Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter

I love this recipe for so many reasons.  One - it's quick (relative to the time it takes to make some of my other "epic mealtime" recipes).  Two - Ohmygoditsdelicious.  I think that's really all the reasons you need.  I originally found this recipe on Paleo Comfort Foods.  The only special equipment you'll need is a large oven-proof skillet (big enough to fit a butterflied whole chicken, skin-side down).  The best part is, of course, the skin.  The herbs in the butter help crisp up the skin and infuse it with all their amazing flavors.  I'd say the whole process - prep and cook time - takes about an hour.  I served this with some of my favorite Spinach and Strawberry Salad but it will go great with just about any veggie you can think of.

Look at that awesomely crispy, golden brown skin

Special Equipment:
12 inch (stainless steel) oven-proof skillet

Ingredients:
1 3-4 lb. chicken, butterflied* (I had the butcher butterfly it for me since I don't own kitchen shears)
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
3/4 cup scallions
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp clarified butter/ghee, softened
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp salt

*to "butterfly" a chicken means to remove the spine entirely

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine basil, rosemary, scallions, garlic, salt and butter (set aside 1-2 tbsp for serving).
3. Loosen the skin of the chicken by running your finger between the skin and the meat.  Score* the legs and thighs with a knife.
4. Put 1 tbsp. of herb butter under the skin of each chicken breast.
5. Add the coconut oil to an oven-proof skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken (skin-side down).  Cook for 8-10 minutes.
6. Move the skillet directly to the oven for 25 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and coat with the rest of the herb butter (not the 2 tbsp for serving).
7. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes more or until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees and the thighs 175 degrees.
8. Rest** the chicken for 10-20 minutes before serving.

*You "score" the meat by making a shallow cut with your knife.  This allows the fat to drain from the meat while cooking.
**Take the chicken off the heat and put a lid on the pan, or tent a large piece of foil over the pan.

This recipe is definitely "Mel-proof" (my version of idiot-proof).  Last night I put the chicken on the stove skin-side down but was convinced that the skin had to be nice and crisp BEFORE going in the oven.  So I left it on the stove for about 20 minutes instead of 10 and proceeded to flip the chicken over and cover it with the rest of the herb butter before I realized that I had skipped a step.  I removed the newly-added herb butter, flipped the chicken back onto it's skin-side and put the pan in the oven, trying to forget the mistake ever happened.  The chicken still cooked up perfectly.  The only disappointment was that my premature flipping of the bird (hehe) made a mess of the skin, ruining the crispiness of it.  The skin still tasted delicious, as did the rest of the chicken.  It was still perfectly moist and flavorful so I really have no complaints about the whole episode.  Oh, and I forgot to score the legs and thighs.

:P

Eggplant Lasagna

I have to admit, this is one of my more-involved recipes - but the flavors are fantastic and complex and totally worth every minute you spend making it.  It's got some surprising spice choices and is a great way to get your purple veggie quota.  The original recipe is from Cavemen Gourmet, who is lactose-tolerant Paleo (i.e. the recipe has lots of cheese - 14 ounces of it).  My body does not respond well to dairy, so I only add about 2 ounces of cheese for the 'faux bechamel' and omit the rest.  I have also made a version without any cheese at all and it is equally delicious.

The special piece of equipment you will need is a mandoline slicer.  I used a cheap one for this recipe since eggplant is fairly soft and easy to slice.  I made a recipe last night that required sliced sweet potatoes and the mandoline I have did not stand a chance against the mighty starch of the sweet potato.  I am currently perusing Amazon to upgrade my mandoline slicer - although I am now realizing that if I want a serious mandoline, I'm going to need a protective glove to keep myself from getting seriously injured (Did I mention that I'm a klutz and prone to injury?  Cuz I am.)

Anyways...

Equipment needed:
mandoline slicer
large, deep skillet
small skillet
13x9 baking dish
lots of paper towels

Ingredients:
3 eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs. grass-fed ground beef
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp. dried parsley
(1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 egg, beaten
your favorite cooking oil (olive oil, coconut oil, clarified butter, beef tallow, etc.)
salt and pepper

