Paleo Day 4: Turkey Larb Lettuce Wraps

I know you’re probably reading the word “larb” and thinking that it sounds an awful lot like the word “lard”. I know when I read the recipe titled “Chicken Larb” I was a bit put off by it simply because the word itself is just extremely unattractive. But I went down to the ingredients list and my mouth started watering and I knew I had to make this weird sounding dish! Call it Creepy Angela Food or call it weird Asian stuff, I am telling you now you will not be disappointed with the end result! If you were curious, like me, about what the word “larb” is, according to Wikipedia: Larb is a Lao minced meat salad, and is said to be the national dish of Laos. Often found in Thailand and parts of China.

As you know I am starting this lifestyle change and eating more like our ancestors did a long long time ago. If you are interested in the Paleo Diet, I suggest reading the book The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain, Ph.D. It has some really good information and helps break down the diet and the reason it’s so good for you! I am not as strict as the author and some other Paleo eaters, I am just giving it a go for a month to see how I feel. So far it’s been a week and I have seen a big change in the way I feel. I find that I have more energy and less stomach issues. I also find myself not as hungry all of the time, which has always been unheard of for me! I actually am making myself eat snacks throughout the day even though I am not hungry because I know I need the right amount of nutrition and calories. If you’re interested in changing your life, being healthy and feeling great, I suggest you try this diet out! You can still eat the most delicious meals too!

I am doing something new today on the blog! Here is a little video of the making of this easy and delicious recipe! Get a little Jimi Hendrix in the background and you can’t go wrong!

Let’s get started on some grub.

The original recipe I derived this dish from called for chicken instead of turkey. At my local grocery store they didn’t have ground chicken available, and I love turkey meat anyway so I grabbed a pound of that. I say you can cook with either meat, whatever you prefer.

Whisk together your lime juice, fish sauce, honey, hot pepper paste, and sriracha sauce. If you can’t find the Gochujang or don’t want to go to an asian market you can sub with some chile paste. It’s always available in the asian aisle at local grocery stores. Taste and add more honey or sriracha to your liking. Set aside.

Place your chicken stock in a deep saucepan and place on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add your ground meat and stir occasionally until it starts to break apart about 6 minutes. Add your shallots, green onion, carrots, lemongrass, cilantro, chilies, and pepper, stir to heat evenly. Take about 4 minutes for the onion to become translucent and the carrots to get soft. Once your meat is cooked through, take of the heat and strain any excess juices (I just use the saucepan lid over the sink).

Take your lime-chile sauce and pour in the meat mixture. Stir evenly. Garnish with some cilantro on top. Serve with a slotted spoon and bib or butter lettuce leaves.

What you’ll need:
2-3 limes, juiced
1/3 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
1 tbs Gochujang (hot pepper or chili paste)
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock, no msg or preservatives added (or homemade)
1 pound ground chicken or turkey, free range, grass fed
Handfull of carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 of a shallot, minced
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (gourmet garden) 3 tbs minced if using fresh herb
1 tablespoon thinly sliced serrano chile (seeds removed if you want it to be less spicy)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (save some extra for garnish and top)
1 head of butter or bib lettuce (sometimes called “Living Lettuce”), washed and separated into leaves

This dish has SO much flavor! And it is even better leftover when all of the juices marinate with the ground meat. If you don’t want to stick to Paleo this will also be good with some steamed rice. This will definitely be a repeat dish for me! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did, and have your P.F. Changs lettuce wrap fix at home!

Chorizo Chicken Burgers

Can I just say, this burger may not be made from angus or kobe beef, but it is so good! By far the best chicken burger I’ve ever had! I took the original recipe from my favorite food blog annie’s-eats. I added a few more ingredients to make it my own, and to give it more flavor and spice! What I love about burgers is you can make so many unique flavors, for this recipe if you want more heat you can add more jalapeño, or leave it out for a more mellow taste. The chorizo and green chilies I added produce a lot of heat and flavor! I also mixed things up and used a pretzel bun. I found them in the bread aisle, it’s aunt millie’s brand and they turned out great! There’s also a cheese and buffalo brand i will try soon.

To get started, mix together all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Be careful not to over mix and make sure the ingredients are mixed evenly. The chorizo tends to stick together in clumps so try to get those separated. I find it’s best to use your hands! It may be gross, but it’s the best way to mix the ingredients!

Take a grill pan or non stick skillet and spray lightly with PAM. You do not need to use any oil, the chorizo is oily enough for the burgers to not get stuck in the pan. Cook on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. Flipping once to prevent any loss of juices and flavor. With a few minutes left of cooking, add your sliced cheddar cheese and place a lid over top to melt the cheese. I found my burgers to be a bit on the oily side when they were done cooking, so I laid them on paper towels to soak up some of the oil.

