Jamaican Chicken (Paleo)

Hi all! I have some time on my hands for a post today! Shocker, I know. As student teaching starts wrapping up, I should be able to get back in the kitchen more and begin posting recipes more regularly again.

Until then, here’s another quick meal- Jamaican chicken. With the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice thrown in, you can double dip and make some holiday cookies at the same time 😉

Jamaican Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

Salt and pepper

Avocado oil

10 organic chicken drumsticks, thawed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the spices, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix. Rub avocado oil on the chicken, sprinkle spice mixture all over the chicken, and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 35 minutes. Afterwards, take out, flip the chicken over, and place in the oven for 10 more minutes. Serve.

Advertisement

Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

One last summer recipe before the start of fall recipes! Since fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, I feel that I’m still within reason to post a recipe with summer squash in it 🙂

Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

Ingredients:

1 summer squash

1 tbsp ghee

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp lemongrass paste

1 handful of fresh thai basil, chopped (you can use regular basil instead)

1 can artichokes, drained and chopped 

2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper 

Directions:

Use a vegetable spiralizer to make summer squash noodles. Place noodles in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a deep skilled, melt ghee over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in lemongrass paste, basil, and artichokes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in coconut milk, cheese, noodles, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve.

Eggplant and Artichoke Lasagna (Noodle-Free)

Well, this is my last few days of summer before student teaching begins. The last of life as I know it.

Hmmm that sounds kinda depressing… but actually I’m really excited to be moving forward in my career goals. Plus, I get to teach science and history all day, which I am totally pumped for!

Unfortunately, this may cut into my ability to make recipes and post as frequently. So please bear with me for the next few months. I promise to post as regularly as possible.

As tradition, I like to make a fancy meal before returning back to school. This time, it’s an eggplant lasagna with some artichokes stuffed inside 🙂

Eggplant and Artichoke Lasagna (Noodle-Free)

Ingredients: 

1 medium-sized eggplant

1 (15oz) container of whole milk ricotta cheese

1 (14oz) can of artichokes, drained and chopped

1 egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1 jar marinara/tomato sauce (or homemade)

1 and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 tbsp dried basil

Directions: 

Cut the eggplant into thin rounds. Place all slices on baking trays and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes to make eggplant “sweat.”

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese, artichokes, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together. In a 9×13 baking dish, pour and spread out a thin layer of marinara sauce.

When eggplant rounds have “sweated,” wipe of excess moisture with paper towels. Use half of the eggplant slices to make the first layer (overlapping is ok!).

Top with half of the ricotta mixture and spread. Top with 3/4 cup mozzarella. Next, add on another layer of marinara sauce, followed by eggplant slices and ricotta. To finish, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and dried basil. 

Tightly cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Afterward, take off foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. Let set for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Italian Eggs over Cabbage (Paleo)

Greetings from vacation at the Jersey Shore!

While I absolutely love cooking- even while on vacation- I know some people are either too busy with outings or simply not in the mood to plan an extensive meal while in paradise. And so, I present you with a simple recipe that can please a crowd without a lot of work on your part!

While I list multiple ingredients in this recipe, you only really need three of them: tomato sauce, cabbage, and eggs. The rest are optional (yet totally recommended to boost flavor!)

Italian Eggs over Cabbage (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

5 cups cabbage, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce (store-bought or homemade)

salt and pepper, to taste

3 eggs (or more, depending on how many people you’re serving)

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep skillet (that comes with a lid) and add the garlic and onions. Sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, add in fennel seeds and basil, and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chopped cabbage, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper and let cook for 10- during this time, the cabbage will shrink down and become saturated in tomato sauce.

With the back of a spatula, pat down the cabbage to create a flat surface. Crack one of the eggs into a bowl and then gently slide on top of cabbage. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cover skillet with lid and let eggs cook through (this takes me about 15 minutes). Top with extra basil and serve.

Summer Veggie Shrimp Bake (Grain-Free)

Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of views on one specific post of mine: my Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas.

This has resulted in me craving some good ol’ shrimp lately. Since fresh summer veggies are everywhere right now, I decided to pair the two together 🙂

Summer Veggie Shrimp Bake

Ingredients:

1 large onion

2 yellow summer squash

1 eggplant

2 green peppers

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved 

1/2 + 2 tbsp cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp avocado oil

salt and pepper

1 lb raw shrimp

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish.

Chop the onion, squash, eggplant, and peppers into bite-sized pieces and toss in a very large bowl. Add in the tomatoes, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Mix altogether and spread into the baking dish. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

While baking, remove the shells from the shrimp and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and mix with the remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese.

After the 30 minutes are up, taking the baking dish out of the oven and up the temperature to 425 degrees. Mix the shrimp into the veggie dish and place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.