recipes – Page 44 – Gastography

Roasted Carrot Strings with Meyer Lemon Cream & Basil

April 6, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Zoodles (carroodles?) are fun. I’m still loving the spiralizer I finally broke down and purchased and although the waste ratio is a little high on thin carrots, I’m still behind whipping a pound of carrots into strings for dinner. Kind of exhausting after an intense arm workout, but worth it.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, vegan, vegetarian

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Roasted Carrot Strings with Meyer Lemon Cream & Basil

Adapted from Meyer Lemon Roasted Carrot Strings with Lemon Garlic Sauce from Running to the Kitchen

1 pound carrots
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (or 1 lemon + a squirt orange)
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves

Meyer Lemon Cream

1/4 cup coconut cream (you can either buy a can of coconut cream or put a full-fat can of coconut milk into the fridge for a few hours so the cream rises and solidifies a bit)
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (or 1 lemon + a squirt orange)
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While your oven is heating, spiralize your carrots into strings (or use a julienne peeler or cut into very thin strips).

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon, a big sprinkle salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk to combine. When the carrot strings are done, add to the bowl and toss to combine.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with ghee or coconut oil. Spread the carrots evenly on the baking sheet and pop into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing every so often to promote crispness.

While the carrots are working, make your cream. Mince the garlic and chiffonade the basil. In a small bowl, mix the coconut cream, juice of 1 lemon, apple cider vinegar, a big pinch salt, few cracks black pepper and chipotle powder. Taste for zinginess and salt. Add more acid or salt if needed.

When the carrots are finished, remove from the oven and serve with the lemon cream. Sprinkle basil over to garnish.

Serves 2 for dinner.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta Dessert Snacks – 2 Ways

March 29, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Even though these two variations on a theme are kind of like incomplete thoughts, I thought they warranted a blog post because they are both so good. I happily munched on both for an afternoon snack – and they would have both been great bulked up by, say, a sliced apple.

Or maybe with some sort of baked good in a dessert?

For either dessert snack, scale up as appropriate. I had 1/4 cup left to play with, so ended up making two amuse sizes.

However you slice it, delicious stuff.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and Whole30-compliant (basil lime version only)

Macadamia Nut Ricotta

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
Big pinch Kosher salt
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon)
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Blend the macadamia nuts, salt, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice & half a cup of water until smooth, adding more water if necessary to hit the right consistency. Taste for acidity and salt, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.

This recipe seems to be everywhere on the Internet. I was finally spurred on to action by Nom Nom Paleo’s Food For Humans book – but have seen it 999 other places.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta with Lime and Basil

2 Tbsp. macadamia ricotta

Zest of half a lime

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 basil leaf, chiffonade

Combine the ricotta, lime juice and lime zest. Top with basil and more zest. Serve … on a spoon? I ate this one plain happily.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta with Orange and Honey

2 Tbsp. macadamia ricotta

2 tsp. orange juice (I used tangelo)

Zest of 1/4 an orange (or tangelo, which is what I used)

1/2 tsp. honey

Orange segments to serve

Honey to drizzle

Combine the ricotta, juice, zest and honey. Top with more zest and a drizzle of honey. Serve with orange segments.

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

March 22, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmm…. Thai. I’ve been missing the tart/sweet flavors of Thai food in my life lately, and this meal was just the correction for that loss. This sauce is kickin – and could definitely be used on a salad if you have leftovers, or as a dipping sauce for some lettuce wraps. Yum.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

1 lb. ground beef
1 large zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 onion
1 red pepper
2 medium carrots
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Cilantro (optional for you poor souls with the ‘this crap tastes like soap’ gene)

Sauce

1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 Tbsp. almond (or other nut) butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sriracha (or other hot sauce – if you use the Whole30 sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo, this dish is even W30-compliant)
4 Tbsp. lime juice

In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown your ground beef until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined bowl.

While that is working, mince your garlic and ginger and thinly slice the onion. When the pan is free, add the coconut oil and sautee the ginger, garlic and onion until softened (stirring frequently to avoid burning).

Add the pepper, which you’ve cut into thin strips. Sautee until beginning to soften, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the carrots, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the meat. Sautee until the carrots are softened and everything is starting to brown.

While this is working, make your sauce. Whisk the coconut milk and almond butter together over medium heat to combine, making sure to beat all the lumps out. Cut the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat back on for a minute or two to thicken a bit and whisk to combine. Let sit while you zoodle.

I happen to like my zoodles raw, so I made them at this point. If you prefer yours cooked, add with the carrots.

Don’t forget to chop your cilantro, if using.

