Sunday, April 27, 2014

TTW#2: Paleo Thai Chicken Laksa

Inspired by: Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals
Servings:  6

Ingredients: 
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 chicken breasts
- 4 tbs Chinese-five spice
- 32 oz of organic low sodium chicken broth 
- 1 Red chili 
- 1.5" piece of fresh Ginger
- Handful of cilantro (stems and all)
- 2 green onions
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 tbs Bragg's liquid aminos
- 2 lime leaves
- 2 tsp sunflower butter
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs turmeric
- asparagus, about 15 spears cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbs honey 
- 1 tbs seasame seeds 
- juice of 1 lime juice

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut spaghetti squash in half, place face down on a parchment covered baking sheet. Add several teaspoons of water around the spaghetti squash. 

Cook spaghetti squash for 45 minutes, remove and set aside to cool. 

Next cut 3 chicken breasts into strips. 
Put strips in a large plastic zip top bag
Add seasoning:  Chinese 5 spice, salt pepper
Coat thoroughly
Then remove all excess air from the bag and flatten strips with a mallet
Sauté chicken in a hot pan (don't burn, but let both sides carmelize). 

For the soup:
Add 32 oz of organic low sodium chicken broth to a large pot.
Slowly bring to a boil. 
Cut the top of butternut squash and quarter it. Leave skin on. 
Using a food processor, grate the squash
Put grated squash in the boiling broth
Cook for 5 minutes

While squash is cooking, combine the following in a blender:
- 1 Red chili 
- 1.5" piece of fresh Ginger
- Handful of cilantro (stems and all)
- 2 green onions
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 tbs Bragg's liquid aminos
- 2 lime leaves
- 2 tsp sunflower butter
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs turmeric

Blend until smooth and pour into the pot with the stock and squash. 

Scrap cooked spaghetti squash into the broth with butternut squash. 

Add a 1/4 cup coconut milk to the broth. 
Then add asparagus to the broth and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

To finish the chicken:
When it is done cooking add :
- 1 tbs honey 
- 1 tbs seasame seeds 
- juice of 1 lime juice
Remove from heat. 

Serve soup in a bowl and top with chicken. 

Enjoy. 

Sunday, April 6, 2014

TASTE THE WORLD: TTW#1: Primal Chicken Parmesan Casserole

This is a subset of posts associated with TRAVEL with the Rountrees. 

Some of you know that almost two years ago I discovered that I am allergic to all grains. Ouch!  No more bread, no more pasta!  I thought I was going to die. 

Finding the paleo/primal approach has literally saved my life. So, bread and pasta was killing me, and not so softly. 

My husband and I enjoy traveling around the world and that is truly what this blog is about. You can travel the world through your senses too and that is how I decided to share tastes from around the world that I have converted to grain-free...

I hope you will join us on all trips whether they are actual or culinary. 

Bon Appetit!


TTW#1:  Primal Chicken Parmesean Casserole
by:  Kara Rountree

(recipe adapted from foodwishes.com and pooreamy.com)

2 Tbsp of grapeseed oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (clean - I used Mezzetta's Napa Valley Bistro line)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Dry Italian Seasoning, to taste
8 oz shredded Kerrygold Dubliner cheese
4 oz shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Pour grapeseed oil into a baking dish large enough to nestle the chicken in one layer. 

Crush garlic into the dish. Spread on the bottom.

Sprinkle with hot pepper flakes.

Place cut up chicken in dish. I cut mine into 1 in. pieces.


Pour marinara sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with basil.

Top with the dubliner, then cover with crushed pork rinds. Then cover with grated parmesean. At this point I added a sprinkling of dry italian seasoning.  

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. 

Make sure chicken is done, so if the top starts to brown a too much, cover with foil.