chicken

Baked Garlic Buffalo Wings

When Football season kicks in (see what I did there? Kick? No? Okay…), it seems like there’s only two options for food: burgers and fries, or wings.  I love me some good ol’ fashioned buffalo wings, fried to perfection and drenched in hot sauce. Boneless or on the bone, they’re so freaking delicious.  I’m of the “ranch dip” type rather than blue cheese, but that’s not a problem in our home.  I’m proud to say that this recipe calls for five ingredients: wings, avocado oil, cassava flour, garlic powder, and hot sauce.  THAT. IS. IT.IMG_4274

I played around on the internet to see how other food bloggers and foodies make their wings, and realized that everyone except for moi have a wire rack.  Rather than running out to the local 99c store to buy a cheap one, I just prayed that a lined baking sheet pan with sprayed aluminum foil would work.  Honestly? It did, and it did taste pretty damn good.  I started by cleaning and pat drying my wings (I got them from an online meat-delivery system Butcher Box, I highly recommend them if you want to ramp up the quality of your meats – plus, they have add ons like bacon and breakfast sausage… mmmm, sausage.)

After drying the wings, I tossed them in avocado oil (this oil has a high smoke point and will not burn in the oven) and coated with a generous layer of garlic powder.  Lastly, I added 1/3 cup of cassava flour to crisp the wings as they bake.  Grease a pan (or use a wire rack) and lay the wings down skin side up, bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees, and then toss in your favorite hot sauce (I’m not sure of the brand we used but it was really yummy).

The beauty about eating wings is that it is versatile and goes with just about any dipping sauce, any sides, and of course celery and carrots.  Now go throw on your Giants jersey, crack open a Corona, and enjoy them wings!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I’m a fall girl, 100%.  I could deal with being in warmer weather, if I lived super close to a beach, or in Florida.  Living in New York, and experiencing all four seasons, Fall is absolutely my favorite.  The leaves change, the holidays approach, the smell of pumpkin and apple pie, and SOUP.  I could eat soup everyday, and I love all varieties.  This one in particular reminds me of Panera’s chicken and wild rice, and its hearty, filling, and good for the soul!IMG_4174

I broke out the crockpot for this guy, as I usually do for soups because I love a slow cooked meal, especially in the Fall/Winter seasons.  Crockpot meals are the best because you literally throw everything in at once, checking in every so often, and stir.  With this recipe I used Trader Joe’s Basmati and Wild Rice blend that comes with dehydrated veggies and seasoning, bay leaves, organic chicken breast, fresh carrots, and celery.  For the broth I used 2 cartons of bone broth.  Bone broth is an old tradition of boiling poultry or beef bones, getting all the gelatin and collagen from the bones, for hours (like, upwards of 10-15 hours).  Bone broth has so many benefits and nutrients our bodies need, which is why I’m so glad that it’s readily available in Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

I played around with the different lengths of time and temperature, but the end result:  cook on low for 6 hours and add in water or broth as needed.  This recipe in particular requires a good amount of liquid, and a 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 at the end, hence the “creamy” part of the recipe.  I didn’t season with any salt or pepper until it was almost ready to be served, as I wanted to be sure the seasoning wasn’t overpowering.  To create the shredded chicken, I took the chicken breasts out about 30 minutes before the soup was done, shredded with two forks, and added it back in.  Serve with a slice of baguette and you’re ready to feast!

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Course Dinner
Cuisine Soup
Keyword Chicken, Fall, Hearty, Soup, Wild Rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8 cups
Author nomastehungry

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Organic chicken breast
  • 1 pkg Wild rice
  • 2 cartons Chicken bone broth
  • 3 stalks Carrots sliced
  • 3 ribs Celery chopped
  • 1/2 cup Half and half
  • 3 Bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Chop/slice the carrots and celery. Set side

  2. Layer the chicken, celery, carrots, and package of rice into a medium size crockpot.

  3. Pour in the cartons of bone broth into the crockpot.  Cover and set to low for 6 hours

  4. Add in more water as need and desired if the liquid becomes absorbed as the soup cooks.  Stir occasionally.

  5. 30 minutes before the soup is done, take out chicken and shred with two forks. Add the chicken back into the soup.