To serve: toss the beef mixture with the sauce and either spoon over the zoodles or throw the zoodles in and toss. Sprinkle with cilantro before hitting the table.

Makes enough to serve 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

March 15, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes4 Comments

Yeah, yeah, yeah – another salad. I’m on a homemade salad kick lately, and inspiration seems to be striking hardest during lunch. So: salads. This particular rendition combines my favorite salad green – kale – with sweet peppers, crunchy cabbage and a nice kicky, fatty dressing for something that is both healthy feeling and hearty enough to carry you through the afternoon.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

Crunchy Kale & Cabbage Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

5 ounces or so chopped kale (I used half a bag of the organic chopped kale from Trader Joe’s)
1 medium carrot
1 orange pepper
1.5 – 2 cups shredded cabbage (red would be fantastic here, but all they had at the store was regular green – which was also tasty)

Dressing

2 Tbsp. tahini
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s ftw)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic
2-3 Tbsp. water

Julienne your pepper & carrot (I used a mandoline), chop your kale if needed, shred your cabbage and mince the garlic. Combine the veggies in a large bowl and all dressing ingredients in a shaker or bowl. Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients to combine, adding more water if needed to reach a pourable consistency.

I like to massage my dressing into my greens when I’m having a hearty green like this.

Optional add-ins: roast chicken, hard boiled eggs, sliced scallions, some sort of nut. I had chicken the first day for lunch and eggs the second. Scallions would have been great here, and nuts may or may not have added anything worthwhile to the party.

Makes 2 big lunch salads

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

March 8, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I wanted something warm, comforting and French-ish for dinner that incorporated the root veggies I had chilling in the crisper and the jar of homemade preserved lemon I had yet to remember to crack. This dish ticked all those boxes and made a great weeknight winter meal.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 leeks (light green and white parts only)
1 pound parsnips
16 ounces chicken stock (I used Imagine organic stock because it didn’t have any added crap)
A bunch of thyme (I used 3 sprig bundles)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 to 1/2 of a preserved lemon (I used 1/4, but the lemon taste could stand to be more pronounced)
2 tsp. ghee
Salt & pepper

Wash your leeks and cut into think coins. Add to a large pan with 2 tsp. ghee and sautee over medium-low until beginning to soften, hitting with a sprinkle of salt and a few cracks of black pepper as you go.

While the leeks are softening, chop your parsnips into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. When the leeks are good to go, add the parsnips to the pan and toss. Sautee, stirring every few minutes, while you prep the chicken.

Partially de-fat the chicken and cut into inch or so chunks. Nestle into the pan among the veggies when done. Hit with more salt and pepper and add the chicken stock.

Add the thyme and carraway and let simmer, stirring every so often, 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the parsnips are softened. During the last 5 minutes or so, mince the preserved lemon and add. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

March 1, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I finally broke down and bought a spiral slicer. I got the GEFU Spirelli and after making this dish two ways – once with my speed peeler and once with the spiralizer, I’ve got to say I’m digging the spiralizer. It feels a lot less dangerous in my hands, and while there is some waste – it’s pretty much on-par with the speed peel method (at least for me – I’m kind of a sharp object hazard).

This dish is satisfying on many levels – the pesto is great, the noodles (when spiralized carefully) can just about be twirled, and the chicken lends a great fattiness to the dish that really brings it all together. A knockout weeknight meal.

These sweet potato noodles can also be used a thousand different ways – I see them becoming a staple in this household; maybe yours, too. Serve with bacon, garlic & sauteed spinach; with a bright popped tomato sauce; alongside mini-meatballs; carbonara-style; with briny olives and creamy goat cheese; with sliced steak and chimichurri … and that’s just off the top of my head.

Paleo, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Whole30

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

Adapted from Gourmande In the Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Noodles with Kale Pesto

1 longer than it is fat sweet potato per person
2-3 chicken thighs per person (I prefer boneless/skinless)
2 big hands chopped kale (I used half a 10 ounce bag of Trader Joe’s organic cut kale)
Handful parsley
Big hand full almonds
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Big pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
Coconut or olive oil for cooking
Salt & pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil to serve
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan to serve (completely optional)

First, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When the water is boiling, add your kale and blanch 2 minutes. Drain and let sit in the drainer while you prep everything else.

Next, get your chicken working. If you’re using boneless/skinless, chop into roughly bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Put into a large pan with 1-2 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil. Sautee over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through. Set aside when done.

