Summer Chicken Salad

For those of you not familiar with Kyle's cooking video I thought I would share his chicken salad recipe via our blog... now that summer is kinda here it's time for a refreshing summer chicken salad.

Ingredients:

2 Bone in Organic Antibiotic Free Chicken Breasts, 3 Drumsticks

2 Cups Organic Red Grapes

1 1/4 Cup Organic Broccoli

1/2 Cup Green Onion (chopped)

1/4 Cup Walnut pieces

Mayo (as much or as little as you desire)

Garlic Powder (to taste)

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Organic Romaine Leaves

Instructions:

Boil your bone in chicken until cooked fully and easily shreddable.

Once your chicken is shredded add all of your ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well.

Take your large romaine leaves and scoop your chicken salad on top. 

Roll it up and enjoy!

Pairs nicely with the strawberry salad posted earlier.

Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip

The following recipe I found and thought would make for a nice summer party dip... (recipe courtesy of cupcakesomgblogspot)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Walnuts

1/2 Jar Roasted Red Peppers

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Chives

1 Garlic Clove

Salt & Pepper To Taste

Instructions:

Add your walnuts to a food processor and blend until fine crumb like consistency.

Next add your remaining ingredients and pulse until creamy.

Serve with sliced veggies for a quick and easy party dip.

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Courtesy of Forks Over Knives... with a slight modification I was able to make this recipe paleo. 

Ingredients:

5 Organic Bell Peppers

1 Large Onion, diced

3 Small Organic Zucchini, diced

3 Organic Carrots, diced

1 Cup Vegetable/Chicken Broth

3 Cups Cauliflower Rice

5 Tbs Tomato Paste

3/4 Cup Parsley, chopped (fresh or dried)

3/4 Cup Dill, chopped (fresh or dried)

1 Lemon, juiced

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Paleo Marinara Sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut your peppers and remove the seeds for stuffing.

Place peppers in an oven safe dish and cook upright for 30 minutes.

In a large pan saute your onions, zucchini, and carrots in your broth for 5-6 minutes.

Stir in your rice and tomato paste coating thoroughly.

Next add your parsley, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt.

Once peppers are ready simply stuff with your veggies and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes.

Serve with marinara sauce or eat alone.

Strawberry Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad Topped With Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Tired of the same old same old balsamic and olive oil? Looking to top a fresh fruit summery salad? Of course you are... summer is finally here and what better way to kick start it than with a refreshing, light and delicious summer salad.

Ingredients (dressing recipe from Paleodietlifestyle.com)

1 Cup Fresh Organic Strawberries

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 Cup EVOO

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1 Clove of Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

Ingredients (salad)

Organic/Anti Biotic Free Chicken Breast(grilled/sliced)

Organic Spring Mix/Baby Spinach mixed

Chopped Walnuts

Fresh Organic Strawberries

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Sliced Red Onion

Ground Black Pepper

Instructions: (dressing)

Preheat oven to 425.

Rinse your strawberries and cut off the stems. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, folding the edges up to prevent juices from escaping. Place your strawberries in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Once your strawberries have cooked add all of you ingredients to a blender. (Be sure to include the strawberry juices that may have escaped during the cooking process). Blend until smooth. Serve cold and keep refrigerated. 

Instructions: (salad)

Butterfly your chicken breast and pound with a meat tenderizer so that it cooks evenly. Season your chicken with salt and pepper and place on either a grill or grill pan and cook thoroughly.

Combine all of your salad ingredients into a large salad bowl adding as much or as little of the listed ingredients as desired.

Serve with your hot grilled chicken sliced on top and pair with your strawberry balsamic vinaigrette for a great summer salad.

"Fried" Honey Banana

When you're craving something sweet and need a quick fix this recipe is perfect... it only takes a few minutes to make and is super tasty. I found this recipe on Pinterest- (Rachel Schultz) originally but it's one that's easy to put your own spin on. I found that by tweaking it just a bit you can make it all yours.

Ingredients:

1 Banana, sliced

1 Tbs Organic Raw Honey

Ground Cinnamon

Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Walnut Oil (or coconut oil)

Instructions:

Lightly drizzle your walnut oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Place your banana slices in a single layer on your heated up skillet and cook on both sides for a few minutes per side.

While your bananas are cooking whisk together your honey and a splash of water.

Serve your bananas with your drizzled honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and top with chopped walnuts.

9 Reasons to NEVER Eat Processed Foods Again!!!

I recently pinned this article to my health and wellness board on Pinterest but thought this was a good one to share as well. We all know that processed foods are bad for us, so why is it that we crave them?

It's simple, pure science. Manufacturers of these foods have it down to a science how to trick our minds into not only craving these deadly foods, but overindulging in them as well. How often do you find yourself overeating a paleo meal? I'm thinking the answer is probably never. That's because a paleo meal doesn't involve science. We eat what our bodies can recognize, and what our bodies actually need nutritionally. When you eat foods in their natural state, meaning food that isn't made in a factory, then our mind only recognizes that we are nourishing our bodies.... not that we want more instantly.

Below you will find an article I found to be very interesting... here's the bullets as a recap 

9 Reasons to Never Eat Processed Foods Again

1. Processed Foods Are Highly Addictive

2.Processed Foods Contain Phosphates That Destroy Organs & Bones

3. Fresh Foods Are Actually Cheaper Than Processed (Now this one I don't really agree with)

4. Processed Foods Cause Chronic Inflammation

5. Processed Foods Ruin Digestion

6. Processed Foods Destroy Your Mind

7. Processed Foods Are Loaded With GMO'S

8. Processed Foods Are Loaded With Pesticides

9. Processed Foods Are Not Actually Food

http://www.undergroundhealth.com/nine-reasons-to-never-eat-processed-foods-again/ 

Thai Basil Beef Lettuce Wraps

Looking to try something different... compliments of Everyday Paleo this recipe definitely fit the bill. Although I had to substitute dried Thai Basil it still turned out really good. (Oh and I will confess I could not find paleo fish sauce even after scowering the shelves of Whole Foods, so I settled on one that was close enough) It appeared that all of the fish sauces I was picking up contained sugar... which I know was being used as a preservative but it still angered me. 

