Paleo Chicken Schnitzel Tray Bake

Could it be that we have a new family favourite on our hands? When there was just one dish to wash up tonight and the kitchen was clean in less than 5min - my husband Mark couldn't believe his luck!

INGREDIENTS

Schnitzel + crumb
500g of sliced and/or pounded chicken breast
2 eggs, beaten
Dish of Tapioca Flour (or any flour you desire)
1.5 cups (approx) of Almond Meal
Salt + Pepper
Handful of grated parmesan (I use Grana Padano)
Handful of snipped chives
Handful of chopped parsley
(I have a herb garden so it's so easy to access, but feel free to use dried herbs or substitute as required)
Coconut Oil Spray (Or Olive Oil Spray)

Roast Vegies
1 x sweet potato
2 x potatoes (I chose 'Desiree')
Handful of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic, skin on (optional)
(You can substitute any vegetables you wish)
Olive Oil
Butter (optional)

METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Chop vegies into 'chip' sized batons
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil and a few small knobs of butter in the bottom of roasting pan, spread around with a spatula
- Place vegies in pan with garlic, roast for 20min

- As vegies are roasting prepare crumb for chicken
- Prepare 3 dishes: One with flour, one with beaten eggs, one with 'crumb mix' (all other ingredients, mixed.)
- Coat chicken pieces in flour, then egg, then crumb mix

- After vegies have roasted for 30min, pull pan out of oven and turn them, add tomatoes
- Balance crumbed chicken pieces on top of vegies and spray with oil
- Place pan back in over, cook for a further 15min
- Pull pan out, flip chicken over, spray with more oil, cook for another 15min (or until chicken is cooked).

Serve with greens of your choice!

Adapted from:  http://www.taste.com.au/recip…/20444/oven+baked+fish+n+chips and Pete Evans' schnitzel recipe. http://www.today.com/…/paleo-chef-shares-his-affordable-din…

Chicken and Spinach Curry

My good friend Sara first made me this dish when I was a new Mum and all out of energy. I love this recipe because it is very satisfying and the Greek yoghurt helps to make you feel full! To keep carb content low I do not serve with white rice, I eat with steamed vegetables or slendier rice. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons korma curry paste
• 1 1/2 cups Greek-style yoghurt
• 500g Sliced chicken breast
• 1 bunch English spinach, leaves roughly chopped
• Steamed vegetables (I like zucchini and carrots) / Slendier rice to serve

METHOD

- Heat a small, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add almonds. Cook, shaking pan gently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove to a plate.

- Add 1 tbsp oil to frying pan over medium-high heat. Quickly stir fry sliced chicken breast, place to one side. 

- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add yoghurt and 1/2 cup cold water. Stir until well combined.

- Add chicken. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Add spinach. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Spoon curry over vegetables / slendier rice. Top with toasted almonds. Serve.

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/617/chicken+and+spinach+curry

Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

So I'm back! I've been at Vision Darlinghurst for a few months now and updating my blog has been on my 'to do' list for a while. Heading back to training (after having a baby) is fun because I get to revisit (and rethink) my recipes and eating! So here are some of the new things I have been eating... this one is simple and delicious!

 
INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 10 cm (4 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 200 g (7 oz) asparagus spears, cut into short pieces
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 40 g (1/3 cup) slivered almonds, roasted 

METHOD

1. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the chicken changes colour.
2. Add the spring onion and asparagus and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes, or until the spring onion is soft.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and 3 tablespoons water, cover and simmer for 2 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are slightly crisp. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve over steamed rice (I use slendier rice for reduced carbs, high protein and fibre!).

Adapted from: http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/recipe/chicken-and-asparagus-stirfry-20130806-2rcze.html

Silky Caulifower and Chicken Soup

I wasn't well yesterday and after getting over the worst of it I needed something fast and nutritious. I'm a big fan of the Smitten Kitchen blog, and adapted this recipe to my needs.

INGREDIENTS
1 head cauliflower
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups of chicken stock
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan (I buy Grand Padano from Fratelli Fresh)
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
- Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.

- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.

- Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.

- Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup

- Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth

- Stir in chicken breast, season with salt and pepper

- Keep warm until ready to serve.

Chicken Larb

I love chicken larb because it's all about the fresh and spicy flavour. It's also great to eat in Summertime when you don't quite feel like a salad, you still want to eat something warm and a little more substantial. It also doesn't heat up the kitchen too much!

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil spray
500g chicken mince (I just buy a tray from Woolies)
1 stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
2 tsp of minced chilli
1 lime, juiced
Grated rind of 1 lime
1 tbs fish sauce
Pinch of brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
1/2 small red onion, thinly chopped
40g (1/4 cup) finely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts (if I have time I toast them in a pan)

Lettuce of your choice, to serve.

METHOD
- Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mince, lemongrass and chilli and cook, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until the mince changes colour. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside for 15 minutes to cool.

- Combine the lime rind, lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add to the mince mixture along with the mint leaves, coriander leaves and onion. Gently toss to combine.

- Serve on a bed of leaves. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately.

