Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms (Paleo)

Sorry for such the late post this week. I was fortunate enough to attend an education conference in Washington D.C this past week. I love going to this conference as it lets me meet with pre-service educators from all around the country. Sounds a little corny, but it gets me really excited for teaching!

Anyway, right before I left for D.C, I made this scrumptious meal that even my brother liked (ok, he wouldn’t eat the mushrooms, but hey, it’s something!).

When I make soups, I sometimes add in a cheese rind to enhance flavor (see this recipe for an example). So to add a lemony flavor to this recipe, I threw in lemon rinds during cooking time.

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 lb skin-less chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

10 asparagus spears, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 portobello mushrooms, diced 

1 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat)

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Vegetable or chicken broth

Directions:

In a deep skillet, heat oil and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper, cook completely and set aside on a plate.

Add onions and garlic cloves to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in asparagus and mushrooms and cook for an additional 12 minutes, or until onions begin to brown and mushrooms shrink in size. If vegetables begin to stick to the skillet, add in a splash of vegetable/chicken broth. Return chicken to the skillet and mix altogether.

Add in coconut milk and rosemary. Squeeze in the lemon juice from lemons (careful for seeds) and then add in the lemon rinds.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lemon rinds and season with salt and pepper before serving.

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Paprika and Thyme Chicken and Spinach in Lemon Sauce (Paleo)

This weekend I had the house to myself. Which is good in a way because nobody could see how crazy I get with finals.

That and I get to try recipes without worrying about my picky-eaters (AKA- my dad and brother).

So, I got to make the following meal all for myself. Of course, I’m a big believer in sharing the love. But hey, if you’re not there to share, that’s their loss and my gain 😉

Paprika and Thyme Chicken and Spinach in Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

2 organic chicken breast, thawed

2 tbsp avocado oil, divided

2 tbsp ghee (or butter), divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried thyme 

3/4 cup chicken broth

Juice from 1/2 a large lemon

3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions:

Rub paprika, salt, and pepper on both sides of the chicken. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat.

Add in chicken and cook for 4 minutes on one side before flipping. Add in the remaining ghee and avocado oil, as well as the garlic cloves and thyme. Let cook for another 2 minutes.

Add in chicken broth and lemon juice, cover the skillet with a lid, and reduce to low heat. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.

Afterwards, add in the fresh spinach, cover with the lid again, and let cook until spinach is slightly wilted. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Paleo)

In honor of Father’s Day, I have a recipe my dad asks me to make weekly: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

When I can, I try to prep my meals and snacks on Sunday. Unfortunately, this hummus does not often make it to Monday as my dad tends to eat the whole thing by Sunday night.

No exaggeration, I now divide the dip into 2 containers and stow one in the back of the fridge so he won’t see it. Shhhhhh! 

Now, you can make it traditional by using white beans, but I prefer making it with an artichoke base instead (the hummus tastes the same either way!)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 (14oz) can of artichokes, drained and squeezed of excess water (or white beans)

3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers (from jar)

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp tahini 

juice from 1/2 of a lemon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a food processor until smooth.

Lemon Yogurt Cake/Bars

Well what do ya know, spring is finally here! And about time too- the snow this winter was killing me. Granted there’s more snow on the way, but today its climbing into the 60s, so I’ll just live in the moment for now and say life is good.

And speaking of good, let’s talk lemon, a hallmark flavor of spring. To be perfectly honest, I’m more of a chocolate person. But every time I make this cake, I am forced to reconsider… It’s that good.

And for the occasional treat, I’d say the ingredients aren’t much to cringe over, especially compared to the store-bought cake. So today, I fully intend to grab myself a slice, sit on the front porch, absorb some vitamin D, and begin to defrost 🙂

Lemon Yogurt Cake/Bars

Ingredients: 

1 and 1/2 cups spelt flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cup plain, organic whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 eggs

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8×8 baking dish. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt). In a separate bowl, whisk together wet (yogurt, lemon juice, and eggs). Add the dry ingredients to wet, stir until combined, and spread into the baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes.

NOTE: I do not make this cake with frosting- it doesn’t need it! However, I recommend letting the cake sit at room temperature for several hours, or covering with aluminum foil overnight before digging in; moisture forms at the top, making the cake more tasty (in my opinion anyway).