Chicken and broccoli revisited

This could not be easier.  The original was pretty dang easy. This is even easier. I even went the extra lazy route and made it with frozen meat and broccoli. Yes, really. 

In a large roasting pan (mine's 9x13) mix:
- 2 pounds frozen boneless chicken breast
- 2 bags (10 cups) frozen broccoli
- 1 T chopped ginger root
- 1 T ground ginger
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 T onion powder
- 16 oz mushrooms, quartered or sliced

Place in the oven at 375F and bake for 45 minutes stirring once half way through.

Delicious.  And by far the #1 thing I get comments on when I'm eating lunch at work. 

Whole 30 on

Well, the November Whole30 is over.  It was (after that first week anyway) much less painful than one might suspect.   The major cravings have gone away.  I don't wake up in the morning requiring Diet Pepsi.  I also don't require it at regular intervals throughout the day.  Unfortunately I also have not replaced it with water or anyone similar wholesome appropriate beverage but that is neither here nor there.  

On average the gut feels better.  There are still terrible days but they are less frequent than they were before.  I suppose that is something. As far as food goes though I seem to be hitting my stride.  I'm not missing grains or dairy.  Soy is harder not because I just love soy but because it's so ubiquitous in American food.  It's nearly impossible to eat out or even buy a lot of canned or frozen vegetables because they're laced with the stuff.  That is one area where I've been a little more lenient just for convenience sake.  Otherwise, all is good.  I'm tweaking recipes and learning what my new "staples" are.  Nothing too exciting got made in this weekend's rotation but a smattering are below.  Another batch of baked fajitas - these are awesome on top of salad for work lunches.  I've done seafood, chicken and now made my way back to steak.  Another quiche which has become a weekly endeavor - this time pumpkin 'crust' with broccoli, mushrooms and eggplant.  Babaganoush.  And sweet potato chips.

I'm sure new recipes will come eventually - especially with a vacation in a few weeks - but I seem to have settled into a pattern here and lost my inspiration for new cooking adventures.  

 

Chicken & Broccoli Mushrooms

 

Close enough to Chinese takeout chicken and broccoli. Plus it has mushrooms and pineapple.  Couldn't get much closer without using soy sauce, corn starch or something else entirely not whole30 so may need to revisit this when I'm going about the reintroduction phase and see if a little soy sauce rounds this out a bit.  Either way, it's still delicious and has an Asian flavor profile but isn't quite the takeout classic.

Serves: ~6 (makes 1200g)

Per 100g: 55 cal; 8g protein, 1g fat, 6g carb

Ingredients: 

2T ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

16 oz mushrooms, quartered

2 broccoli florets, chopped into bite size pieces

1 grilled chicken breast (~1/2 pound)

 

Directions:

* Saute ginger and garlic over low heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and pineapple cooking until mushrooms are tender. 

 * Add broccoli and simmer covered for 5 minutes.

 * Grill chicken separately.  Cut into 1 x 1/2" strips and add to saute pan.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. 

Lemon Rosemary Mushrooms

Serves: 5
Per serving (100g or ~3/4 cup): 35 cal, 3g protein, 1g fat, 6g carbs

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
16 oz mushrooms, quartered
2 1/2 T lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp xanthum gum

Directions:
* Saute garlic and onion over low heat until onions become soft but not yet transparent
* Add mushrooms and cover to cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes
* Add lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary and coconut milk. Cook until simmering
* Add guar and xanthum gum.  Simmer approximately 2 more minutes or until sauce thickens and remove from heat.

 

Shown above served over zucchini noodles

Pumpkin Quiche

 

This is remarkably similar to the butternut squash version of two weeks ago but is even easier since it doesn't involve actually roasting a squash on your own.

Makes: 8 servings

Nutrition:  71 calories, 9g protein, 1g fat, 7g carbs

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

1 onion, sliced

8oz mushrooms, sliced

8oz spinach, chopped

2 cup liquid egg whites

1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 400F. Spread pumpkin onto bottom and sides of non-stick cake pan.  