  6. Pour in the 1/2 cup of half and half and season with salt and pepper.  Taste and add more as desired.

  7. Serve with a slice of french baguette and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

Who doesn’t like teriyaki chicken?  I always think of a bento boxes or lunch specials when I hear the word “teriyaki.”  I’m a sushi girl, but the hubs isn’t a fan, so we compromise and get thai a lot of the time (or chinese food).  This time, I decided to step up my Asian cuisine game and make teriyaki chicken from scratch.  I cannot begin to say how easy (and delicious) this was.  It was literally four ingredients (ok, maybe five when you add in the butter to brown the chicken, but whatever) and made in a #paleo style – with coconut aminos.IMG_3813

“Morg, what the heck is that?”  Well, coconut aminos is a sauce derived from a coconut that acts as a substitute for soy or actual teriyaki sauce.  I don’t prefer soy products nor do I cook with anything made from soy, so this was a perfect fix!  The taste is spot on and is versatile.  I started with slicing and seasoning the chicken with sea salt.  Then adding the chicken to a hot pan with melted butter to brown the chicken.  After most of the chicken was brown, I poured the coconut aminos with some toasted sesame oil (for a nuttier flavor) to the chicken and simmered.

The chicken soaks up all the aminos and oils and turns such a beautifully burnt orange color.  Lastly, I add 1/2 cup of light brown sugar and turn the heat to low.  This simmers for some time to allow the sugar to emulsify and get a little thick.  Taste the sauce to make sure it isn’t too sweet – if so, add a dash of garlic powder (trust me, it’s hella awesome).IMG_3823

Scoop some jasmine or basmati rice aside of a heaping pile of this teriyaki chicken and have at it! Let me know what ya think 🙂 Nomaste

Turmeric Chicken with Peppers and Onion

Sometimes there are things that just come to mind the night before, or even the same night when trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.  This recipe is no exception.  I love cooking with and using turmeric in a variety of ways, as turmeric is great for inflammation and overall health.  This is a dish that calls for marinading the chicken the night prior so that all the great herbs and spices get fully absorbed into the chicken, leaving it nice and juicy when cooked.  I used garlic powder, turmeric powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and chipotle powder.  I blended the spices in a Ziploc bag and let sit overnight.

I chose to use chicken thighs for this recipe.  What most people forget is that darker meat of a bird is actually more nutritious than the chicken breast.  The darker meat has loads of vitamins and essential fatty acids our bodies need to function and to stay healthy.  I love thighs because they are meatier than drumsticks, and cook for varied length of time (especially boneless).

To prep, I julienned (thinly sliced) the peppers (one orange, one yellow) and sliced the onion and let them start to sauté in a large pan in some oil.  After they started to get soft, I added the chicken and some butter and water.  I covered the chicken so it can cook in its own juices (instead of adding tomato sauce or a broth, it simmered in water and its own juices). This simmered for just about 45 minutes and was ready to serve with some rice on the side.  It was kind of awesome!

 

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Turmeric Chicken with Peppers and Onions

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 package chicken thighs
  • 1 orange pepper 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • Turmeric powder
  • Paprika
  • Chipotle pepper
  • Coriander
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a ziplock bag, add the chicken thighs with all spices and let sit overnight in fridge.
  2. Cut the peppers and onion in thin slices. In a medium pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil on medium heat and add the onion and peppers. Stir to coat and let sauté until soft.
  3. Add in chicken thighs and layer the peppers and onions on top of the chicken. Turn chicken over after five minutes to sear on both sides.
  4. Add butter and 1/4c water to the pan and cover. Bring heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure that chicken is beginning to get tender and fall apart.
  5. Serve with a side of your favorite rice, pasta, or potatoes and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you want to make a gravy from the leftover sauce in the pan from chicken:
-- Add a tbsp and a half of flour to the pan and whisk until thick
-- Layer on top of chicken

Cassava Flour Chicken Parmigiana

What comes to mind when you think of chicken parmigiana?  The crispy, buttery, breading-coated chicken cutlet, adorned with drool-inspiring fresh mozzarella cheese topped with marinara sauce and draped in basil.  *wipes drool from face*.