Faux Bechamel (optional):
2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp. clarified butter
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Slice your eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices using a sharp knife and a steady hand or a mandoline.  Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels and lightly salt them to help draw out the moisture.  This is called "sweating" and is a key step in any eggplant recipe.  Let sit for 20 minutes.
3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the eggplant for 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned.  Do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan and remember to add more olive oil to the pan as needed.  Set the cooked slices on clean paper towels to drain them of excess oil.
4. Give the skillet a quick rinse to remove bits of eggplant and return to the stove.  Heat skillet over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then the ground beef, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Brown the beef, then add cinnamon, nutmeg and dried herbs.  Mix in the wine and tomato sauce.  Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
5. While the beef is simmering, in a small skillet over medium heat, saute the mushrooms in a little bit of cooking oil for about 10 minutes, stirring often.  Set aside.
6. Once the beef is done, set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.  Mix in a beaten egg.
7. Grease your 13x9 baking dish and place a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan.
8.  Spoon a layer of the beef mixture over the eggplant, spreading evenly.  Add some of the sautéed mushrooms.  Do one more layer of each, with mushrooms being the top layer.  It is very possible that you will have some eggplant slices left over, depending on the size of your eggplants.
9.  If you are making the faux bechamel, melt 4 tablespoons of clarified butter in the microwave, then add the cheese, nutmeg and beaten egg.  Spoon the mixture over the top of the lasagna, spreading as evenly as possible (the bechamel wasn't easily spreadable because of the coarseness of the cheese but that same characteristic resulted in a deliciously crunchy crust once the lasagna was cooked).
10.  Bake for 60-70 minutes.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes so that the lasagna has time to set.

Happy nomming!

Butternut Squash Beef Stew

I know it's summer and stew is typically a cold-weather meal, but I'm just such a big fan of this dish, that I eat it year round.  It helps that squash keeps for so long so that I can still enjoy my winter squashes when summer rolls around.  This stew is very hearty and chock full of vegetables.  The star of this dish is definitely the butternut squash.  Slow-cooking gives it the texture of potatoes and it absorbs all of the amazing flavors from the meat, veggies and spices.  This stew also has great "replay-ability" - to borrow a term from Jeremy's video game jargon.  There are some recipes that you get tired of eating every day for a whole week - this is NOT one of those recipes.  Every time I ate this stew I was amazed at how satisfying it was - a true comfort food.  I even drink the leftover broth at the bottom of the bowl - that's actually my favorite part.  I originally found this recipe on the blog lowcarbhighstyle but I changed the cooking instructions a bit, since I'm not a huge fan of the slow cooker.

Equipment:

large cast iron dutch oven with lid

oven

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. stew meat (I buy grass-fed beef chuck roast and cut it into cubes)

2 small apples, diced

1 butternut squash, cut into chunks (lots of people suggest microwaving the squash for a few minutes first to make peeling and cutting easier)*

1 small bag of baby carrots

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup red wine**

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. crushed garlic (I just minced 4-6 garlic cloves - I like garlic)

onion powder (recipe doesn't say how much - I just sprinkled it on for about 3 seconds)

1 tbsp. seasoning/herb blend (I used herbes de provence)

1 tbsp. thyme

salt and pepper

*Butternut squashes vary greatly in size.  The conventionally grown varieties are usually MUCH larger than organic varieties.  I would say that you're looking for about 4 cups of cubed squash.  I'll often only use half a squash for this recipe if the squash is really big.  Eyeball it and make sure you don't put in more squash than all the other ingredients (otherwise it won't fit in the pot).

**Did you know you can freeze red wine?  I'm a total geek when it comes to finding new ingredients to freeze.  Just pour the remaining wine in ice cube trays and transfer to a ziploc when frozen.  Once thawed, it won't be great to drink but the body needed for cooking is just as strong!  I made Coq Au Vin with frozen red wine and it was amazing!

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 275.
2. Brown meat in batches in dutch oven with your preferred cooking fat (coconut oil, clarified butter, beef tallow, etc.).  Remove from dutch oven and set aside.
3. Add aromatics (celery, onion, garlic) into the dutch oven.  Make sure to move everything around to help deglaze the pan of all the tasty browned bits of meat.  Saute for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add all other veggies (apples, squash, carrots) and cook until slightly soft.  (My dutch oven is only about 6 quarts - maybe less - so I cooked the veggies down until there was room in the pot for the meat and liquid; it took about 10 minutes or so).  Make sure to stir frequently.
5. Add meat, spices (onion powder, seasoning blend, thyme, salt and pepper) and liquid (chicken broth, red wine, apple cider vinegar).
6. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for at least 2 hours.  The actual time will vary depending on the fattiness of the meat, the quality of your oven, etc.  You will know it is done when the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.

Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  I removed the instructions from the original recipe that recommends using a slow-cooker.  After lots of feedback from people who tried the slow-cooker method and were disappointed by the texture of the meat or flavor of the stew, I decided not to recommend this method anymore.  I think 2 hours or inactive cooking time is a great trade-off for a hearty and healthy meal that will last you for days.

