Simple Italian Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

4-5 Roma tomatoes cut into chunks
Two sliced cloves of garlic
Can of artichoke hearts sliced
A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
A generous amount of Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of Arrowroot Powder   ( you may use flour if you are not Paleo)                                                               4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (that are generously seasoned with S&P)
1 cup shredded low-moisture Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil julienne for garnish

Directions:

Preheat over 350 degrees

Mix tomatoes, garlic, artichoke hearts, olive oil, salt and pepper, sugar and Arrowroot powder in a bowl. Set aside.  Tenderize chicken by slightly pounding beasts without flattening. Salt and pepper each side of chicken breast. Place chicken breast in greased baking dish. Take tomato mixture and spread around sides of chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes until almost cooked through. remove and sprinkle each chicken breast with shredded mozzarella. Turn oven to broil on hi, and place chicken below broiler. Remove when cheese is melted, and slightly brown. Garnish with fresh basil. Let stand for 5 minutes to redistribute juices back into chicken. Serve. 

*Arrowroot powder serves as a thickener like corn starch, and in this case to help thicken extra liquid from chicken. I recommend arrowroot powder over corn starch, or flour if available.

Chunky Monkey Cookies

I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest while looking for a cookie recipe that was fast and easy, and of  
course Paleo. Although, this cookie has the appearance of a cookie, it has the texture of a cupcake; soft, and fluffy, and uber moist. These cookies  are so yummy and guiltless, I even had one for breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 cup chunky almond butter (or other nut butter)
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup (ripe) banana, mashed (about 1 large banana)
2 Tbl.  Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter (or other chocolate nut butter) or 2 Tbl. cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl. cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped pecans, (or other nut) {optional}
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chocolate Chunks (or dark chocolate chunks, the darker, the better!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients (adding pecans and chocolate chunks last) in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.
3. Using a large spoon, scoop batter onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (making sure you leave plenty of room in between each).
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes, then completely cool on wire rack.

Makes about 15 cookies.
* If you opted to use cocoa powder which I use vs. hazelnut butter, your cookies will be  dark in color and have more chocolate flavor.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon Almond butter
2 Tablespoons coconut milk or almond milk ( I use vanilla coconut milk)
Spinkle of Celtic Salt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a mini Cuisinart. Add more milk if not mixing easily. Serve immediately, or freeze for 20-30 minutes to chill.

This recipe serves one, but double equally to serve two.

Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

I was so happy to stumble across this super easy to follow recipe on Pinterest, and couldn't wait to share it on my blog. This recipe is perfect for barbecuing for a group, and a great main dish to bring already prepared camping.

Makes 14-16 skewers
Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (could use chicken breasts, but thighs stay more moist)
1 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos. I use Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 (15 oz) can of pineapple chunks in 100% juice, drained (reserve 1 cup of juice)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup honey
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (optional, reserve some for garnish)
1/2 large white onion, chopped
 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-inch) chunk ginger, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
bamboo skewers

Directions:
-Trim the chicken of any visible fat and cut into chunks about 2-inches in size.
-Mix remaining  ingredients, except drained pineapple chunks, a large bowl. If you find that your reserved juice doesn't quite measure a cup, just add water to yield the cup of liquid. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, but overnight would be ideal.
-An hour before you're ready to grill your chicken, soak your skewers. This will ensure they don't catch fire, or burn entirely.
-Grill your skewers at a medium-low heat so that the marinade does not burn. Turn once after 5-7 minutes. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan or broil them.
-Serve and garnish with reserved green onions (optional)

Snickerdoodle Cookies-Grain, Dairy, and Egg free

I love Snickerdoodle cookies, and I have found  many variations of converting my favorite cookie with Paleo ingredients. This has been the closet recipe that tastes almost like the cookie I grew up eating. These cookies are super yummy right out of the oven, but I find that almond flour base cookies are better frozen after the first day to prevent getting too soft and stale.

 Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon Celtic salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup mild honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon coating:
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon cinnimon
sprinkle of Stevia for extra sweetness (optional)

Directions:
Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a bow. Mix melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine together. Using a tablespoon form small balls of dough and roll in cinnamon mixture until covered. Place on lined baking pan. Flatten cookie with a bottom of a flat glass. I dip glass in the cinnmon mixture to prevent sticking. Place a few inches away from each other. Bake 8-9 minutes at 350. Let cool on pan for an additional 5 minutes before removing. Cookies will seem under cooked at first, but they will firm up. Makes around 15 cookies.

Open-face Bell Pepper "Sandwich"

This is a great way to enjoy lunch, and not miss sandwich bread. There are many variations to this recipe, so use ingredients that you find tasty.

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper sliced in half , I like red peppers for this recipe

Mix in bowl:

1 can tuna or canned chicken, or use leftover roasted chicken, and chop into small pieces
2 celery sticks chopped up into bite size pieces
Chopped up marinated artichoke hearts
1 small roasted red pepper sliced into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon mayo (optional)
Celtic salt and pepper to taste
sliced cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:
Place oven on Broil  Hi
Stuff bell pepper with mixture and place in oven. Broil for 5-10 minutes watching it carefully. You just want the pepper and mixture to warm up. Top with cheese (optional) and continue to broil until melted and toasty brown. Serve over bed of greens drizzled with Olive oil and salt and pepper

* if you do not enjoy bell peppers, tomatoes are a great substitute. Remove seeds, stuff tomato, but bake for a shorter time. I also top my peppers with avocado when done broiling instead of cheese.

Pizza- Gluten-free and Grain Free

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups raw spinach leaves
1 egg (large)
1 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
spices (I used salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder - a sprinkle of each)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 12 inch pizza pan with parchment paper (Definitely do this. DO NOT skip theparchment paper. I found that where the crust touched the pan it stuck horribly! It peels off the paper no problem.). Set aside. In a blender (or magic bullet), blend spinach until it is a baby food consistency. Add egg and pulse until combined. Add in cheese and spices and pulse until just combined. Spread evenly in prepared pizza pan. Just spread it out slowly and carefully and it will get there!
-Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Edges will be browned and crispy.
-Prepare pizza sauce by placing tomatoes and garlic in blender (or magic bullet) and pulse until smooth.
Spread evenly over cooked crust. Top with toppings, and don't forget Parmesan cheese. Place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted.

Pizza Sauce:
24 grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic

Toppings: These are up to you! But here are some combo suggestions:

Garden Pizza:
Finely slice red onion, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced tomatoes, sliced green peppers, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. I added a couple slices of salami.

Canadian Bacon Pizza:
2 rounds of Canadian bacon diced, 1/4 cup onion diced, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

* Veggies have a lot of extra moisture, so the pizza does become a bit messy to hold and eat. I suggest forks and knives to enjoy this pizza experience, and the taste won't disappoint you.

Crust only: 400 calories, 29 fat, 5 carbs, 32 protein.