Braised Chicken with Cashew Gravy

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cups plain unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup creamy raw cashew butter (I use Artisana)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Trim any excess fat from the tops and sides of the chicken breasts.
2. With a heavy knife or poultry scissors, trim off the small side rib bones for a clean edge. Discard the ribs and excess fat.
3. Over medium heat, add olive oil to a 5½-quart Dutch oven or other heavy pan large enough to hold all of the chicken breasts in a single layer. Combine salt, garlic and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle over the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts skin side down and allow them to cook until they have a golden brown crust, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the chicken over.
4. In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the broth, almond milk, cashew butter, mustard and the garlic until smooth. Pour around the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle with chopped thyme leaves. Place a lid on the pan and place in the oven. Roast the chicken for approximately 30 minutes or until a digital thermometer reads 160°F-165°F when inserted into the thickest part without touching the bone. When the chicken is done, remove the pieces to a plate or platter and keep it warm covered with foil.
5. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the water and the arrowroot starch and stir until smooth. Add the arrowroot mixture to the pot with the chicken juices and whisk until smooth. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to cook off the raw taste and for the juices to thicken into gravy.
6. Serve the chicken with a 1/2 cup of the gravy per person. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

EASY OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Chicken Shawarma:
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp each cumin and pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
juice from 2 lemons
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large onion, sliced
fresh parsley for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced

Garlic Sauce:
1 cup olive oil
⅓ cup lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg white*
1 tsp salt
.
Chicken Shawarma: In a large bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 tsp salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, garlic, and whisk well. Add the chicken and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. The longer the meat marinades the more flavour you’ll have. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Add sliced onion to bowl with chicken and toss well so that the onion is fully coated in the marinade. Add everything to a 9×13 baking dish. I didn’t have much marinade leftover since the chicken absorbed most of it, so that’s why I added everything to the baking dish. Spread everything evenly over the baking dish. Bake in the oven until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, for about 40 to 45 minutes. If you want the chicken crispier on top, turn the broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then slice it into bits.
Garlic Sauce: Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, it should take 1 to 2 minutes. This recipe will make about 1½ cups of sauce, refrigerate leftover sauce.

Sesame-Coated Sautéed Chicken Breasts

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasthalves, about 1/4 pounds each, 2 pounds total weight

Salt to taste, if desired

Freshly ground pepper to taste

¾ cup sesame seeds

7 tablespoons butter, approximately

Juice of half a lemon

1. Place each chicken breast half between slices of wax paper or plastic wrap. Pound lightly with a mallet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the pieces on all sides in the sesame seeds.
3. Heat three tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy skillet and add the breasts in one layer. This may have to be done in two steps, or you may use two skillets. If two skillets are used, double the basic amount of butter. Cook about five minutes on one side. Turn and cook on the second side about five minutes. Then transfer them to a heated serving dish.
4. Heat the four remaining tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add the lemon juice. Swirl the butter around until it is hazelnut brown. Pour this sauce over the chicken breasts and serve hot.

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta on Zucchini

2 large zucchini
2 chicken fillets (each 5 oz) , pounded
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
2 medium tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice,
½ small red onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped parsley
½ tbsp chopped thyme
¼ tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp olive oil

To make the marinade, in a small glass combine the thyme, 1/8 tsp of chili flakes, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and pinch of salt. Place the chicken in a sealable plastic bag and pour the marinade into the bag. Seal the bag tightly and marinate the chicken in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

In a small bowl combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Season to taste and set aside. Heat a barbecue until hot. Cut the zucchini into 1/2 ” thick lengthwise slices. Brush the slices with 1 tbsp of olive oil and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the marinade, brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and make the avocado sauce.

Place the avocado, remaining chili flakes, 1 tbsp of olive oil and remaining lemon juice in a bowl and coarsely mash with a fork. Season to taste.

Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. To assemble bruschetta, top zucchini slices with avocado sauce, chopped grilled chicken and tomato salsa and serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper

Nugget Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 large eggs, beaten

Slurry:
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp sesame seeds, to garnish
2 green onions, sliced, to garnish

In a saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce the heat to low to gently simmer as you prepare the rest of the meal; stir occasionally.

Preheat your oven to 250°F. In a wok or skillet, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Combine the tapioca starch, salt, and pepper, then toss the chicken pieces with the starch mixture. With your fingers, dip a starchy chicken piece in the beaten eggs, shake off the excess egg, and then add to the oil. Repeat until you have filled your skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the chicken pieces. Fry the chicken until cooked through, flipping every 2 minutes, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. As you finish each batch, place the cooked pieces on a plate lined with paper towels; put them in the oven to stay warm. You should be able to cook the chicken pieces in 3 or 4 batches, depending on the size of your skillet.

Once the chicken is cooked through, finish the sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed. If the sauce is too dark and strong tasting, add a little chicken broth to thin it out. At this point, the sauce should be about as thick as tomato soup and should have a sharp but not overwhelming flavor.

In a small bowl, stir together the arrowroot starch and cold water to create a slurry. Raise the sauce temperature to medium; once bubbling, add half of the slurry and stir until thickened, adding more slurry if needed. Remove from the heat.

Toss the chicken pieces with the sauce, then garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over Cauliflower Rice.

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

2 chicken thighs, bone-in
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp honey
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes until soft.

While the tomatoes are roasting, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over low heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes to soften and caramelize, stirring regularly. Clear a space for the chicken.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then place it in the pan. Add the balsamic, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Every 5 minutes or so, spoon the sauce in the pan over the chicken.

To assemble, divide the tomatoes between two plates. Place one chicken thigh on each and then spoon the onions, mushrooms, and pan drippings over the chicken. Garnish with parsley.

Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken

2 heads of garlic, peeled
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (omit for phase 2 if you react)
1 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes (no sugar added)
1 tbsp fresh oregano
4 leaves fresh sage
1/4 cup chicken broth

Place the garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of the garlic. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, oregano, sage, and chicken broth. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. Serve warm with the garlic.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic on top of the chicken. Pour the diced tomatoes and chicken stock over the top. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Use a fork to shred the chicken before serving. Garnish with cilantro and avocado.

Creamy Paleo Chicken Skillet

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 slices bacon
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
6 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 14.5-oz. can coconut milk
2 cups fresh kale, stems removed and shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble. Set aside. Discard the bacon fat from the pan except for one tablespoon.

Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft. Push the onion to one side and add the chicken to the pan. Lightly brown the chicken, and then stir in the bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon.

Add the white wine vinegar to the pan to deglaze. Add the coconut milk and kale. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the kale is wilted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Pan-Fried Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce and Asparagus

1 whole chicken, broken down into sections, skin-on
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp ghee (or butter)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 cup coconut cream
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the ghee and one tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place the chicken with the skin-side down into the skillet. Let sear for 6-8 minutes or until browned. Flip over and cook for 4 minutes more. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Once all of the chicken is seared, replace all of the chicken back into the pan and bake for 15 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Meanwhile, place the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well to coat and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven with the chicken and roast for 10-15 minutes, turning once. Remove the chicken and asparagus from the pans and set aside to rest.

Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the white wine vinegar to the pan to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the honey mustard, spicy mustard, and coconut cream to the skillet and simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the chicken and asparagus to serve, topped with fresh parsley.