Chicken Pot Pie

6 Tbls. Butter

1 ½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Thyme

6 Tbls. Flour

½ tsp. Pepper

1 ½ c. chicken broth

1 ½ c. Heavy whipping cream

2 c. cooked cubed chicken

1 large carrot, sliced and cooked

½ c. cooked peas

1 double crust pie shell

3-4 red potatoes, chopped and cooked



Cook butter, salt, thyme, flour and pepper in a large pot until bubbly. Remove from heat and add chicken broth and cream to sauce. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick,. Remove from heat. Add cooked chicken and vegetables to sauce. Put one crust into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Pour mix into pastry shell and put the second curst on top. Cut top to vent. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Let rest at about 10 minutes to let sauce thicken.

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS
½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano or dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. of water
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 oz. pasta
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS
In a slow cooker, combine chicken, onion, carrots, celery, oregano, rosemary, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour over chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low, 6 to 8 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Discard bay leaf. Return chicken to slow cooker and add pasta.

Cook on low until al dente, 20 to 30 minutes more.
Season to taste with salt and pepper

Brown Sugar Salmon

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
Salt to taste
Lemon pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Lemon slices for garnish


Instructions

1. Season the fillets to taste with the salt, lemon pepper and garlic powder.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, water and oil until sugar is dissolved.

3. Put the seasoned fillets into a Ziploc bag, pour in the marinade mixture, seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and make a few slits through the foil with a knife to allow juices to drain while cooking. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

6. Place your fillets on the broiler pan and discard the leftover marinade.

7. Place the fillets into your preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Then move the fillets to an oven rack close to the broiler and broil on high for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe from: http://bitzngiggles.com/brown-sugar-salmon/

Teriyaki Stir Fry Noodles

2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 cup  reduced sodium tamari sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 package dried udon noodles, cooked according to directions on package (You can sub spaghetti noodles if you like)
1 frozen bag of asian stir fry vegetables (anything you want. we usually get one with edamame, red peppers, onions, broccoli, asparagus, water chestnuts, etc.
1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds

Add the oil to a medium/high heat pan.  Add cooked noodles and sear them along with the frozen stir fry veggies.  Seasoning everything with the garlic and onion powder and pepper.

In a separate boil mix together the tamari sauce, honey, and brown sugar.  Then pour on top of noodle mixture.  (If you want to be lazy skip mixing this in a bowl and just dump it on the noodle/veggie mixture)

Once the noodle/veggie mixture is seared to your liking, pour on sauce and sesame seeds and mix around.

You can also add some cooked diced chicken if you want.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Bowtie Casserole

Crock Pot Bowtie Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 o) can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (can also use fresh spinach)
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper. Put in crock-pot and add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, seasonings, spinach and cheeses. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Season with salt and pepper to taste just before serving it over cooked pasta.

Broccoli/Cauliflower Pasta

This makes a ton so feel free to half it!

Ingredients:
16oz of noodles
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Rosemarry
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella 
2 tbs Olive oil
1 head of Broccoli chopped (frozen bags work great)
1 head Cauliflower chopped (frozen bags work great)
3 medium Potatoes (thinly sliced)

Preheat the oven to 425. Put parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets.  On one sheet place the chopped potatoes.  On the other sheet fill it up with frozen chopped up broccoli and cauliflower florets. Drizzle olive oil, Sprinkle rosemarry, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder over the broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes. Place the sheets in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until your desired tenderness. 

Bring big pot of water to boil. Cook any sort of pasta you want (16oz). We prefer short spirals. Strain and set aside. 

Chop up one medium onion
Mince 3 cloves of garlic

Place a big sauté pan over medium-high heat and place 2 tbs of olive oil in there. Toss in the onions and sauté for 3 minutes. When onions are caramelized and sausage is cooked place in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in cup of vegetable broth. Dump in the broccoli/cauliflower/potatoes. Dump on 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Dump in the noodles and mix it all around and it eat it! Ha ha! 

Quick and Easy Chicken Asian Rice Bowls

Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 cup of cooked and seasoned shredded chicken ( I used boneless thighs)
2 cups broccoli florets, raw or lightly steamed
1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
2 carrots, grated
4 large fried eggs
1/2 cup chopped green onions
sesame seeds


SAUCE
1/4 C packed brown sugar (or honey)
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T white vinegar
2tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground ginger


Preparation
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
2. Divide the brown rice between 4 serving bowls.
3. Top each bowl with chicken, broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Drizzle each bowl with the dressing.
4. Top with the eggs, green onions, and sesame seeds.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1 cup of fresh raspberries
1/2 cup each of vinegar, oil sugar (honey)
1/2 cup fresh onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
Put in a blender and mix

Makes 3 cups
Can substitute any berry or mango.

