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!

Lemony Kale & Apple Salad (vegan, paleo)

I am on a mission to eat more vegetables everyday.  Last year I met a registered dietician who told me that he eats ten servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.  Ten servings!  I'm not saying that I think we all need to consume that much produce every single day, but it did get me thinking about what I'm really eating on a daily basis.  While I try to get ample veggies into my diet (I read here that a good rule of thumb is to try to fill half your plate with fruit or vegetables at each meal), I'm not sure if this always happens.  It's pretty easy to just reach for a piece of fruit, but my goal is to consume more dark, leafy greens like collards, mustard greens, bok choy, chard, watercress, arugula, and kale.  I've found that the more greens I eat each day, the better I feel.  I have more energy, I crave less sugar, and my mood seems more mellow overall.  I got together with some friends over the weekend, and we ended up having a conversation about how kale is going to save the world (there's actually a t-shirt that makes this claim!).  Needless to say, my friends and I are kale fanatics, and rightfully so.  For starters, it's delicious sauteed with garlic, cooked into soups, baked into lasagna, blended into smoothies, marinated in salads, roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, and oven-crisped to make kid-friendly kale chips.  And of course we've all heard about the magnificent health benefits of kale (you can read about these benefits here and here).  I have many kale recipes to share with you, but I thought that this simple, refreshing, easy-to-prepare salad is a great start.  Make a batch, keep it in your fridge, and snack on it throughout the day as a yummy way to get more fresh fruits and veggies into your life.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch of kale (any variety will work, although I prefer green curly kale or Lacinato)

2 1/2 cups diced Fuji apple (about 2 small apples, or 1 1/2 large)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

the zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used 15 turns of my pepper mill. Omit for AIP)

Note: Whenever possible, I like to buy organically grown kale and apples to avoid the pesticides used on conventional varieties.

DIRECTIONS:

Wash your kale well to remove residual dirt, sand, and all of the little critters that love kale as much as we do.  I do this by rinsing each stalk individually front and back, and then I shake off the excess water.  You can also place your kale in a large bowl, fill it with cold water, then agitate the kale with your hands to loosen any debris.  Repeat this 3 times.  Drain the excess water from your washed kale  by giving it a few good shakes in a colander, or you can use a large salad spinner.

Remove the tough stems from your kale, roughly chop the leaves, and place them in a large mixing bowl.

You can easily "zip" the leaves from the stem by holding the stalk upside down, then grasp the end of the stem with one hand and use your other hand to pull the leaves down, separating them from the stem.

This is how much kale I got after removing the stems, and chopping the leaves with a large knife- around 8 cups.

Prepare your dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and then pour this mixture over your kale.

Use your hands to give it all a good mix, then massage the kale leaves to help break down the tough fibers.  The volume of the kale will shrink considerably after doing this.

Add in the diced apple, mix again, and do a taste check for seasonings.

Make any necessary adjustments, then store your salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (although I doubt it'll last that long!).

As you can probably tell, this is one of my favorite ways to eat kale.  What is yours?