Chicken with Chorizo and Cannellini Beans

This is such a fantastic midweek meal - simple and delicious with very little preparation. Nigella recommends using any available cold cut of meat and I agree. If the chorizo is too fatty for you I would substitute with a nice trim, smoky piece of bacon.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 chicken breasts
- Approx. 125g of spincah leaves / rocket
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
- 100g chorizo, sliced then chopped (I just buy one sausage from the deli counter)
- 410g tin cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- A little chicken stock (1/4 - 1/2 cup)
- smoked sweet paprika for sprinkling

METHOD
- If you have the time, marinate the chicken breasts for at least half an hour in a little stock with a tablespoon of paprika. I also throw in a table spoon of the chopped chorizo, just to instill that smoky flavour in the chicken. Sometimes I put in a little herb I have growing on my windowsill, such as parsley or rosemary.

- Cook the chicken breasts on a griddle or in a frypan, approx 5 minutes each side.

- While the chicken is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan, throw in the chopped chorizo, add the drained cannellini beans, frozen peas and, stirring, warm everything through, moistening with a couple of tablespoons or so of the chicken stock - or more if you want this soupier.

- Arrange the spinach/rocket in 2 x bowls and tip the beans and chorizo mix on top, allowing the greens to wilt a little.

- place cooked chicken on top and sprinkle each chicken breast with a little paprika.

Adapted from: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chicken-with-chorizo-and-cannellini-beans-187

Asian-style chicken salad

Happy new year! I'm still lazing my way through the NSW school holidays, life will be sure to catch up with me again soon and the crazy routine will be there in full force once more.
This is a fabulous Summer dish as other than cutting and chopping, not much electricity (i.e. heat) is needed and the kitchen stays nice and cool. Important when you live in small digs like me. This is a great main, side or lunch! Tastes fine the next day too.


INGREDIENTS
2 single chicken breast fillets
Chicken stock (or water)
1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
150g snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, deseeded, thinly sliced
1/2 wombok (Chinese cabbage),hard core removed, finely shredded
3 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

Dressing*
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded, chopped
* I made this dish for two people but found I needed the full serve of dressing.

Serves 4

METHOD
1. Poach chicken in 4cm of chicken stock for 10min. Cool, shred.
2. Place carrot and snow peas in a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 1 minute or until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh under cold running water.
3. Place chicken, carrot, snow peas, capsicum, wombok, shallot and coriander in a bowl. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chilli in a jar. Pour over salad and combine. Divide among serving bowls to serve.

NUMBERS
Protein: 34g
Fat: 3.5g
Carbohydrate: 14g
Fibre: 7g

From: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14140/asian+style+chicken+salad

Roast lemon chicken with pea puree and chorizo

This is kind of a naughty-nice recipe. Although the fat gives flavour, reduce it and peel the skin off the chicken for a kinder meal. We ate this for Saturday night dinner and it is sort of 'special' - I'd defintely make it for guests!

Serves 2
2 chicken thighs, skin on
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 pkt chorizo slices (approx 125g)
2 lemon wedges
2 sprigs of mint for serving

Pea Puree
300g frozen peas
1 tbs mint leaves
1 tbsp butter, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp grated parmesan

METHOD
1. Heat over to 200 degrees celcius.
2. Place lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag, marinate for 45 minutes if possible.
3. Bake for 45minutes or until golden and cooked through.
4. Add lemon wedges and chorizo for last 10 minutes, until chorizo is crisp and lemon warm.

1. Cooke peas in salted water for 2 minutes, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water and 3 tbsp of peas.
2. To make puree, place remaining peas in a food processor with the mint, butter, garlic, parmesan, salt and pepper.
3. Puree, adding cooking water by tablespoonful until the nix is light and creamy.

Adapted from: Terry Durack, GW Living Food, Good Weekend Magazine, October 30th 2010

Chicken, corn and ginger soup

After the more filling, scrummy soups of dead winter I am pleased to find something slightly more refreshing and delicious as we approach the Sydney Spring. I have added shredded chicken for protein, this really is a cheap and easy dish to create!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallots (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cups of frozen corn kernels
4 cups chicken stock (you can use more, I think up to 2 cups)
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cooked and shredded chicken breast

to serve
sliced spring onions
coriander
1 tsp sesame oil

METHOD
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat
- Add spring onions and ginger, stir for 1 minute
- Add corn, stir for another minute (or longer if corn is still frozen)
- Pour in stock, bring to boil
- Season with rice wine, salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce
- Simmer for 5 minutes
- Stir in shredded chicken breast

- Ladle into bowls
- Top with coriander, shallots and coriander
- Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil

From: Bill Granger: bills SYDNEY FOOD, Murdoch Books 2004.

Bean and Pumpkin Stew

Here we are in the dead of Winter and my food diary has fallen by the wayside. I've been eating relatively well lately but it would be good to keep my eyes 'on the numbers' more closely. I found this recipe on taste.com.au today and will be serving it up after training and yoga tonight, I'm sure Joe will be pleased I'll be filling out my diary more regularly, starting with this recipe! I will be adding some poached chicken for extra protein...