Quinoa Breakfast Casserole

Quinoa Breakfast Casserole

4 cups of cooked quinoa (instead of preparing quinoa with water like the package suggests, use chicken broth. so much tastier!)
8 oz of ground sausage
1 medium onion chopped
6 large eggs
1 cup grated carrots
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 cup mozzarella , plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tsp salt (more if you use water to make your quinoa. otherwise, the chicken broth adds enough salt.)
1 tsp pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 (fahrenheit). Place a small amount of butter in a frying pan. Saute onions for about 3 minutes then throw in your sausage and cooked it till it is crumbly and no longer pink.

Next combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl (except for the extra cheese for the top) and mix well.  Use some butter to coat your 9x13 baking dish.  Scoop out mixture to fill your 9x13 baking dish. (You can also put this mixture into a muffin pan) Press down firmly with your fingers or the back of a spoon.  Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Ready when slightly browned on top and a fairly browned crust on bottom and sides has formed.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Disclaimer: nothing can take the place of real noodles.

I know – le sigh.

However, if you’re willing to put that aside, this recipe is pretty awesome and will get you close to a lasagna-like dish without any gluten or dairy. Win! I’m currently back in Scotland visiting, and a trip to the local Tesco to get ingredients left me with zero options for pre-made sauce that did not contain any excess sugar, so I looked around and gathered some staples to make my own. If you can find a clean pasta sauce, by all means go ahead and use that which means you’ll save time and omit the tomato sauce, paste, and oregano. I also used lean ground pork, but beef or lamb or a combo of different meats would be tasty as well.

Prep time: 20 min     Cook time: 30 min    Makes: 6-8 servings, one 13″ x 9″ dish or two 9″ round dishes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large butternut squash
• 1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef or pork
• ~36 oz canned tomato sauce (1000 g Italian passata for my UK friends)
• 4 oz (100 g) tomato paste
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 eggs, beaten
• Salt & pepper
• Coconut oil or fat of choice
• Sprinkle with Mozzerella if not doing paleo

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the diced onion in a spoonful of coconut oil until it’s softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork, garlic and oregano and raise the heat to medium-high. Saute until the pork is cooked through.
3. Add the olives, tomato sauce and paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and simmer while you prepare the squash. [Note: this makes a tasty meat sauce all on its own or for use in other recipes.]
4. Peel the butternut squash. Slice into very thin rounds by laying the squash on a cutting board. I tried to make mine about 1/8″ thick. The key is to make the slices as uniform as possible so they cook evenly. You could also use a mandolin to make them evenly sized. Be sure you have a sharp knife! Other recipes call for the squash to be sliced lengthwise into long sheets but this is very hard to do with a knife. The rounds enable quicker prep time and the result is just as tasty.
5. Now it’s time to prepare the lasagna: start with a bit of sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Then place the squash in a single layer (I used small pieces from the bottom of the squash, which I had to cut into half moons to remove the seeds, to fill in the gaps between the rounds). Now add another layer of sauce. Don’t skimp because the moisture from the sauce is what cooks the squash. Now add about 1/3 of the scrambled egg and smear it around. It will look gross. Stay the path. It’s going to taste awesome and gives the appearance of cheese.
6. Repeat the squash-sauce-egg sequence one or two more times, depending on how much you have left (I used two 9″ round pans so each ended up with two layers).
7. Finish with a light layer of sauce. I also used up some of the extra pieces of squash as decoration. Fancy 
8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the squash.

http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/03/25/butternut-squash-lasagna/

Porcupine Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/3 cup chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken broth (more as needed)

1. Mix the ground beef, rice, 1/2 cup chicken broth, onion, salt, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl. Roll the mixture into meatballs.

2.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the meatballs. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Drain and discard any excess grease. Pour the tomato sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce into the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in more broth if the sauce becomes too dry.

homemade mac and cheese with mozzarella

Ingredients:

Servings:
4

3 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaf
Directions:

1
Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package.
2
In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Using whisk, stir in flour, salt and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture smells nutty and is lightly golden, stirring constantly with whisk.
3
Add milk. Continue to beat with whisk, scraping bottom of skillet until mixture heats to boiling. Mixture will thicken. Remove from heat; add cheese and basil. Stir with whisk until smooth. Stir in drained macaroni.
4
Serve with additional basil leaves if desired.



Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/mozzarella-macaroni-and-cheese-491146?oc=linkback

Gluten Free Spicy Asia Lettuce Wraps

This is adapted from a couple of different recipes from Our Best Bites

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites

1 lb ground chicken*
1/2 C thinly sliced green onions

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger


1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced 
1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro

1 lemon juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)

1 Tbs coconut aminos
4 Tbs honey


1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1-2 heads romaine lettuce

*To prepare your own ground chicken, cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into large chunks and pulse in a food processor until ground.