*Saute onions over low heat just until they start to soften.  Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until tender.   Add chopped fresh spinach and continue to cook, stirring frequently until wilted.

 * Add the sauteed mixture to the crust

 * In a separate bowl mix the egg and coconut milk.  Pour over the sauteed vegetables in the crust.

 * Place in the oven and back at 400F for 50 minutes

* The center should be fully cooked and not liquid when complete and the edges just starting to brown.

Stuffed turkey peppers

Did you notice that my food is usually still steaming when I take its picture?  That's usually because I don't want to wait to eat it... Those who have worked with me (and thus seen me eat, because it seems to happen every few hours) have probably noticed that I have a thing for peppers. It's kind of like my obsession with pumpkin, which by the way is slowly improving.  Mostly because even though its fall and not even Thanksgiving and I should be able to have pumpkins - the stores no longer have pumpkins.  And after eating a 'real' pumpkin the pre-pureed version in a can just isn't the same. Stupid learning to eat real food...  The pepper thing is kind of like that, only it's year round so the crazy is spread out a little. Anyway, I really like peppers, I put them in all sorts of things, kind of like mushrooms (more on that coming in the next batch of cooking), and I really enjoy stuffed peppers. 

 Up today, plain ol' ordinary green bell peppers stuffed with ground turkey.  Mostly latin inspired flavor.  I'm really enjoying ground turkey and ground chicken because it doesn't really have much of a strong flavor - it adapts pretty easily with a little seasoning. 

Makes: 4 servings

Per serving: 130 calories,

22g protein,

1g fat,

9g carbs

Ingredients: 

4 bell peppers

12 oz ground turkey

3 oz coarsely chopped mushrooms

1 roma tomato, chopped

1/2 T dried cilantro

1 tsp cumin

* Clean the peppers, remove the stem and remove the seeds and flesh from the inside.  Place on lined baking sheet in the oven pre-heated to 375F for 5 mintues.

 

 * Mix together ground turkey, mushrooms, tomato, cilantro and cumin.  Divide into 4ths and roll into balls

 

* Remove the peppers from the over & stuff your turkey balls inside

 

Return to the oven at 375F and back until fully cooked, approximately 45 minutes.  The turkey should be browned through and the peppers should be soft.  

Spaghetti Squash "Pad Thai"

 

OK.  So it's not quite Pad Thai.  Those aren't rice noodles.  And there aren't any peanuts.  Or soy sauce.  Because those are all explicitly no-no's on the Whole30.  But it worked.  And along with the Thai Salad and Pineapple Coconut Chicken fulfilled my Thai cravings that week.  Plus I got to bash open a coconut which is (shocked?) right up my alley...

Makes: ~6 servings

Per serving: 109 calories,

11g protein,

4g fat,

7g carbs

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

2 cups bok choy, coarsely chopped

8 oz sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, thinly sliced

40g almonds, ground (~1/4 cup)

1 T vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp Chili powder

juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 lb grilled chicken breast cut into 1" pieces

Directions:

Prepare the spaghetti squash however you'd like. I roast mine whole (because cutting that sucker in half raw almost always ends up with my knife stuck halfway through and me pretty sure I'm going to lose a finger) in the oven at 375 on a foil like baking sheet until it is easily pierced with a fork.  Depending on size, usually about 45 minutes.

* Saute bok choy, carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Saute over medium heat until tender.

 

* Add chicken broth, ground almonds, lime juice, vinegar and chili powder.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

 

* Stick it on top of your squash or toss to mix & dig in!

Thai coconut salad

 

Makes: ~6 servings

Per serving: 152 calories,

7g protein,

7g fat,

16g carbs

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut water

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup ground almonds or almond butter

1/2 T sesame oil

2 clove garlic, chopped

1/8 tsp ground cayenne

1 small onion, thinly sliced

6.5 oz mushrooms, sliced

6.5 oz bok choy, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 T dried cilantro

1/2 bunch red leaf lettuce

8 cups shredded cabbage

6oz coconut 

1 chicken breast grilled and shredded

Directions:

First up, the dressing... 

