Thai-Inspired Brussels Sprouts & Chicken Stir-Fry (paleo)

This dish was inspired by the best plate of brussels sprouts I’ve ever eaten. One of my DH and my favorite restaurants right now is Talde, an Asian/American mashup restaurant and bar helmed by the incredibly lovely and gracious in person Dale Talde (of quick-tempered Top Chef fame). Sadly, Talde is an only occasional treat as pretty much nothing I love best is ever paleo. Bacon & egg ramen with buttered toast broth, people. Pretzel pork & chive dumplings. Pad thai with fried oysters. Korean fried chicken. Seriously delicious stuff here. Talde had a brussels side one night that was fantastic. Stellar, even. Unforgettable.

This recipe is no way even remotely close to that flavor bomb, but it’s pretty darn good in its own right. Deeply flavored, intense in a good way; this makes a very satisfying weeknight meal for two. And, since it’s not a huge dish, it won’t break the gut bank, either.

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Thai-Inspired Brussels Sprouts & Chicken Stir-Fry (paleo)

3 cloves garlic
Tiny white onion – ping pong ball sized (or 3 Tbsp. finely diced)
1/2 inch ginger
Sesame oil
10 ounce shaved brussels sprouts (be forewarned: if you buy your brussels pre-shaved, they may be a bit bitter after cooking – that doesn’t bother me, but if it does you, shred your own – making sure to remove the core – with a food processor or box grater)
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos (coconut aminos)
1 tsp. Chili garlic sauce (I use the brand with the chicken – like sriracha)
Lime juice would be stellar but I didn’t have any on hand

Mince the garlic, onion and ginger. Bring 2 tsp. sesame oil up to temperature in a wok or large skillet set over medium-high. Add the aromatics and stir until fragrant, about a minute or two.

Add the brussels and stir-fry until wilted and beginning to brown. While that is working, de-fat your chicken and cut into bite-sized chunks.

Add the chicken with an additional 2 tsp. sesame oil. Stir-fry. When the chicken goes opaque, add the sesame seeds and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the fish sauce, coconut aminos and chili garlic sauce. Some lime would be fantastic here as well. Let go an additional 2 or so minutes, or until the sauce has mostly evaporated and everything looks and smells intoxicating.

Serves 2 for dinner.

July 19, 2013

Dinner in Fort Greene.

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July 18, 2013

Reflection

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July 17, 2013

This is what happens every time I try to yoga with no hubby in the house.

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This, little bites, is not helping.

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Still not any actual help.

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*garble* *garble* Seriously.

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Yes, I love you. Still not helping, though.

July 16, 2013

I’m loving this month’s West Elm catalog – I kinda want to curl up in it and take a nap.

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July 15, 2013

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That face should be illegal. Why do my dogs both look so mournful the second I whip the camera out?

 

July 14, 2013

No. Just, no.

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July 13, 2013

Clown pants!

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1-Ingredient Paleo Ice Cream

Oh, wow. I cannot believe I’ve ignored you guys like this. This recipe for banana ‘ice cream’ is really tasty, dead simple to make, whips up quick, and lasts in the freezer for as long as you need it to. It’s cheap, too, averaging however much bananas cost where you live per serving. And it’s paleo. Have I mentioned it’s also good? And filling? And healthy? And lactose free? What are you waiting for?! Ice cream waits for no man!

A good friend of mine recently made the jump to paleo (ok, it was a few months ago now) and I realized I hadn’t posted a recipe for this yet for you guys. This ‘ice cream’ is fantastic. I made it pretty much all summer last year and ended up almost living on it when the days got so hot I didn’t want to move, let alone put anything in my mouth that wasn’t freezing.

Also? It’s toddler-approved. My girl has a munchkin who loves bananas – and this dessert. It’s making its way into heavy rotation at her house as a summertime treat to combat her little guy’s first summer dealing with crazy heat.

This ice cream is surprisingly creamy for having a single ingredient and has a light banana taste when made with no add-ins. I always add almond butter because I absolutely love it and usually honey and a generous pinch of flaky salt as well. If paleo marshmallow fluff existed, that would go in as well. Ooooh. Steve’s Original Paleo Krunch (or some other grainless granola) would be fantastic here. Cocoa nibs if you’re so inclined.

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1-Ingredient Paleo Ice Cream

1 banana per serving

Add-ins: I usually use 1 Tbsp. almond butter + 1 tsp. honey + a big pinch of flaky salt per serving

Peel your banana, break into large pieces, and freeze at least an hour to overnight before starting.

Put your banana + any add-ins into your blender. Blend until it looks like soft-serve. At this point, your ice cream is entirely edible – but if you stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours, you will be rewarded with a rich, dense ice cream that is so satisfying you’ll never miss the dairy – or other ingredients.

Serves however many you want it to.

A note about blending: Don’t overload your blender. Just … don’t. Even if you have a Vitamix. Your blender doesn’t want to handle 9 bananas at once and you’ll have to dig out frozen and welded-together clumps of fruit before doing the right thing and blending 2 bananas at a time max. Just be patient and wait for the first bananas to do their thing before adding more. Of course this comes from experience. Experience and my wonderful, supportive DH giving a much-deserved ‘I told you so.’

Bonus shot!
Bonus shot!

July 12, 2013

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A little white-on-white lunch creativity. Roast cauliflower, dippin’ eggs, a sprinkle of chopped capers, and a smattering of asiago cheese.

Healthy and satisfying.