Assemble with toasted pretzel bun, homemade guacamole (here is the link for my holy guacamole! recipe), and salsa! Serve and let your tastebuds go to a happy place!

This recipe makes 4-5 burgers.

What you’ll need:
1 lb. ground chicken
2 links of chorizo, casing removed
½ yellow onion, diced small
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 jalapeño, seeded, cored and minced well
2 oz.(half a 4oz. can) mild green chilies (I like La Preferida brand comes roasted, peeled, and diced)
1 tsp. cajun seasoning 
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
Juice of ½ lime
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
Assembly:
Pretzel bun, or your bun of choice
Sliced cheddar cheese
Holy Guacamole!
Salsa

Chicken Salad from Scratch!!

When I think of summertime, I think of sun, pools, beach and always having fresh lemonade, fruit, and cold sandwiches on hand! This chicken salad is perfect after a long day in the sun and you cannot beat how fresh it tastes! You can put it on bread to make a sandwich, you can spoon it on top of a salad, you can make lettuce cups with it (definitely recommended!). This recipe makes a lot of chicken salad so leftovers leave room for a variety of options to use with it.

To get started, boil your chicken in a large pot for 20-25 minutes or until the middle is no longer pink. Drain and set aside to cool. The longest part of this meal is the prepping! Chop up your celery (i like to add the leaves), onion, grapes, chicken, and fresh herbs. I mixed them up prior to adding my wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together your yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, spicy dijon mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper, cajun and cayenne pepper spices. You can substitute sour cream or buttermilk instead of yogurt if you wish. Whisk together well, then taste it before mixing in the large bowl. Mine was too bitter for me so i added lots more brown sugar until I was content with what I tasted.

When mixing the wet ingredients to the dry, do a folding technique to prevent the mixture from falling apart and being over mixed.

If you prefer your chicken salad as a sandwich I would highly recommend toasting your bread and adding some spinach or spring greens on there!! Of course you don’t ever want to deny any extra vegetables! Enjoy with some chips or fresh fruit.

What you’ll need:

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, boiled and cubed
• 2 stalks (to 3 Stalks) Celery, Chopped
• 3 whole Green Onions, Chopped
• 2 cups (to 3 Cups) Grapes, Halved (green and purple)
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt Or Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Half-and-half
•  A Small Handful Of Fresh Dill and Parsley, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon (to 4 Tablespoons) Brown Sugar
•  Juice Of One Lemon
•  Kosher Salt  and Black Pepper To Taste
•  Cayenne and Cajun Seasonings To Taste

A Twist to Chicken Pot Pie

Who doesn’t love pot pie? I decided to mix it up a little and throw in some vitamin K! I also added chorizo and some chili’s to give it a little kick! This is definitely no ordinary pie, so if you’re afraid of a little spice or something different, you may just want to check out my plain pie recipe.

To get started, you’ll want to boil your chicken for 20-25 minutes, then set aside to cool. You can also use rotisserie chicken which is a little messy, but is easier and takes less time to make. While your chicken is cooling, preheat your oven to 350° (or according to your dough‘s packing directions).

Take a skillet and place on medium high heat. Slice your chorizo keeping the casing as intact as you can. After 2-3 minutes add your onions. Cook until the chorizo is slightly browned on both sides and the onions are translucent. Set aside.

In a medium to large size pot, on medium heat, melt your butter and gradually stir in the flour in bits. Careful not to place too much flour at one time or it will become clumpy. You also don’t want to boil the butter and flour. Once melted and the flour thins, add your milk and half and half. Next add your chicken broth, stir to combine.

Once your chicken is cooled enough to handle (or if you’re impatient and hungry, like I usually am, you can use two forks) and shred the chicken. Place in all of your ingredients except your squash, peas, and spinach. 

To make life easier, I had all steam in bags, so I microwaved my spinach, peas, and squash. Once they’re done place in the pot and stir until incorporated. Careful not to stir too much or your veggies will make the mixture mushy.

Get out your pot pie pan, you can also use a basic square baking dish. Place your dough on the bottom layer, then pour in your filling and place your second layer of dough on top and seal. Take a butter knife and make in four lines to create air pockets. Place in the oven according to package directions of your dough of choice. I like Pillsbury and I also like Whole Foods whole wheat pie crust. After the first 15 minutes take foil and cover up the edges of your pie crust, this prevents it from burning when the rest of the dough isn’t ready to come out yet.

That’s it!! You’re all done and I promise you’ll love the end result! If the chorizo is too spicy for you, I recommend leaving out the chili’s or vice versa. I tend to like the spicier things, so if you’re new to trying spicy foods, I would suggest just starting with the chorizo.