Simply put everything together and puree it.  I used by food processor. You can use whatever you'd like!  Mix coconut water, chopped ginger, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 almonds, 1/2 T sesame oil, 2 clove garlic, 1/8 tsp cayenne.

  

Grill chicken breast and shred.

Saute together the onion, mushroom, bok choy, carrots and cilantro. 

   

I was excited about the mason jar packing idea so I split the ingredients evenly in 6ths and layered all of my ingredients in 6 jars as follows and had a small jar of dressing left over for later. 

-- 1.5T dressing

-- chicken

-- sauteed vegetables

-- cabbage

-- coconut

-- lettuce

Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry

I'm not sure curry is the right description but it is definitely a Thai flavored concoction.  Spicy, sweet and filling.  You can easily add or remove vegetables as you see fit - or get rid of them all together - add this would still work. On the flip side, leave out the chicken and you've got a great vegetarian/vegan dish.  If you have a particular aversion to one of the spices or can't find it anywhere, leave it out, I imagine this is still going to work just fine.

 

Makes: ~6 servings

Per serving: 244 calories,

31g protein,

7g fat,

13g carbs

 

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 pounds chicken

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1 can (14oz) lite coconut milk

1 cup coconut water -- I used this because I had recently opened a fresh coconut; you could easily substitute for store bough coconut water or just plain old water.

1 red onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

2 cubanelle pepper, sliced

1/2 lb snow peas

3 oz coconut meat -- Possibly substitute unsweetened shredded coconut instead if you don't have or don't want to deal with opening and shelling your own coconut

8oz mushrooms, sliced

4 oz pineapple sliced and cut into 1" pieces

2 T chopped ginger

1 tsp guar gum*

1 tsp xanthum gum *

*(you could substitute 1T of corn startch, flour or thickener of your choice)

Directions

Cut the chicken into roughly 1-inch cube sized pieces. Mix with the spices, 1/2 of the coconut milk, and 1/2 of the chopped pineapple.  Place in the refrigerator overnight to marinate (or chill for at least 1-2 hours)

 

You can also prepare the other ingredients ahead of time if you wish.  I prepped everything and was able to have everything cooking at the same time in different pans to speed things along. 

Mix the snow peas with the sliced mushrooms and coconut in one container.   In a second container prepare and combine the onion, peppers, garlic and ginger.

 

Mix the onions, peppers, garlic and ginger in a saute pan and quickly saute just until onions start to turn translucent.  Add 1/2 of the coconut water and allow to simmer until fully cooked - about 20 minutes.

 

Remove the pepper mixture from the pan and replace with mushroom mixture, add remaining pineapple.  Saute until the mushrooms just start browning and simmer covered for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

 

Place chicken in large pan and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked, about 10 minutes.

 

Add remaining coconut milk, coconut water, guar gum and xanthum gum and simmer until desired consistency, about 15 minutes.

 

Combine pepper mixture with vegetables in pan and stir to mix.

 

Combine to serve.  Serve alone or over your choice -- as below with glucomannan noodles, regular pasta or rice noodles, rice, shredded cabbage, salad greens, etc.  I initially left the chicken and veggies separate and combined over the noodles but later mixed them all together and it works just fine as well if you want to combine before serving.

  

Butternut squash crust quiche

 

Quiche with a butternut squash crust. This was perfect for mornings avoiding grains.  I never put much thought into it before but we really tend to carb load for breakfast... 

Makes: 1 9" pan, 8 servings

Per serving: 90 calories,

7g protein,

2g fat,

14g carbs

 

Ingredients:

1butternut squash

2 large eggs

1 1/8 cup liquid egg whites

5 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

about 1/4 pound asparagus

Directions:

1. Roast butternut squash in over at 375F for approximately 1 hour.  Depending on the size it may take longer or shorter.  It is done with easily pierced with a fork. 