While the chicken is cooking away, prep your sweet potatoes. Wash and peel and either shave with your vegetable peeler into ribbons or use a spiralizer for long curly strands. Set aside until the chicken is finished. When the chicken is done, add the sweet potato noodles to the leftover fat in the pan – adding a little more coconut or olive oil if needed (you want 2-3 Tbsp. here). Sautee 3-5 minutes, or until the noodles are softened and just beginning to brown.

On to the pesto. Toast your almonds in a dry pan and add to the bowl of a food processor when done, along with the garlic, parsley, drained kale, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, fish sauce and salt. Blitz to combine, adding the oil in a steady drizzle as you go. If the mixture is too dry, add a Tablespoon or so water.

To serve, add the chicken and some pesto (2-3 Tbsp. per person) to the sweet potato pan and toss (gently!) to combine. Serve sprinkled with a nice stout cheese if you eat cheese (Pecorino Romano and Parmesan make good serving buddies) and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 2 if you use 2 potatoes & 6 small chicken thighs – with enough pesto leftover for 3-4 more servings. Could easily serve 4-6 with enough sweet potato noodles & chicken.

Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

February 22, 2014February 22, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Sorry about the hiatus, guys. If you couldn’t tell already from my Picture of the Day posts – we’ve moved! This past week has been full of not-cooking as my new kitchen has slowly taken shape. I’m finally back in business – and not a minute too soon. This lunch was the first thing I actually made in the new place, and it came together quick. Just the ticket for a healthy and vegetable-packed lunch.

Those of you that have been reading for awhile might recognize my favorite salad ingredient, broccoli slaw. I think I have an obsession issue with the stuff. I hate soggy lettuce with a passion, and home made salads always seem to disappoint – unless I use broccoli slaw. Then all is well with the world. I can’t get enough.

Quick Lunch Salad – Confetti Broccoli Slaw with Chicken

1 bag broccoli slaw (I use the organic broccoli slaw from Trader Joe’s in a 10 ounce bag. Dole also makes a good one)
2 baby endive, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 big handfuls pepitas, toasted
Leftover roast or grilled chicken – or what I had on hand, a chicken patty (1 portion per person) – Omit if you want a vegan or vegetarian salad

Dressing

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 big pinches citrus salt
3 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg)
2 tsp. mustard (I went for grainy here, but only had smooth Dusseldorf style)
1 clove garlic, minced

Chop your veggies and add to a big bowl. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the dressing ingredients & shake/whisk. Combine the dressing with the salad and toss.

Makes 2 huge lunch salads, or 3-4 more reasonable servings

Alternate seasonings: For lunch the next day, I decided to go a more curry route and added half a chopped apple and curry chicken to the salad mix plus 1 tsp. curry powder and 1 tsp. cumin powder to the dressing. Yum.

Whole30 – The Second Time Around – Recap

February 12, 2014December 30, 2014Life, Whole309 Comments

An explanation about Whole30

Whole30 is a month-long hard reset for the body. Kind of like paleo on steriods. No sugar (even honey or stevia), grains, dairy or legumes. Just whole, natural foods – like meats, veggies and fruits. Nothing in a package. No soy (mental note: find coconut aminos; Braggs isn’t going to cut it this month). Amend fish sauce buying to conform.

This program is designed to break the back of sugar and carb cravings and give your body a balanced place from which to build healthy habits. It seeks to reset your metabolism, knock out systemic inflammation (that you may not even know you have) and zero out other gut health issues. Have random stomach pain like me? This may help balance that. Irregular? IBS? Feel like crap all the time? Can’t lose weight? Well .. this crazybananas plan might work.

My favorite part of the plan, aside from the reset, is the tough love. This is not hard – not like quitting heroin or beating cancer. Don’t even think about slipping – what you put into your mouth is always a choice. You don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to eat – learn to stick up for yourself, peer pressure is for elementary school students. This will take effort but you will be better for it – especially if you’re a first-timer to cutting out grains and legumes. But … you can do this.

You know what? They’re right. In the grand scheme of things, 30 days is a small amount of time to deal with a little inconvenience. Unless there are roving bands of rapist donuts in your neighborhood; then maybe stay inside and eat what you’re supposed to anyways.

So, let’s see how this all went!

Whole30 Life Lessons

This second time on Whole30, I didn’t think I had much left to learn. The first time around, I learned to not fear and dread going out to eat while remaining compliant – I had no major sugar or starch hangups, no sensitivities to target, and no real areas I needed to get firmly under control. I started this go round to support some friends, and ended up learning some really great and unexpected lessons along the way.

