Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Kale (Gaps, Paleo, Grain-Free)

Cruising for more recipes for my CSA veggie goodies I came across this gem... we also got a butternut squash this week... I hope my family loves soups... because I do!

This recipe was found at http://deliciouslyorganic.net/chicken-stew-butternut-squash-kale-gaps-paleo-grain-free/

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 
2 yellow onions, minced (from my CSA)
• 
4 cloves garlic, minced
 (from my CSA)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons coconut flour
 (optional, but will help create a thicker stew)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

• 4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (from my CSA)
• 
1 large head kale, cut into bite-size pieces
 (from my CSA)
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Melt ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions to the pot along with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the thyme and coconut flour. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and then scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits.

Add the chicken breasts and squash and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 1 1/4 hours (I like to use a crock pot)

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add kale to the water and boil for 7 minutes. Drain. 

Remove the pot from the oven and spoon out the chicken using a slotted spoon. Shred the chicken using two forks and then put the chicken back in the pot. Stir in the kale, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season to taste with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chicken Kale Soup

This past week we received kale and sweet potatoes in our CSA vegetable bag... and my friend Andrea posted this amazing soup... so what is one to do?  Make Chicken Kale soup.

I search for a recipe and low and behold found a recipe with kale and sweet potatoes at www.skinnytaste.com and here it is!



2 chicken breasts (I used the left over chicken from a whole chicken I roasted yesterday)
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 celery stalks
3 cloves of garlic (from my CSA)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth
1 large sweet potatoe (from my CSA)
3 cups of kale (from my CSA)
1 fresh jalapeno (from my CSA)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the oil and the onions and celery and cook until soft and golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic and dry spices and cook 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, chicken, jalapeno and cilantro.  Cover and cook 20 minutes, then add the sweet potato and kale and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred or cut up and discard the bones. Return to the pot, discard the jalapeno and serve the soup into 6 bowls.

So yummy and so tasty... love when my CSA veggies get eatin' 

Watermelon Cake

I so want to try this!

Frosting Ingredients:

• 2 cans full fat coconut milk (13.5 oz cans) - unflavored and unsweetened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar or to taste (maybe coconut sugar)
• 1 - 4 Tbsp coconut flour or tapioca flour (add 1 Tbsp at a time)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or to taste

Directions:

• Chill the cans of coconut milk overnight in the fridge
• Open the cans, drain off the clear liquid and transfer the cream to a chilled bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape all the cream out of the cans 
• Beat the thick coconut cream in the chilled bowl with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy
• Add the vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar and coconut or tapioca flour, 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time, testing for flavor and consistency
• For flavored whipped cream, add some cinnamon, instant coffee, or cocoa powder (you may want to increase the sugar a bit); or replace the vanilla with almond or coconut extract or a liqueur
• Using a rubber spatula, transfer the coconut cream to a covered storage container, and chill for 2 hours until the mixture firms. Serve chilled. 

Nutrition Data Per 73g Serving: 174 cal, 16g carb, 12g fat, 8mg sodium, 0g fiber, 1g protein, low Cholesterol, good source of Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 11

**Don't like the coconut "icing" idea??...Then use plain Greek Yogurt instead of Coconut Milk and Almond Flour in place of the coconut flour...

**Toast your almonds before pressing them on the side, you can toast them in a skillet over medium heat until golden, or toast them in the oven under the broiler...Be sure to let them cool completely before using them on your "cake" 

Banana Cherry Green Smoothie

Today at our Pathways Connect Holistic meeting we tried an amazing recipe from the December 2012 issue of Pathways Health Families magazine.

It was super simple and only has 4 ingredients!!!

2 cups of Water
3 large leaves of Kale
3 bananas
10 oz bag of frozen cherries

Blend the water and kale together until smooth.
Slowly add bananas and cherries

This makes quite a big batch, so for smaller families I would try cutting the ingredients in 1/2.

Honey-Cinnamon Cookies

I actually made these today without the honey.  Plan ahead, as this dough needs at least 2 hours chill time.

 

2 1/2 C Gluten Free flour or flour blend (I used 1 1/2 C brown rice flour and 1 C sweet sorghum flour together)

1/4 C flaxmeal (not in original recipe, but adds healthy fats)

2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 C oil ( I used light olive oil)

1/2 C sugar (I used coconut sugar)

1/3 C honey (I omitted it)

1 large egg

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients.

Beat the next 3 ingredients for one minute, or until smooth.  Add the egg, beat for another minute.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing as you go.

Shape the dough into a log, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the cookies into 1/2-inch slices or roll out dough and use cookie cutters.  Place them on parchment-lines baking sheets. (If you grease the pan a little with oil, the paper lays better on pan.) 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.  Cool on baking racks and serve.

From our friend Tavia

Basic Granola

2 1/2 C GF old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 C oil

1/2 C honey (I used 1/2 C coconut sugar )

1/2 C flaxmeal

1 1/2 unsweetened shredded coconut

1 C sunflower seeds

 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and grease large rimmed baking sheet.

Place the honey, oil, oats, flaxmeal and coconut plus any added seeds or nuts in large bowl.  Stir to combined and evenly coated.

Spread mixture evenly on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

Stir mixture gently and bake another 20 minutes or until golden.  Stir and add the fruit, if using.

Allow to cool completely on sheet.  The less mixing, the larger clusters or chunks of granola you will end up with.

 

Add-ins: chopped dried fruit such as apricots or cherries, pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds...be creative and experiment!

From our friend Tavia 

Banana-Choc Chip Mini Muffins

1 3/4 C GF flour or flour blend (I used 1 C brown rice flour and 3/4 C sweet sorghum flour together)

1/3 C sugar (I used coconut sugar)

2 tsps xanthan gum

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 C flaxmeal

1 beaten egg

1/2 C Non-dairy milk (I used almondmilk)

1/4 C oil (I used light olive oil), plus extra for greasing pan

2 mashed medium bananas

1/2 - 3/4 C (I didn't really measure here, but eyeballed it based on how much chocolate I wanted) DF mini chocolate chips

Grease muffins cups with oil. 

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture.

In another bowl, combine egg, DF milk, and oil.  Add oil mixture all at once to flour mixture.

Stir just until combined and moistened, should be clumpy.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into greased muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-11 minutes for mini-muffins and 18-20 minutes for standard muffin size, or until a wooden toothpick comes out of center clean.

Cool for five minutes, carefully remove from pan.

From our friend Tavia!