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!

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!

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry (paleo)

It's almost Thanksgiving!

I love this time of year. The weather in my neighborhood cools down to a perfect 78 degrees, and everyone starts to get super festive with get togethers, holiday activities, and lots of yummy food.  I had my girlfriends over on Saturday evening for a potluck and jewelry party (you can check out my friend Chun's dainty pieces here), and my contribution to the dinner table was this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry that turned out to be a hit.  I make this dish probably 2-3 times a month, and I almost always put it on the menu if we are entertaining guests.  Aside from being a crowd pleaser (it's even kid-approved), it's an easy, fool-proof recipe that requires little prep time, and then the slow cooker does the majority of the work for you.

I used to make my curry with a can of organic diced tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, but last week I started on a modified version of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet, which sadly does not include tomatoes or any of the nightshade vegetables.  It may sound like an extreme way of eating, especially since I don't actually have autoimmune disease, but this anti-inflammatory diet has already improved my digestion and lessened my fatigue symptoms in just 6 days, so it's 100% worth it to me to stick with this eating plan for now.

To make my Slow Cooker Chicken Curry nightshade free, I used puréed pumpkin in place of the tomato, and it turned out wonderfully!  I thought that the pumpkin would be a perfect substitute for the tomato because of it's slightly tart flavor, and because it goes so well with spices such as cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.  You can't taste the pumpkin in the curry, but it gives the dish a beautiful color, a boost of fiber and nutrients such as beta carotene, and it blends with the coconut milk and spices to create a deeply flavorful sauce.  If anyone in your family is finicky about eating their vegetables, this is a fantastic way to sneak some veggies into their diets.  I'm sharing a batch of this at Nikhil's Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow at school, and I am curious to see how the parents and kids like it!

Whether you are looking for a seasonal alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, or wanting to add a hearty slow cooker meal into your weekly rotation, I hope you try this out and enjoy it as much as we do!

Prep time: about 25 minutes  Cook time: 5-6 hours  Servings: 10-12 (you'll have leftovers for sure)

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup pure pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)

1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1.5 tsp ground turmeric

6 whole cardamom pods

6 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

15 turns of the pepper mill

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Note: If you would like to try my original recipe that calls for tomato, simply replace the pumpkin purée with one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, and omit the cinnamon stick.  Add the diced tomatoes to the blender with the coconut milk, ginger, garlic, and onion, and purée until smooth, then add this sauce to the chicken and dry spices. The rest of the recipe remains the same.  If you'd like to make the pumpkin recipe, but can tolerate tomatoes, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to your curry.  It gives the dish a beautiful depth and really brings everything together. If you are sticking to the pumpkin recipe, be sure to add lots of lemon juice to taste, as it will brighten the curry and tie the flavors together.

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse your chicken under cold water, and shake off as much water as possible.  Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, and cut the meat into large chunks.  Place the chicken in the pot of your slow cooker, and get started on the sauce.  Place the coconut milk, onion, garlic, and ginger into a high speed blender or food processor, and blend on high until smooth.  Pour this mixture over the chicken, then add the pumpkin, and all of the spices- cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper- and give it a good stir.  Cover the pot, and turn your slow cooker to the low setting.  Let it do its job for 4 or 5 hours, then turn the setting to high, and crack the lid so that the steam can escape and the sauce can reduce, stirring occasionally.  I usually do this in the last hour or 2.  Alternatively, you can leave it on low for 8 hours overnight, or while you're gone during the day, and you most likely won't need to let the sauce reduce.  When you are ready to serve, stir in the lemon and cilantro, and do a taste test.  Add more salt and/or lemon if necessary, to taste.  Serve with rice, quinoa, or chapati.  I like to eat mine drizzled with virgin coconut oil and a squeeze of lemon, with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and a dollop of green chutney. For a little kick, I suggest adding some Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with love, gratitude, and good food.  I am certainly grateful for all of you.

With Aloha,

Fauzia