I highly recommend this dish for summer barbecues, as it can be enjoyed hot or cold (I prefer it hot). It's a great alternative to the tradition cole slaw and the mustard and vinegar really add a great flavor to the sprouts. I found this recipe in what has become my bible for all Paleo recipes: Paleo Comfort Foods. This book (and it's accompanying website) is almost too good to be true. Even the not-so-amazing recipes I've made are amazing.
Special Equipment Needed:
baking sheet
large skillet
food processor with slicing disk (not 100% necessary but saves you a lot of labor)
Ingredients:
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil (NOT extra virgin!)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs. Brussels sprouts
2 scallions, cut on the bias
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spread pecans on baking sheet and bake until toasted (about 5-7 minutes). Keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon pieces over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour the bacon fat into a container and set aside.
3. Whisk mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil and season with pepper.
4. Chop the browned ends off of the Brussels sprouts, then, using your food processor (or a sharp kitchen knife and a steady hand), slice the Brussels sprouts.
5. Add 1-2 tbsp. of the reserved bacon fat back into your skillet and place over medium heat. Add Brussels sprouts and saute until softened and slightly brown (takes about 15 minutes).
6. Turn down heat and then pour the mustard and vinegar mixture over the sprouts. Coat the sprouts in the dressing before mixing in the bacon, scallions, and half of the toasted pecans. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Top with remaining pecans.
If you know someone that thinks they hate Brussels sprouts, THIS is the dish that will convince them otherwise. Plus it has bacon, and who doesn't like that?
It's been far too long since I last posted. It started with a lazy summer. Then I moved into a new apartment. Then Thanksgiving happened. So I have a stack of recipes that I've been looking forward to sharing. This one has definitely become a staple in my house. I make it about once every two weeks and it lasts me at least 6 meals (it makes a TON!). I even used the baked chicken technique I learned in this recipe and came up with my own Chicken Linguine Pesto recipe (made with zucchini and squash noodles!) One
of my earliest memories is of my Mexican maternal grandmother serving
up the most amazingly flavorful chicken soup. While I will never be
able to replicate that childhood favorite (my grandmother never
committed any of her recipes to paper), the flavors in this soup always
trigger that same nostalgia. In place of the traditional tortilla
strips, I garnish this dish with chopped avocado (a vast improvement, in my opinion - I love avocado). The original recipe is from Paleo Comfort Foods.
Special Equipment needed:
13x9 baking dish
large dutch oven or stock pot
blender (not 100% necessary, but recommended)
Ingredients:
3 lbs free-range boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp + 2 tbsp coconut oil (or your favorite cooking fat/oil)
3 tsp fajita or taco seasoning*
1 large onion; diced
6 cloves garlic; minced
2 jalapeno peppers; de-seeded and diced
2 poblano peppers; de-seeded and diced
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock**
28 oz. can fire-roasted chopped or crushed tomatoes (or regular chopped tomatoes)
juice of 2 limes
1 cup cilantro; chopped
avocado and fresh cilantro for serving
*homemade
taco seasoning: 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼
tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt and ½
tsp black pepper (enough seasoning for 1 lb. ground beef)
**4 cups free-range chicken broth plus 4 cups water is how I do it
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 375°. Place chicken breasts in 13x9 baking dish and
cover with 1 tbsp of oil. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken and toss
to coat. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal
temperature of 165°. Prepare your other ingredients while the chicken
is baking.
2.
When chicken is done baking, remove from the oven and shred with two
forks*. This process is a bit labor intensive so, if you’d prefer, you
can chop the chicken into small pieces.
3.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large dutch oven over medium
heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
4.
Add garlic and peppers and saute for a minute or so, until fragrant.
Add chicken stock and fire-roasted tomatoes and bring up to a medium
boil.
5. Optional step: With a slotted spoon, remove some of the vegetable solids to a blender and puree. Add pureed veggies back into pot.
6.
Add chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. I usually turn off the heat at
this point but you may want to add salt, pepper or hot sauce depending
on your personal taste.
7. Serve with fresh cilantro and chopped avocado.
*Super awesome side-note! I found the most ingenious way of shredding chicken recently and I will never go back to the 'two forks' method. All you need is a large food processor with a slicing disk attachment. Place a whole cooked chicken breast in the chute and pulse until the chicken is shredded. You don't need to use the plunger since gravity does all the work for you. Plus, if you do use the plunger, you're more likely to end up with chicken slices instead of shreds.
I LOVE this recipe. And I was so surprised how much the chopped avocado added to the final dish as a meal. Another practically foolproof recipe. I even forgot to add the jalapenos one time and the dish still turned out delicious. Happy nomming!
