECTIONS 

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown the onions in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Add the turkey and garlic and cook until the turkey is no longer pink, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon so that it crumbles. Add in the coriander, cumin, salt, lemon zest, bacon, and kale, and cook until the kale has completely wilted.  Turn off the heat and stir in the Sriracha, lemon juice and cilantro.  Check for seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice, or Sriracha if needed.  Let the mixture cool a bit before spooning it onto the lettuce boats. Enjoy!

Sneaky Veggie & Beef Soup (paleo)

We all know that some kids are better at eating their vegetables than others. Well, If you happen to have a picky eater in your house, then this recipe is for you.  Why do I call it Sneaky Veggie and Beef Soup?  Because I sneak 3 stalks of celery, one whole red bell pepper, and 3 packed cups of hearty kale leaves in this dish, but all of the vegetables are blended into a purée before cooking, so nobody would ever know!  With the fresh, familiar flavors of tangy lime, smokey cumin, and sweet red bell pepper, this sneaky soup sure pleased all three of my guys at dinner last night, and Nikhil (my fussy one) had no clue that he was eating green vegetables.

To make a meal out of it, I served our soup over jasmine rice that I spiced with a quarter teaspoon each of turmeric and cinnamon, and my two year old gobbled up his first serving and quickly went in for seconds.  If you can tolerate dairy (lucky you!), I'd bet that a dollop of sour cream would be a divine accompaniment. And if you are eating Paleo or grain free as I am these days, you could enjoy this delicious soup alone, with slices of ripe avocado, or with some roasted squash or sweet potatoes.  No matter how you decide to enjoy your Sneaky Soup, I hope you and your family loves it as much as mine!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 pound grass fed ground beef*

1/4 cup dried onion or 1/2 cup fresh yellow or white onion, finely diced (I used dried onion because that's all that I had in the house.  Be sure it's dried onion flakes, and not onion powder.)

1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped

3 large stalks celery, roughly chopped

3 packed cups kale leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups chicken broth**

1.5 tbsp ground cumin

1/2-1 tsp sea salt (depends on your preference and how salty your broth is)

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

* If you don't care for beef, ground turkey would be a great substitute.

**If you use reduced sodium broth, you'll most likely need to add extra salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.

DIRECTIONS:

Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over a medium setting.  Add in the dried onion or fresh onion plus your ground beef, and begin to break the beef apart with a wooden spoon.  Continue cooking the beef over medium-low heat, crumbling the meat as much as possible, and stirring everything to allow the onions to cook through until at least translucent, if you used fresh onions.  If you used dried onions, they will do their thing and turn a little golden brown.

While the beef and onions are cooking, prepare your vegetables:  Place the red bell pepper, celery, garlic, and chicken broth in your blender cup, and process until everything is blended into a smooth puree.  Add in the kale leaves, and blend again until the kale is pureed (you could try adding all of the veggies on the first try, but kale is pretty bulky so it might not all fit). You'll have a somewhat frothy, watery, strange looking liquid, but don't worry- this will all cook down and turn into a beautiful soup.

Once the beef and onion have cooked through, add the pureed veggies and broth mixture, ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the pot.  Give everything a good stir, and then bring it to a boil.  Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let it cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and you're left with a rich, somewhat thick soup.  The consistency of the soup will be almost as thick as chili, but definitely "soupier."

Once you've reached a consistency that you're happy with, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and fresh lime juice.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.  Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Chicken (paleo)

I absolutely love the fragrant, tart flavor of limes- especially in the summertime.  As you may have noticed in my last post, I have been on a lime kick recently, and I've been using every opportunity possible to incorporate these citrusy gems into my cooking.  A few weekends ago, we went on a family hike to a waterfall that is just a few miles from our house.  The boys were so tired when we got home that they all took an afternoon nap (Ben included), so I decided to get creative in the kitchen and make a yummy dinner from the stuff that I already had in my fridge.  The result was this savory and tangy Cilantro & Lime Chicken, which I served alongside an easy vegetable curry that I made up that afternoon as well (I'll post that recipe soon).  It was a hearty and satisfying dinner that is both kid and grown-up friendly.  Although the chicken was tasty for dinner that night, it was 100% better the next day for lunch after a couple of leftover breasts had a chance to marinate in the fridge overnight.   So, I highly recommend marinating your chicken for at least 8 hours before cooking it, which tenderizes the meat and infuses it with the intense flavors of the lime, cilantro, garlic, and cumin.  I promise it'll be worth the wait.  One of the best things about this juicy chicken is that it's super versatile.  It would be delicious on top of a crunchy romaine salad, inside of a sandwich, with sauteed greens and jasmine rice... feel free to get creative and pair it with some of your family's favorite sides.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, excess fat trimmed

MARINADE:

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 2 limes

5 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp sea salt

20 turns of the pepper mill

1 tsp ground cumin

DIRECTIONS:

First, mix all of your marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.  Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish, then pour the marinade over the chicken and quickly massage the mixture into the meat to make sure it's evenly coated.  Cover the dish and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 8-24 hours.

When you are ready to cook your chicken, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature before cooking (this is one way to help prevent the meat from drying out during the cooking process).  In a large, heavy skillet with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, then place your chicken in the hot skillet, ensuring that the chicken is not too crowded (too much meat in the pan will result in the chicken steaming instead of searing).  You may need to cook the chicken in a couple of batches.

Cook each side for 3-4 minutes, allowing a nice crust to form on each side.  After you've cooked the second side, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes.  You want your chicken to be cooked through (no longer pink inside), but still tender and moist.  Be careful to not overcook your meat, as it will continue to cook a bit even after you remove it from the heat.

Remove the chicken onto a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.  You can cover it with foil to keep it warm, if you wish.  This step allows all of the juices to reabsorb back into the meat so that you're left with moist, juicy chicken when you cut into it.  After it's had a chance to rest, cut your chicken on an angle and against the grain.

Enjoy!