 

 

While the squash is cooking you can prepare the remaining ingredients.  Saute the onion and mushrooms over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Grill  (or saute) the asparagus.  I cut these in half and only used the tip half in the quiche.  Both halves would be fine and you can feel free to use smaller or larger pieces. 

Prepare the egg mixture by mixing eggs and egg white together in bowl.  You could add milk here if you're eating dairy, I did not seeing as it's whole30 time right now. 

Remove squash from the oven.  Remove the peel (I should basically just fall right off if it's done).  Mash the squash and press in an even layer on the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Place the pan in the over for approximately 5-10 minutes and bake at 375.

 

 

 Remove the pan from the oven and increase temp to 400F.  Place mushroom and onion mixture on top of crust.  Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and onions. 

 

 Arrange asparagus over top of the egg mixture and return to the over at 400F. Cook for 40 minutes or until firm and lightly browning.

 

Mason jar salads

I eat a lot of salad.  A lot.  It's my go to choice for lunches and portable, packable foods.  My fridge is often stocked with pre-cut produce and chopped lettuce, spinach, etc. so I can throw a combination of vegetables or fruit on something green and leafy and head out the door.  The problem with this is that I have to constantly go shopping for fresh produce.  This is not a terrible problem because for some reason I love grocery shopping but can be difficult when working long hours.  I've read a fair bit about vacuum sealing salads in mason jars and they're just so pretty I figured I'd give it a try.  Rumor is vacuum sealed lettuce with last for more than a week staying nice and crisp.  I'm not sure about that, and I don't know how salad making interferes with that longevity but I'll report back later.  

From what I've read the mason jar salad is pretty straight forward itself.  Basically wet things on the bottom and greens on top. From bottom to top:

Dressing (I use salsa).  

Tomatoes if they're chopped

Wet vegetables or those that may benefit from 'marinating' -- zucchini/squash, mushrooms... 

Vegetables that are crisp and serve as a barrier between wet and dry -- whole tomatoes, carrots, peapods... 

Protein or grains -- eggs, chicken, rice, pastas...

Lettuce or other greens

Finally any seeds nuts or final dry ingredients

I just used my standard go to produce and we'll see how these compare to my usual "day of" packed salads as we go through the week.  I had every intention of adding my grilled chicken and red onion but that seems to be forgotten.

1.  Mango salsa... One of my recipes I have apparently not yet shared here, but I often use salsa in place of salad dressing.  

 

Next veggie layers of chopped roma tomato, diced zucchini, sliced mushrooms and cucumber. 

Then a layer of carrots...

Followed by a ton of lettuce.  It's amazing how much it packs down...

Then sealing... I used the super cheap MacGyver method. Mostly because my stores don't sell the nifty vacuum sealing attachment.  More's the pity really.  I apparently can't get my fill of kitchen gadgets.   My method just requires jars and some vacuum sealer.  I used a Ziploc one I got for about $4 at Walmart.

First you'll need a hole in the top of the lid.  I poked a hole with a knife.  Then cover the whole with tape.  Something like electrical tape will probably hold up better.  I used masking tape because it's what I had in my kitchen and it worked.

     

 Then cover the taped hole with the vacuum sealer and suck out the air.  This should seal the jar so the lid is sucked down, is not easily lifted off the jar and "indented" rather than popped up and no long depress-able.  Repeat, repeat, repeat....

And, voila.  A weeks worth of neatly packed salads. 

 

To make 6 I used 6 wide mouth quart jars, lids and bands.  And added the following divided between the 6 jars in this order:

1 1/2 cups of mango salsa

1 small zucchini, diced

1 roma tomato, diced

10 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 cucumber, sliced

 8 oz sliced carrots

1 head of iceberg lettuce

1 head of red leaf lettuce