Category: Chicken

Cauliflower Butter Chicken

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This is my absolute favourite recipe to make at the moment.  I make it about once a week and I usually end up doubling the recipe so that we have leftovers as well!  I think I could eat it every day.  Butter chicken and chocolate.  Balance!

Plus, it’s so easy to prepare.  It’s something I can make even when I have 3 little boys running around.  Three!  Arlo is walking now so our house just got a little bit crazier, which means I have to make meals that I can pull together quickly!

If you are dairy free, simply substitute coconut oil when cooking the chicken and onions, and don’t worry about adding any extra at the end.  I usually use salted butter, so you may want to season to taste if you are making the substitution.

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Butter Chicken

Serves 4.

  • 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • ½ cup butter, divided
  • Cilantro, to garnish

Cut chicken breasts into 1” chunks. In a large pan, add 2 tbsp butter and cook the chicken on both sides until no longer pink. Careful not to overcook them.  You want them to remain juicy! Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt another 2 tbsp butter in the pan and add the onion and cook over medium/low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, garam masala, ginger, paprika, and cumin, and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook over medium/low heat for 10-15 minutes to boil off some of the water.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the rest of the butter. Simmer for 5 minutes to reheat the chicken.

Serve with cauliflower rice, recipe below.

Basic Cauliflower Rice

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Chop cauliflower into small florets. Place cauliflower in small batches into a food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the rice-sized cauliflower. Cook over medium heat, covered, until tender, 5-8 minutes.  Add a few tbsp of water or chicken stock if you need moisture in the bottom of the pot.

While cauliflower is cooking, add salt and turmeric.

Creamy Chicken Soup

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There are a lot of soups that I used to enjoy as a kid that came out of a can.  Cream of chicken soup was one of them.  I’m almost certain that I would feel ill if I tried to eat them today.  And while making soup from scratch take a little more effort, you are rewarded with amazing flavour and quality that you can feel good about feeding your family!

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Creamy Chicken Soup

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter
  • ½ cup gluten free flour
  • 6 cups organic chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk
  • salt and pepper to taste (I think I used approx a tsp of sea salt)

Chop up the onion, celery, and carrots and place in a large soup pot with the coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add the flour and cook for an 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Chop up the raw chicken breast into bite sized pieces and add to the boiling soup. Turn down the heat to low/medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

Transfer soup to a high-speed blender and add the coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Return soup the pot and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

 

Lentil Fusilli Salad with Chicken

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pasta

Lentil Fusilli Salad with Chicken

  • 225g red lentil fusilli pasta (approx. half a package)
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 1 orange pepper
  • 1/2 cup olives, pitted and halved
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
  • 1 pint mini tomatoes, halved
  • 3 cooked chicken thighs
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Boil water and turn flame down to low/medium.  Stir in pasta and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile chop up broccoli into bite size pieces, put into a pot with an inch of water and boil/steam with lid on until tender but firm, roughly 8 minutes.

Chop up remaining ingredients and place in a large bowl.  Add pasta and broccoli when they are finished cooking.

Add oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Add more as desired.

Red Lentil Pasta vs. Brown Rice Pasta

We were a brown rice pasta type of family until I discovered red lentil pasta.  Now it is my go-to pasta. Both are gluten-free.  Win-win.

Per 100g, here is how they measure up:

  • Protein: 13g vs 7g
  • Fibre: 6g vs 3.5g
  • Calories: 350 vs. 350
  • Fat: 1g vs 2.7g

But, don’t lentils have lectins?  Yes lentils have lectins.  Lectins bind to your intestines, block absorption, and damage the gut lining, causing the body to battle the dreaded leaky gut and then have to divert proteins from other tasks in order to repair it.  But, once lentils are cooked, their lectin levels drop dramatically.

It all comes down to this, and this is our philosophy where all food is concerned: how do you personally feel after you eat them?  Good – great.  Not so good – it’s your call if you want to eat them or not!