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cover and refrigerate until dinner time or allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat about 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken mixture until it’s browning and crumbly.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the lemon, coconut aminos, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. When the chicken is done cooking, add it to the vegetable mixture. Drizzle with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately in leaves of lettuce. Makes 4 servings.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture.  Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 5
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of coconut aminos
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the chicken thighs in the crockpot insert and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, coconut aminos, red wine vinegar, butter, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine well. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.
When done, remove chicken from stock pot and cut into chunks. Throw the chicken back in and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.
Serve hot over a bed of brown rice (optional) and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce 

Easy – Serves 4 and you can get this on the table in 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

16 oz pound brown rice pasta (spaghetti, penne anything!)
1 pound Chicken breast
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves Garlic minced (or more)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup crushed tomatos sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp dried Basil
Parsley, to taste
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping

Preparation:

Cook the brown rice pasta until tender-firm (al dente).

Heat about 1 tbsp. butter in a hot skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken breast.  Add the chicken to the skillet and sear for 2 minutes on each side.  Put lid on skillet and remove pan from heat.  Let it sit for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes place chicken breast on cutting board (let it rest a few more minutes if you have time) and thinly slice into pieces.

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Then add in garlic and stir around for 1 minute.

Next add 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Add 1 cup of crushed tomato sauce. Then add 1 cup coconut milk. Stir well until combined. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Put in your herbs and season with salt and pepper so the sauce taste yummy to you.  I tend to have to add more salt because I buy canned crushed tomatoes without salt.

Add your chopped chicken back into the tomato cream sauce. Finally add your cooked pasta and give it a good stir.

You can garnish it with some fresh parmesan, but I often leave it out because the sauce already tastes so creamy and yummy!

Pistachio Curry Gluten Free

Chicken and Rice with Coconut Milk and Pistachios Gluten Free

Chicken and Rice with Coconut Milk and Pistachios

from melskitchencafe.com (altered to be gluten free)

*Be sure to use chicken breasts that are about the same size to make sure the chicken cooks evenly.

4 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice blend found in most supermarkets)

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped pistachios, lightly toasted

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

Pound each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the butter oil is rippling. Carefully lay the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and return to medium heat until rippling. Add the onion, garam masala, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chicken broth and coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate, brushing off any rice back into the skillet. Tent the chicken loosely with foil to stay warm. Cover the skllet and continue to cook the rice over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the pistachios and cilantro and gently fold into the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken.

Pasta Fresca from Noodles and Co.

This is the recipe for the Pasta Fresca dish served at Noodles and Company. This is one of my favorite things to get there and I like to add Chicken also.

NOODLES & CO. PASTA FRESCA

Sauté Instructions:
In a very hot sauté pan, add:
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups pre-cooked penne (bow-tie works well too)
1/4 cup cubed roma tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onions
2 shakes of kosher salt & cracked pepper

Sear noodles, stirring occasionally until steaming hot

Add:
1 cup baby fresh spinach
1 oz. fresca sauce (recipe below)
Toss to combine, serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese or fresca (hence the name)

FRESCA SAUCE:
(for 15 servings)
1/4 cup fresh garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine (I always use apple juice as a substitute and it taste perfect)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

From: Noodles & Co.

Chicken Cacciatore

Start by chopping onion and garlic and sauteing in olive oil

Remove that mixture and place it in your blender.

Add whole chicken thighs (or you can chop them up) to pan and cook until golden.

Remove from pan and set on a papertowel.

Add chicken broth, wine, tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender and blend it until smooth.

Place chicken in a slow-cooker and pour that yummy sauce right over it. Pop in a bay leaf on top and cook for a few hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. When it’s all done serve over your favorite pasta with a little parmesan and fresh herbs if you feel like it. (And doesn’t feel like cheese??)

Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy. I could drink it.

Chicken Cacciatore

1 lb. chicken thighs, (cut into bite-sized pieces if you want too, I usually don't cut them till after I take them out of the crockpot)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. white wine (you can also use apple or white grape juice mixed with 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar)

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)

1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)

1 green bell pepper, chopped (can substitute other colors)

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don’t have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

Add chicken pieces into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under the oil, lest you start a grease fire. I am NOT speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here… ;)

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Complete steps through browning the chicken. Instead of placing chicken in your slow cooker, place it in a freezer-safe container and cover with sauce. When ready to eat, place frozen mixture in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can either cut the mushrooms and peppers ahead of time and freeze them separately from the chicken and sauce or you can just plan to have those in your fridge when you’re ready to make this.