What you’ll need:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken if you’re pressed on time)
1 link of chorizo sausage
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp flour, add more if needed based on sauces consistency (if too thin add more)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
A dash or so of half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1 square of chopped chili DOROT seasoning (freezer aisle at any natural/whole foods store)
1 tsp each or so (add more to taste) of cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
2 peices of your favorite pie crust or dough

Triple B Chicken Pizza

Warning: Mouth may water while reading this post.

Triple B chicken pizza?? What the heck is that?! Triple B stands for Blackened, Blue, and Buffalo. Ohhh yes, amazing. A few things I love: Pizza, Blue Cheese, and Blackened anything. So I thought, why not put all of these amazing ingredients into one!? I’ve always wanted to try a pizza like this, but my husband isn’t a big buffalo or blue cheese fan (crazy right??) so, like in a previous post, I have been making everything I like that he’s not a big fan of.

I didn’t make the dough homemade, which is something I want to try next time. I bought the dough at Publix and they made it fresh the same day. The dough is absolutely amazing! So fresh and when it was done baking, it had the perfect combination of crispy outside and soft middle. I bought Boar’s Head blue cheese, anything they make tastes great. I blackened the chicken using my grill pan (best invention ever!). Needless to say, I was in heaven when I tasted this pizza! It had the perfect amount of spicy and paired great with a nice cold glass of milk!

To get started, you may have to leave your dough out of the fridge for an hour. Next pre heat your oven according to package directions, mine was 350°. If you have a pizza stone (I highly recommend this if you don’t have one) and place the stone on in the oven while it’s preheating. This will help make that crust that’s crispy on the outside and still soft in the middle.

While the oven is preheating make your blackened seasoning. Mix well and set aside. Before you start cooking the chicken, this may cause a lot of smoke so turn your fan on!! Heat the pan on medium high and place olive oil. Prepare your chicken (cut off any fat and rinse with water) pound the chicken to a flat 1/4-1/2 in thickness. Cover both sides of the chicken, and press down with fingers. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside.

Next, cut your peppers and onion. Set aside. Now take a medium size bowl and pour in your sauce and dressing add some blue cheese crumbles, mix well.  Take your blackened chicken and cut into cubes.

Take your dough ball and place some flour on the surface as well as your rolling pin and hands. Roll dough to desired thickness. Pop any bubbles that may form. Take a large spoon and place the sauce in the middle of the dough, then gently spread outwards leaving some room for crust. Sprinkle your peppers and onions evenly, then sprinkle chicken pieces evenly. Lastly, place your crumbled blue cheese evenly on top. Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes (I ended up having to bake it about 25 minutes, just want to make sure the crust is browned and the bottom is browned but not burnt)

What you’ll need:

Pre made, fresh pizza dough
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken tenderloins
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
For pizza sauce:
1/2 cup Buffalo sauce (I used RedHot)
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing (I used Low fat T Marzetti‘s)
hand full of Blue Cheese crumbles
(You will most likely have extra, but thats ok!)
For blackened seasoning:
Cajun Seasoning
Cayenne Red Pepper seasoning
Ground Cumin
Chili Powder
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper
(Pour an even amount of each, I used a little more of the cajun, until there’s enough to coat both sides of  the chicken)

Chipotle Chicken Panini

Deep breath… now wipe the drool off your mouth…
and try not to scream in utter excitement when you realize you can have Panera in your home, all from scratch!

Yes… I am serious, and no it’s not difficult!
Panera is seriously an addiction for me. I could eat there everyday and not get sick of it! My favorite sandwich is their Chipotle Chicken Panini. So, naturally I had to try and best them and make my own! And I was very happy with my results!

I’ll tell ya one thing, you will need either a panini maker, or a grill pan. Everything else is easy peasy and most items you will find already stocked in your kitchen! We purchased this amazing grill pan on clearance at Williams Sonoma, it’s Le Creuset brand (aka. very expensive but totally worth the quality!) and worked just as great as a panini maker would.

I started out by making the chipotle mayo. Take your food processor and place mayo (or greek yogurt for a lighter touch), chipotles, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Process until a mayo consistency results, just a brief moment.

Take your chicken and if you didn’t find cutlets, pound your chicken breasts until they are about 1 inch thick, Take your rub and sprinkle over chicken on both sides and gently rub evenly. Heat your grill pan with some olive oil on medium-high. Wait a few minutes until the grill pan is hot. Take your chicken and grill for about 5-8 minutes on each side.