Ham & Egg Cups

These have quickly become one of my favorite dishes to make on an almost weekly basis for several reasons.  First, they take under half an hour to make - prep and cooking time.  Second, they're delicious!  Third, they travel well and are really tasty cold.  I actually made some for my weekend at Coachella and would eat one every night as soon as I got back to the hotel.  The perfect late night snack after a day of dancing in the desert sun.  This recipe is yet another success from my now-favorite Paleo cookbook: Paleo Comfort Foods.  I would suggest using ham sliced fresh from a deli counter instead of the round, pre-cut stuff you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  This is mostly because fresh-sliced pieces are normally bigger than their pre-packaged counterpart, giving you more to work with when it comes to filling the muffin cups.  I actually ended up having to use the pre-packaged stuff once and it was so much smaller that I had to use two pieces per muffin cup and it was a bit of a pain trying to cover all of the surface of the muffin cup as well as leave enough room on the sides for the egg to sit in.  I've thought about experimenting with some of the ingredients, but, as my boyfriend Jeremy says, "don't mess with perfection".  And these are pretty perfect :)

EQUIPMENT:
12-cup full-size muffin tin
oven
small pan for sauteing

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
12 large eggs
12 slices ham
clarified butter (or coconut or olive oil)
coconut oil to coat muffin pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute shallots and mushrooms in skillet with butter.

3. Coat muffin pan with oil and place ham slices in cups.  I would suggest cutting each ham slice from one edge to the center with a sharp knife so that the ham is easier to fold on itself and fit into the round muffin cups.
4. Place some of the shallot/mushroom mixture into each ham-lined cup.
5. Crack an egg into each cup.
6. Cook for 15 minutes or until edge of ham is slightly crisp.

I usually cut this recipe in half and only make six cups since I'm the only one eating them (although I usually let Jeremy have a couple, cuz I'm nice like that).  These keep well in the fridge for about a week.  I wouldn't suggest re-heating them because...twice cooked eggs are just not very good.

Baked Apples

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...
the easiest...
recipe...
in the WORLD!

This is a great substitution when you're craving baked goods like apple pie

Ingredients:
4 apples (I use granny smith)
4 tbsp clarified butter (or ghee)
4 tsp cinnamon
a dash of nutmeg (freshly grated would be ideal; I used dried)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Core the apples making sure not to go all the way through and to leave the bottom on the apples.  If you have an apple core-r(?) great; I used a small knife.
3. Stuff 1 tbsp of butter inside each apple.
4. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg into each apple.
5. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the apples are soft.
6. Serve immediately.  I like to add chilled coconut milk, but that's up to you.

Hooray for apples!

Bacon Bolognese over Spaghetti Squash

Another amazingly satisfying dish that I got to enjoy even months after cooking (thanks to my freezer).  I stumbled across this gem at Paleo Diet Lifestyle.  Just looking at the bolognese, your instinct is to add something more - bolognese couldn't possibly satiate one's appetite for a balanced meal with a complex flavor profile, right?  Oh, so wrong.  Soon after your first spoonful, you'll notice the starchy sweetness of the carrots and that unmistakable salty taste of bacon and you'll be hooked.  I particularly love this dish because you can make it (well, re-make it) even if you don't have the time (or the energy) to spend all evening in the kitchen.  Once I've defrosted some of the frozen bolognese (overnight in the fridge), I just roast a spaghetti squash for 25 minutes and dinner is ready!

Honestly, the spaghetti squash is harder to prepare than the super-awesome and delicious meat sauce.  There are lots of different methods listed on the internets on how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven.  I like to slice mine lengthwise, then place each half face-down on a baking sheet.  Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of your squash), then use a fork to "make spaghetti" by running it lengthwise down the meat of the squash.  If cooked correctly, the squash should easily fall away from the edges in firm strands.  If overcooked, the strands will not hold together and you'll basically be scraping mushier, tinier strands out of the squash.  The trick I've found is to check on the squash 20 minutes in and see if your fork easily tears the strands away from the squash.  If the squash just barely starts to give you strands but most of the squash is somewhat firm, remove from the oven and let rest (untouched) for at least 5 minutes.  Afterwards, your "spaghetti" should be just right.

