Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil.

Mini Vegetable Frittatas

 

These veggie frittatas are so simple to make and they make for an easy quick or even to-go breakfast… lunch or dinner for that matter. I got this idea from a client who started to make them for her son who has recently adopted the Paleo diet and was having trouble eating enough for breakfast. I decided to make them today and I think I will make some more soon because Diego’s already eaten two or three.

What you need:

1.5 cup zucchini squash, shredded

1/2 an onion chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

6 eggs

1/2 tsp  Celtic sea salt

1tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté onions and salt in olive oil in a large pan until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 3-5 minutes.

While this is happening, whisk the eggs in a medium size bowl. Add the zucchini   and green onion to the egg mixture and mix.

Spray a 12 muffin pan with oil and fill each hole with mushroom and onion just so it covers the bottom.

Fill each muffin hole with egg mixture a little more than 3/4 full but not quite to the top, it will fluff up and the egg might run over a bit.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the egg is cooked all the way through.

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers and Squash Pear Sesame Sala

This weekend I tried a recipe from my Paleolicious cookbook and created one of my own! These chicken fingers are so flavorful and crispy on the outside. I used the larger coconut shavings instead of shredded coconut which added more crisp to the chicken. We dipped the chicken in leftover sesame dressing, jalapeno cilantro chimichirri and homemade bbq sauce.

The recipe in the cookbook is actually paired with a sesame greens salad, but I had no greens at home. What I had was squash, so I thought, I can make a salad with squash. Later I eyed the pears I had gotten and thought that it might make a great combo. It's sweet and refreshing.

For the Chicken:
2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 in thick and cut into strips
3 egg whites, whisked in a small bowl
1/2 cup almond flour, in a small bowl
shredded coconut to cover the chicken
2 tblsp grapeseed oil

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in these three steps: Almond Flour, egg whites, coconut; until the chicken is covered. Place the chicken in the skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides; about 3-5 min each side. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

Salad:
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and dices
1 large ripe pear, diced into cubes
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
salt to taste

In a pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the squash until soft. Meanwhile mix lemon juice, oil, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Prepare a bowl with ice water, and when the squash are soft, pour into the ice water to stop the cooking process and cool the squash temperature. Drain the water and place pears in the bowl. Pour in the dressing and mix making sure everything gets covered in sauce.