This version is a modernized and healthier twist on the classic Chick Parm. It doesn’t have breadcrumbs, it does use loads of butter and avocado oil, and fresh made “summer sauce” like my mom used to make.  It starts with the tomatoes.  I always choose fresh, organic Roma tomatoes to stew down in some oil and garlic, to bring the aromas to life.  They stew for at least an hour to allow for the skins to break away from the meat of the tomato.  I like to add in some chopped basil towards the end of the simmering tomatoes as it adds beautiful aromas and color, as well as basil tastes great so why not?  After a solid 40 minutes of the tomatoes simmering, the skins should be pretty much pulled back and will look like a “sauce” – this is what you want!  This will layer on top of the chicken and mozzarella too.

Sliced tomatoes and garlic in avocado oil
Simmered after 20m, skins start to peel back.
Added in basil. Tomatoes after 40m (with lid on)

What I love about using cassava flour is that it is ground yucca root and while it is a bit carb-y, it’s still paleo friendly and digests quicker than other flours and obviously better than using breadcrumbs.  I will always love a good cutlet, but cassava flour really makes the chicken ultra juicy and tender.  My preferred brand of cassava is Otto’s Cassava Flour: I just find it to be super milled and light, it has a very mild taste as well and I like to put the flour in a large mason jar with some dried oregano, rosemary, and parsley to add the “italiano” flavorings (Thank you to my incredible friend and mentor Andrea aka The Enlightened Culinist for showing me how this is done.

*sidenote, if you really want to be uber inspired I recommend going over to her instagram account @theenlightenedculinist for incredible food and her journey*

Best Cassava Flour out there! You can buy at Whole Foods, Amazon, and Thrive Market

Battering the chicken with this flour could not be easier as you just filet the breasts (I tend to use Bell and Evan’s organic chicken breasts and filet them to make two from one) and then place them in the flour on a plate.  Let them absorb the flour as much as possible and let them sit for a few minutes.  I usually cut the mozzarella at this time so that once the chicken is done cooking, I can layer the cheese on top and allow it to slowly melt on the chicken, hence the “parmigiana” of the dish.

After the chicken is done, assemble the parm!  First, lay the mozz down, then ladle a generous amount of the summer sauce on top of the chicken.  You can pair this with sautéed zucchini (as pictured) roasted broccoli, cauliflower, pasta even!  I love this dish as it’s so versatile and is done rather quickly.  I’m ready for dinner now…bon appetit!

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Cassava Flour Chicken Parmigiana

Cassava Flour Chicken Parmigiana
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 3

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs organic chicken breast
  • 1/2 c cassava flour I like Otto's Cassava Flour --> found on Amazon
  • 1 ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese - sliced
  • 3 tbsp butter more if needed for frying
  • 6-8 organic Roma tomatoes - sliced in four
  • 4 tbsp avocado or coconut oil
  • 3 cloves garlic - sliced
  • Basil - handful
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Pour oil of choice into a deep frying pan. Turn heat onto medium to let oil heat up. Slice tomatoes into four (oblong shape) and place tomatoes in the pan. Stir tomatoes around until they're nice and coated with oil. Cover and let sit on a medium low flame for 20 minutes. Peel and slice up three cloves of garlic and add the garlic after the tomatoes stew for 20 minutes. Chop and add the basil.
  2. Rinse and filet the chicken breasts so that they are thin. Trim the fat off the breasts. Season the chicken with a generous amount of salt and pepper (I use pink himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper). Pour the cassava flour onto a plate and gently place the chicken breasts one by one into the flour. Turn the chicken over and repeat to other side. Place on separate plate or at one side of the flour plate. Let sit.
  3. Stir and "smash" the tomatoes so they become soft and more like a sauce, the skins should be off the tomatoes at this time. Let sit for another 20minutes and stir occasionally to ensure it does not burn. Add salt if desired.
  4. In a medium fry pan, add the butter and melt over a medium heat. Add two pieces of chicken at a time, 7-8 minutes on each side (you want the chicken to really resemble 'breadcrumbs' so the chicken being a little dark is totally fine.). Repeat for the remaining chicken and place on a dish. Add the sliced mozzarella (one slice per chicken) so it begins to soften.
  5. Ladle the tomato sauce on top of the chicken and serve with your favorite veggie or pasta. Add a little extra basil for garnish if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I tend to eyeball with measurements so if you need more oil, add more. If you need more butter for frying the chicken, do it.

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