Ingredients:

2 Lbs Grass Fed Beef

1 Lrg Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced (I bought 2 organic- since organic were smaller than conventional)

1 Med Organic Yellow Onion, thinly sliced

2 Bunches Thai Basil Leaves (I subbed dried Thai Basil)

3 Organic Garlic Cloves, minced

3 Tbs Coconut Aminos

2 tsp Fish Sauce

2 tsp Hot Chili Sauce (I found paleo friendly hot sauce at whole foods- Sriracha is listed but it is NOT paleo)

Juice from 1 Lime

2 tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbs Coconut Oil

Several Organic Romaine Leaves

Instructions:

In a large skillet heat your coconut oil over medium heat. Add your bell peppers and onions and saute until tender.

Remove the peppers and onions from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan brown your grass fed beef.

While your beef is cooking, whisk together your aminos, fish sauce, lime juice, hot sauce, sesame oil and garlic.

Add your peppers and onions back to the pan with your beef once your meat is cooked, pour your sauce, add your thai basil and stir well.

Scoop your meat into your leaves of lettuce and enjoy!

Ground Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

PaleOMG is where I found this recipe... for those of you who haven't visited her blog she has some great ideas on there. This dish appealed to me mostly because of it's simplicity and short list of ingredients- most of which I had already had. I love that I didn't need to run out to the store and buy a million things, which isn't always the case with the recipes I make.

Ingredients:

2 Sweet Potatoes

2 Tbs Fat (I used bacon fat)

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

1/2 LB Ground Turkey (we purchased ours from Wallace Farms and it was excellent)

2 Tbs Hot Sauce (I did have to go to Whole Foods for this one- I ended up buying Frontera's all natural Red Chile Hot Sauce)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

5-6 Cups Organic Spinach

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Using a fork poke various holes in your sweet potatoes and wrap in tin foil

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until entirely soft

When your potatoes are nearly finished take your bacon fat and place it in a large skillet on medium high heat

Saute your garlic and onions in your skillet until onions are translucent

Now add your ground turkey to your onions and garlic breaking it up into small pieces

While your turkey is cooking add your hot sauce, garlic powder, cayenne and salt and pepper

Once your turkey is nearly finished cooking add your spinach and cover with a lid to allow the spinach to steam a bit

Stir everything up nicely

When your potatoes are finished slice them down the middle and using a fork mash the insides

Top with your ground turkey mixture and enjoy

Turkey burger on top a Portobello Mushroom paired with Coconut Coleslaw

Looking for a quick no fuss no muss paleo meal? Perfect for those long days at work when you just don't feel like cooking- Trader Joes turkey burger is actually paleo! 

 

Ingredients: (burger)

Pkg Trader Joes Turkey Burgers (in the freezer aisle)

1 Avocado

Pico de gallo (as much or as little as you would like) Trader joes mild is our favorite

Pkg Portobello Mushrooms (2 per pkg)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste 

Ingredients: (coleslaw) (recipe from everyday paleo)

1/3 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (Whole foods is where I purchased mine)

3 Cups Cabbage, shredded

1/3 Cup Carrots, shredded

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

3/4 Cup Homemade Mayo (I used about 2/3 cup)

1 Lime

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbs Honey (be sure to buy RAW ORGANIC)

Sea Salt & Pepper

Instructions: (Coconut Slaw)

1. Toast coconut in a small saute pan on medium heat until it turns a light golden color

2. In a large bowl combine cabbage, carrots, coconut and cilantro

3. In a small bowl whisk together your homemade mayo, the juice of one lime, Dijon mustard,  honey and cayenne. (Be sure to warm your honey up before adding- as it comes in a solid form)

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper

5. Pour mayo mixture over cabbage mixture and toss well

(Refrigerate until ready to serve)

Instructions:  (Portobello & Burger)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Prep your portobellos by washing, removing the insides and coating with olive oil and salt and pepper

3. Once your oven is heated place your portobellos on a baking sheet lined with tin foil like so and cook for around 20 minutes

4. When you have around 10 minutes left for your mushrooms heat a skillet up and cook your Trader Joes turkey burgers all the way through

5. Meanwhile while your burgers are cooking slice your avocado in half, remove the meat and place in a small bowl

6. Take your pico and mix it together with your avocado to make an effortless guac to top your turkey burger with

 (ingredients for turkey burgers are turkey, kosher salt, and rosemary)

This was a fabulous meal that took very little time and effort!

Paleo Challenge Starts Now!

Hope everybody had a nice final meal pre challenge yesterday... because today is a new day. Today we begin our half yearly paleo challenge. The results of our January challenge were amazing and I know we can expect the same from this one. 

For those of you who are new to paleo and are testing out the waters so to speak... you will be astonished at how great you will feel after these thirty days. Yes eating a paleo diet takes dedication, preparation, and willpower but what you get back from eating this way is far greater than any sacrifice you will be making. 

Please feel free to ask the coaches, myself (nikki) or your fellow athletes for tips, rules, etc and know that we are always here to answer your questions. 

Also, myself and Weronika (with the help of my graphic designer friend Jackie Ortega) have put together a recipe booklet to help you along the way... feel free to pick one up today. (And thank you to those who submitted recipes- it was great of you to share your favorites with all of us)