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.

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.

This recipe grew from a craving. A pineapple and tomato craving. And what’s better to pair with pineapple and tomato than the salty tang of coconut aminos? Not much, I’ll tell you, unless you’re talking about heat. Fresh heat from diced jalapenos takes this salsa over the edge. The components are great in and of themselves, but with the slight pepper crunch from the jalapeno, something magical happens.

This recipe takes a little marinating time – about an hour – but the chicken comes out well worth it. This is a riff on a soy/pineapple/egg white chicken my mother used to serve and never fails to bring me right back to that dish, which at the time was one of my favorites and ever-so-exotic.

Tropical Chicken & Broccoli with Spicy Pineapple Salsa

Tropical Chicken & Broccoli

2 boneless skinless breasts chicken
4 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. honey
1 big pinch red pepper flakes
2 c. broccoli
Drizzle olive oil
Pinch salt
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Spicy Pineapple Salsa

1.5 cups fresh pineapple
1 c. cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. honey
1/2 jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Big pinch flaky salt
1 tsp. chipotle powder (optional. I’m not sure it added anything to the dish)

First, get your salsa going. If you are using fresh pineapple, peel and core and cut into bite-sized pieces. If you’re going the canned route, do yourself a favor and pick pineapple in natural juice; you don’t want cloying sweet here since you’re looking to walk a balance between sweet, hot and tart. Add the pineapple to a medium bowl.

De-seed and dice the jalapeno, halve the tomatoes and crush the garlic. Add to the pineapple bowl, along with the honey, rice vinegar and chipotle powder if you’re using.

Stash in the fridge to give the flavors a chance to marry.

Cut the chicken into strips and add to a large plastic bag, along with the coconut aminos, 2 tsp. honey and red pepper flakes.

Marinate in the fridge for an hour.

While things are chilling, put your broccoli on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil until starting to brown, flip, and continue broiling until nicely browned to just about where you want it – about 25-40 minutes depending upon how large your pieces are and how far from the heating source you place the rack.

When the broccoli is done, add to a large pan with the sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss to finish browning. Set aside.

Add some fat to the pan and sautee the chicken until done through and browned on all sides. Be careful while the chicken cooks, as the honey will want to burn. Keep it moving so that doesn’t happen.

Serve the chicken topped with salsa alongside the broccoli.

Serves 2 for dinner.