INGREDIENTS
250g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
olive oil cooking spray
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons moroccan spice blend
2 tablespoons tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, diced
1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces
150g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded
1/2 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese / sprinkling of Grano Padano cheese (I prefer as it has more flavour and you need less of it)
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Cover pumpkin, add a little water and microwave for 3 minutes or until almost tender. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, spray a saucepan with oil. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add onion. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and spice blend. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.

3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, zucchini, capsicum and mushrooms. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until thickened.

4. Add beans and pumpkin. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve with poached chicken (I slice it up and mix it into the saucepan) / steamed greens of your choice.

NUMBERS (per serve, without chicken)
Protein: 16.5g
Fat: 3.6g
Carbohydrate: 29.3g
Fibre: 9.7g

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/603/bean+and+pumpkin+stew

Balsamic chicken with spinach and cherry tomatoes

Happy Winter! I tried this last night for the first time and it's incredibly easy. I threw in a few extra vegies (marked with a *) I had on hand as tomatoes are not that great right now. In particular, adding some mushrooms is a great juicy idea for Winter time and is well worth the taste. The balsamic makes the chicken all nice and sticky, if the pan dries out just splash in some stock or water to keep it all going. I serve the dish with steamed vegies, green peas would also be very good.

INGREDIENTS
500g chicken breast fillets, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
Handful of mushrooms, quartered*
1 stick of celery, sliced*
1 shallot*
100g baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Place chicken in a large, shallow, glass or ceramic dish. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk vinegar, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over chicken. Turn chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, if time permits.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
3. Add cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and celery to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until tomatoes start to soften. Return chicken to pan. Add spinach. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted. Top with basil leaves. Serve.

NUMBERS (per 30g serve, approximately)
Protein: 28.5g
Carbohydrate: 5.6g
Fat: 6.4g

Adapted from:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18327/balsamic+chicken+with+spinach+and+cherry+tomatoes

Rosemary-roasted Chicken with Beetroot and Feta

I cooked this for the first time tonight and it's a real winner! Wish I had a photo of it, it is the perfect Autumn salad, all warm and roasty. The chicken also did not dry out like I thought it might, this recipe is definitely worth a go!

INGREDIENTS
2 x 200g chicken breast fillets (organic or free range)
1 x 450g can baby beetroots, drained
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
500g pumpkin, thinly sliced
Olive oil spray
200g feta, crumbled
Rocket leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius
2. Place beetroot and pumpkin in baking dish, spray lightly with oil, toss to combine, bake for 20minutes
3. Add chicken and rosemary, bake for a further 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through
4. Slice chicken and beetroot and place in bowl with pumpkin, a little oil, rocket, feta and vinegar, toss to combine.

NUMBERS (per serve, approx)
Protein: 34.4g
Carbohydrate: 16.1g
Fat: 16.6g (to reduce fat, switch to low fat feta, but I enjoy the real stuff too much)

Balsamic Chicken and White Bean Salad

www.taste.com.au have a great low-carb recipe section that I access regularly. Some of the recipes now include nutritional information as well, which has been really helpful. This recipe is one of my Summer / Autumn favourites, and is also quick and cheap to make.


INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
600g skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed (I use organic or free range)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil cooking spray
400g can cannellini beans, drained
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
50g rocket leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

METHOD
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk garlic, mustard and vinegar in a ceramic dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a frypan on high heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Lightly spray chicken with oil. Cook for 1 minute each side or until golden. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook chicken for 6 to 8 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover and stand for 5 minutes.

Slice chicken. Combine beans, tomato, feta, rocket and chicken in a large bowl. Toss gently. Spoon onto plates. Season with pepper. Serve with lemon.

Adapted from:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/450/balsamic+chicken+and+white+bean+salad

Greek-style lemon chicken soup

I first tasted this recipe when a Greek woman at work had her mother make it for a 'soup club' I belonged to. I always remembered the unique flavour and it's a perfect high-protein nourishing meal.

This recipe is enough for 2 people, with leftovers for about 3 lunches.

INGREDIENTS
Stock (if you can't be bothered to do this, you can use 4-6 cups of prepared stock)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
6 black peppercorns
strip of lemon zest
1 small bunch of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
1.5 litres water

3 small skinless chicken breast fillets (about 350 g in total)
¾ cup quinoa
juice of 1 lemon
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon of milled flaxseed
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley to garnish


METHOD
1. Put the chicken breast fillets, onion, celery, carrot, black peppercorns, lemon zest and bunch of dill in a large saucepan. Add the water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat and half cover the pan with a lid, so the water just bubbles gently. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

2.Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Strain the stock through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables and flavourings.

3. Reheat the stock until boiling, then stir in the quinoa. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes or until the quinoa is almost tender. Meanwhile, cut or tear the chicken into thin shreds, and mix the lemon juice with the beaten eggs.

4. Add the shredded chicken to the soup. Heat over a medium heat until the soup almost starts to boil again. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly. Serve seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and garnished with sprigs of dill.

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/6788/greek-style-lemon-chicken-soup.aspx