Take your chicken off the pan, and cut into strips. Cut your bread lengthwise, then cross wise into the size of your desired panini sandwich. Spoon your chipotle mayo on the bread, add your lettuce, then chicken, then cheese. Top with second piece of bread. Drizzle olive oil on the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Place your panini on the pan, take a spatula and press down to flatten the sandwich. Press hard for about 2 minutes, then carefully flip over and repeat for another two minutes on the other side.

Enjoy with a side of chips or apple and you’re practically in Panera!

Next time I will try a take on a Pick Two Soup and Half Sandwich so stay tuned!!

Things you’ll need:
 Chipotle Mayo:
1 cup mayo (or greek yogurt)
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 juice of a lime
1 clove of garlic
pinch of salt & pepper

Panini:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (or breasts, pounded with a tenderizer) 
Chipotle or spicy rub
Chipotle Mayo (see above)
Lettuce 
Cheese of your choice (I used Boar’s Head Chipotle Ghouda.. amazing!)
French Bread 
Olive oil for grill pan 

Chicken Bullsh*t

This post is in honor of my uncles wonderful mother who has sadly passed recently. She was a very kind lady and will be missed by many! I received this recipe from my aunt and the only way to describe it is “thanksgiving in a bowl!” RJ and I both thought this was the best way to explain these amazing flavors.

This dish is super easy to make, and cheap! It is also a very quick meal, under 30 minutes! Let’s get started 🙂

Prepare the stuffing per box or your homemade version recipe. Mix the soups and the broth until smooth.

Spread half the soup mixture on bottom of a 9×13 glass dish, add the shredded chicken then top with the stuffing. Pour remaining soup mixture over top. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 and uncover for an additonal 15 minutes.

If you want to add the Panko crumbs on top, the last 15 minutes, mix a cup of panko crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper as well. Once mixed, sprinkle evenly over top of the dish and place back in the oven. To get the crusty browned top, but the oven on high broil and turn the dish every few minutes until the panko crumbs are brown.

What you’ll need:
Meat from a rotisserie chicken (I used Lemon Pepper)
One box of stove top stuffiing prepared
One can cream celery (98% fat free)
One can cream of mushroom (98% fat free)
One cup chicken broth (lower sodium)
1/2 cup sour cream (low fat or fat free)

For the panko topping:
1 cup of Panko crumbs
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper 

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Today is the day your teriyaki dreams come true!! This is a new twist on a very common favorite: chicken salad. My future mother-in-law gave me this amazing recipe. She made this for me when I was visiting over Christmas time and came down with a little fever (She’s the best!!)

This is super easy to make, just takes a crock pot and about 4 hours and voila! For about 4 servings worth, (I tend to over due it on the salad portion) you will need 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (trimming fat and rinsing of course!) Place the chicken and all of the ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on low for about 4 hours. After about 1 1/2 hours you should be able to shred the chicken, this way all of the flavors will blend in together and taste delicious 🙂

Once it’s all cooked, drain the liquid remaining and place the chicken into a bowl. Add mayo until it reaches the right consistency for you. And Enjoy on some toast, crackers, whatever you would like!!

What you’ll need:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Slow cooker

Toast (I thought our Honey Wheat bread tasted great with this!)

  

Lightened-Up Paella

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that combines a mouthwatering combination of sausage, chicken, and seafood accompanied with rice. This dish is similar except I substituted turkey sausage, skinless chicken thighs, and shrimp!! If you are cooking for two, you may want to cut this recipe in half (unless you like leftovers! It tastes great heated up the next day!)

Let’s get cooking!! Place chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Rub saffron threads with your fingers crushing them as you sprinkle in the broth. If you don’t have saffron threads, you can use some turmeric powder (Just a dash). Whisk the broth. Bring to a low simmer, reducing the heat to low and keep warm.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a paella pan (or a large wide skillet) on medium heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook stirring occasionally about 2 minutes. Next add the chicken and saute until lightly browned for about 3-4 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add another tbsp of olive oil in the same skillet, add onions and bell peppers stirring occasionally until they soften. Add garlic and paprika. Cook for another minute. Add the rice, stir to coat with oil and lightly toast.

Gently add the chicken broth, stirring well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes being sure to stir occasionally.

Raise the heat to medium and add your sausage and chicken. Mix well. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. If you are running short on liquid, add more broth or water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the peas, shrimp, and parsley. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been mostly absorbed, the bottom of the pan should be lightly crusted (not burned).

What you’ll need:

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
Pinch of saffron threads (you can also substitute a dash of turmeric powder)
3 tbsp olive oil-divided
8 ounces of mild or hot Italian turkey sausage, halved length-wise, sliced crosswise.
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat cut off and cubed
Salt and black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 large red and yellow bell pepper, seeded quartered and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika (regular also works well!)
2 cups of paella or arborio rice
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups of fresh or frozen peas
8 ounces of medium sized shrimp