This time around, I learned (again) that just because eating something is habit doesn’t mean I actually have to continue eating it (ahem, I’m looking at you tacos + tortillas or alcohol with dinner just because I think that’s what I should be doing) – that just because I’m eating things that are technically within the nutrient metrics I’m trying to stick to, doesn’t mean they’re actually what I need to be eating (helllooooo sweet potato fries in restaurants – and especially the fries at Umami Burger with salty brown sugar topping!) – and that having 2 meals a week where things are slightly (to more than slightly) out of whack with my goals isn’t something I need to be doing if I actually want to progress down the road I’m on (i.e. there is nowhere written in life that Thai noodles + tacos are a good idea in the same weekend if I want to continue to reduce my body fat percentage).

I’m really glad I undertook this journey again and I’ll kind of miss it. I have no real ‘transition’ plans – but I know I won’t be going back to how I was eating pre-W30 (letting things creep in that shouldn’t). I will, however, relax the rules a bit from strict W30 back to mostly paleo with an eye toward mindfulness. I can see undertaking another W30 in 6 months, or whenever things start to get a little out of hand. Forced mindfulness for a month really seems to do my body and my mind good. Not only have I come to some good realizations about food and habits, I’m down a solid 5.5 pounds with dips down further than I thought reasonably possible at this point in my life and muscle development. We’re talking back down to the weight I was in late high school – when I was anemic and had zero muscle tone.

On to the food!

What I ate

Day 1 on Whole30 started out smooth … and then poor planning at lunch set to throw me off balance. All was smooth sailing with a quick gear shift, but I ended up eating pretty much the same thing for dinner as I had for lunch. Not the end of the world, but not exactly how I had planned for my day to go.

Day 2 on Whole30 was smoother than Day 1. Still heavy on the pork, but at least there was some variety.

Day 3 on Whole30 was good, lunch picture failure aside.

Day 4 on Whole30 was good – smooth sailing, despite some hiccups in dinner planning.

Day 5 on Whole30 was a little challenging. I had to pick around non-conforming lunch items & really compromise when it came to dinner.

Day 6 on Whole30 was challenging. An impromptu Ikea trip and dinner booked months ago sought to trip me up, but I persevered.

Day 7 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Day 3 of craving salsa (specifically, a type of salsa from a deli department in a state I no longer live in), but not bad food – wise.

Day 8 on Whole30 wasn’t bad, despite a blind restaurant pick that could have been disastrous.

Day 9 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. I finally got to try the balsamic beef I’ve been thinking about for weeks, and lunch was some great leftovers.

Day 10 on Whole30 was another day a hairsbreadth away from disaster. Bad planning on my part and lack of communication between my DH and I almost led to my hangries reaching out and eating people on the train.

Day 11 on Whole30 was ok, I suppose. I missed my smoothie terribly, and stress has me *still* craving a cigarette & a Reese’s Nutrageous. And I still want the salsa that doesn’t exist in this state.

Day 12 on Whole30 was full of tomatoes. And they were delicious.

Day 13 on Whole30 was wall-to-wall beef. Oh, darn. Can’t you tell how distraught I am?

Day 14 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Had a busy day running all over town and forgot to eat before hangries were knocking at the door, but I managed. Too light on vegetables, though.

Day 15 on Whole30 was smooth sailing, even though we ate out.

Day 16 on Whole30 was full of stress, an emotional roller coaster, but full of on-target eating nonetheless.

Day 17 on Whole30 was also my husband’s actual birthday. We celebrated with a decadent-yet-compliant dinner in.

Day 18 on Whole30 was smooth sailing. Great leftovers and one of my very favorite cuts of beef for dinner.

Day 19 on Whole30 wasn’t bad, either. Had some great lunch and some fairly crappy delivery dinner.

Day 20 on Whole30 – another success. Even better steak & eggs (+ greens!) and all kinds of tasty meats when I finally got around to eating again.

Day 21 on Whole30 was full of ground beef.

Day 22 on Whole30 was good. I sense a balsamic vinegar theme lately, but I’m not complaining.

Day 23 on Whole30 was delicious.

Day 24 on Whole30 was full of meat. The pantry is running low on vegetables.

Day 25 on Whole30 was smoothie-light, but good all the same.

Day 26 on Whole30 was good. I see the end of this little experiment, and I’m kinda going to miss it.

Day 27 on Whole30 was full of food at the mall – don’t ask.

Day 28 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Typical weekend day.

Day 29 on Whole30 was full of home front annoyances, but at least home cooked food.

Day 30 on Whole30 was aggravating, but manageable – with the last of our good burgers & sweet potato fries.

Now on to the recipes!