Hardware:
Large dutch oven or small stock pot
Baking sheet (for roasting spaghetti squash)

Ingredients for Bacon Bolognese:
1 lb. ground beef (grass-fed)
2 tbsp. cooking fat (or less, depending on the fattiness of your ground beef)
1/4 cup chopped bacon (uncooked)
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 (14.5 oz) cans whole tomatoes (or equivalent of fresh) - you may want to roughly chop them before adding them to the pot; sometimes I get crushed tomatoes instead
1/2 cup to a cup of heavy cream (optional: I didn't add this because I'm not a fan of refrigerating and reheating things with heavy cream in them - it never tastes quite the same)
fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Melt cooking fat in dutch oven over medium high heat and cook ground beef and bacon for 5 minutes.
2. Remove meat (with tongs or slotted spoon) and set aside.  You want to keep all of that delicious fat from the meat in the dutch oven so that it will flavor the rest of your ingredients.  Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and oregano.  Cook until carrots are soft.
4. Add whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf.  Return the meat to the pot.  This is the point where you can add any additional spices, if you so desire (salt, pepper, chili flakes, etc.)
5. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
6.  If you want the spaghetti squash to be piping hot from the oven when your sauce finishes cooking, now would be the time to prep and roast that in the oven.
7.  Once your sauce is done, add heavy cream (if desired)

That's it!  This recipe can easily be doubled.  Happy nomming.

Moroccan Chicken Casserole

**UPDATE**
Want to know how it tastes?  Check out my web series Table Scraps, where my friend Jeremy ruthlessly rates my homemade Paleo dishes from 1 to 5 noms.
For a step-by-step video on how to cook this recipe: click here.

It continues to surprise me how consistently delicious and satisfying all this "caveman food" is, even after eating a single dish 3 days in a row.  Each time I have a bite, it's like experiencing the flavors for the first time all over again.  This recipe is no different and is a great dish to ease you into the world of Paleo.  Not surprisingly, I found this recipe at Mark's Daily Apple.  My favorite part of this dish is the cauliflower rice which is such a great carrier for all the amazing spice, aromatic and meat flavors of this dish.

So much goodness.

Now I must admit, this recipe is a little more involved than some of the others I've posted.  It's not a 'set-it-and-forget-it' type of recipe (like my Bison Chili).  Prepping all the veggies and the various stages of cooking probably totals about 2 active hours of cooking.  

Ingredients, assemble! (If only it were that easy)

In order to avoid starving myself until the dish is ready, I usually make sure I have dinner available before I even start cooking (whether it's leftovers or an out-of-this-world salad from Tender Greens or Mendocino Farms).  This way I'm not distracted or rushed by how hungry I am during my time in the kitchen.  I also like to pre-measure as many ingredients as possible.  If a group of veggies or spices are all added at the same time in a recipe, I pre-combine these ingredients before I start cooking.  Makes the whole thing slightly less stressful.  And I now realize the above picture shows the exact opposite of my suggestion, and instead suggests dirtying every bowl in your kitchen just to prep ingredients.  Looking back, I would have put the onion, ginger, garlic and carrots in one bowl.  I also would have combined the red pepper and parsley (or cilantro)

EQUIPMENT:

- Food processor with grating blade (recommended - a cheese grater will also work, but will take longer)

- Pan with tall sides (preferably NOT non-stick) that is large enough to accommodate 2-3 pounds of chicken and lots of veggies

- 13x9 casserole dish

- Aluminum foil

INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower
2-3 pounds of chicken, skin on (I usually get an assortment of whole legs and breasts)
2 tablespoons cooking fat (coconut oil, almond oil, clarified butter, etc.)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, finely chopped or grated (go-go, gadget microplane!)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional - I can't handle anything TOO spicy, so I usually don't add this)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1/2 cup minced parsley or cilantro
2 tsp salt
1 lemon

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Chop cauliflower into florets and discard the stem.  Feed the pieces into the chute of a 12-cup food processor (or do the cauliflower in batches) fitted with a grating blade.  Spread the grated cauliflower on the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken pieces.  Add 1 tbsp of cooking fat to a pan over high heat.  Add chicken pieces.  You're basically looking to crisp up the outside before you put it in the oven to finish cooking.  Cook 3-5 minutes per side until nice and browned.  Set chicken aside.

3.  Return pan to stove.  Turn heat down to medium and add ginger, garlic, onion and carrots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add second tbsp of cooking fat and the spices.  Stir well.

4.  Add red pepper, can(s) of tomatoes, minced parsley (or cilantro) and salt.  Return chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  Pour the chicken and tomatoes over the cauliflower rice in the 13x9 dish.  Dig your spoon/spatula underneath the chicken pieces and try your best to make as much surface contact between the sauce and the rice as possible.  Slice a lemon into thin slices (use a small knife to pick out the seeds) and lay on top of the casserole.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

6.  Remove foil and cook for 25 more minutes.

The only way I can accurately describe how good this dish is is by channeling a vapid teenager:  Omigod, you guys.  Seriously.  Oh.  My god.

  Like, totally.