The Good Stuff

This time around, I promised you guys recipes twice a week and I am damn impressed with myself that I actually delivered. If nothing else can be taken away from Whole30, the boost in mealtime creativity is enough. Last time I had fun concocting summery compliant dishes; this time, my dishes were (mostly) more wintery but were fun to create nonetheless. There is nothing like having to adhere to strict guidelines to pull one out of a food rut!

This salad came about because, here in January, I couldn’t stand not eating tomato any longer.

This recipe is tasty. Not quite what I had envisioned (I had visions of sticky almost tart beef dancing in my head), but good. A great ‘cook once and use as the backbone for many meals’ recipe.

This is another of those recipes cobbled together from random inspiration on the Internets. I had short ribs, I’m in the middle of a balsamic vinegar obsession, I have fallen in love with my new slow cooker – and bam. This.

Why bastardized? I was *supposed* to be making my friend’s recipe for semi-traditional Thai-style green coconut curry, but nooooo – ran off half-cocked, thinking I had Thai Kitchen green curry paste (it’s W30-compliant) and couldn’t be bothered to double-check before starting dinner. Well, as it turns out, I don’t have any – and most likely haven’t had any for at least a year (unless of course I managed to use a whole jar without really remembering it – also very possible).

There’s nothing better than coming home to a big bowl of beefy chili come winter. This slow cooker version uses root vegetables for bulk and some added umami-rich boosters for extra flavor. Whole30 compliant and delicious.

This is another example of a recipe that came about due to leftovers in the fridge + it’s cold and I need comfort + I want some freakin tomatoes in my life.

Mmmmm…. meatloaf muffins. I love meatloaf muffins. This recipe came about from looking to see what was out there in the realm of turkey meatloaf tastes, taking some of that to heart, and managing to cobble something together in the kitchen.

I realize this is not the best photo, nor is the most exciting dish out there – but it did do make a little dent in the craving I was having one night.

And there you go … Whole30 Take 2! For more insight into my first trip down W30 lane, click here.

Spicy Whole30 Mini Turkey Meatloaves

February 7, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Warning: as this recipe is written, it is kinda spicy. Not ‘omfg I’m going to die’ spicy, but it has a kick. You’ve been warned.

Spicy Whole30 Mini Turkey Meatloaves

1 pound ground turkey – dark meat is best if you can get it
1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 – 1.5 ribs)
1/2 cup diced carrot (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1/4 of a pepper)
1/4 cup diced shallot (1 medium)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Preheat the oven to 350. Prep your muffin tins by brushing with a little melted coconut oil so things don’t stick.

If you haven’t already, prep your veggies. Add to a bowl with the turkey, egg and spices. Combine however you like – I prefer with my hands – and load your muffin tins (winter themed ftw) to about 3/4 of the way full.

I got 9 muffins out of my tins – your mileage may vary, depending upon how large your muffin cups are.

Bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through (knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops start to pull away from the sides of the tin). Let cool 10 minutes before popping out of the pan.

Serves 3, providing you have 9 meatloaves.

Bastardized Whole30 Chicken Curry

February 2, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

So what did I do? I improvised. And dinner turned out great. A little different flavor profile than I had intended – more on the tomatoey end of curry than the green end – but the sauce was thick and luscious and I’m kinda sad I don’t have any more left over for lunch. Also kind of happy that my hubbs wasn’t home the night I made it, so I didn’t have to share.

Bastardized Whole30 Chicken Curry

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 medium carrots
2 ribs celery
1 medium zucchini
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
1 15-ounce can coconut milk (check your labels!)
1 4-ounce can tomato paste (check your labels!)
4 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1 jalapeno
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 big pinches salt
2 Tbsp. cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Chop your vegetables and chicken. Mince the garlic and ginger. De-seed and dice the jalapeno.

Heat up a large pan to medium – add the cooking fat, onions and a sprinkle of salt. Sautee 1-2 minutes.

Add all the spices, garlic and fresh ginger and sautee for a minute or two until fragrant.

Add coconut milk and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Taste. Add another big pinch salt if needed.

Add the chicken and remaining vegetables and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is done and the veggies are where you want them – 10 – 20 minutes.

While that is working, chop the cilantro and get your lime juice ready. When your curry is cooked through, taste for seasoning – add salt if necessary. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro before serving.

Serve alone or over cauliflower rice. If you eat the curry alone, this recipe makes 2-4 servings depending upon how much you like to eat. I had a double portion for dinner that night and two smaller portions for lunch in the following days. On lunch days, I ended up supplementing with almonds. If you serve over cauliflower rice, I imagine this recipe will easily stretch to feed 4. I happened to be too lazy to make rice that night.

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