Chicken

Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

There was this place we went in the Winter where we got a really good workout and had fun at the same time.

I was dating my then to be husband, and a Northern Michigan Winter could be long. I never knew any different, and I didn’t think to complain about the cold. It was how I was born, raised and lived my entire childhood and early adulthood.

Michigander’s were tough, resilient, and we knew how to have fun despite the weather.

Taco Salad 13

Although there were plenty of outdoor activities, the raquetball club was one of our favorite Friday night spots. You could work up a great sweat, and the court was smaller than a tennis court, hitting the ball more frequently in fast succession was very satisfying. The loud popping echo of the ball hitting the walls was loud and invigorating. I really worked up an appetite, and it was tradition to stop afterwards and eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. They had the BEST Chicken Taco Salad and Margaritas! The salad was really big, and you were full when you were done. It was not a light salad at all, but there were plenty of great ingredients in it.

Taco Salad 12

Later, when we moved East and no longer played raquetball……after we were married and had two kids…….we recreated our own version at home and made it once a week religiously. It was very close, but I used a commercial dressing that I wouldn’t choose today. So, I’ve come up with my own dressing, without the soybean oil but all the great flavor!

Currently, I hadn’t made the salad in years, but lately I’ve really missed it.

So, I have recreated it here with grain free chips, grass fed cheese and my own homemade creamy Italian dressing. It is darn good! My husband, Doug, said it was spot on, just like he remembered. I think you will love it too.

This is a BIG bowl. The leftovers are good, even though the chips won’t be as crunchy as when it is freshly made, and you can half it if you desire! Now all you have to do is:

Build It! Here’s the recipe:

Taco Salad Build It

Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

8 Cups of Iceberg Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

8 oz. of Grass Fed Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 Can of Sliced Black Olives (I used this 3.8 oz. can of Field Day)

1/4 Cup of Sliced Scallions

2 Medium Sized Ripe Tomatoes, Chopped

1 Large Green Pepper, Diced

Cilantro (optional) Chopped, a handful

1 Bag of Siete Sea Salt Chips (5 oz) Crushed with your hands

Directions:

Make the Creamy Italian Dressing below and refrigerate.

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook for 18 minutes or until they are 165° in the center. Remove them from the water, and place them on a plate. Cover the chicken with another plate while they cool and you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. The chicken is supposed to be still warm when you add it to the salad later.

In a Large salad bowl, place ingredients in this order (see photos).

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Olives, Scallions, Peppers, Shredded Cheese, Crushed Chips, Chicken (Dice it when you are ready to add it. It will still be warm. I don’t like to chop it before hand, because it will dry out and be less juicy.) and Crushed Chips (Crush them right over the salad as you take them out of the bag.) Pour all the dressing over the salad, and toss it really well, coating everything.

Serve!

To Make the Creamy Italian Dressing:

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Mayo (I use Primal Kitchen)

1/4 Cup of Scallions

2 Tablespoons of White Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Infused Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon of Dried Parsley

1/8 Teaspoon each of dried:

Marjoram

Oregano

Basil

Rosemary

Directions: Puree the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate.

Chicken Taco Salad Trio

Chicken Taco Salad Grain Free Gluten Free

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs

I have a lovely recipe for marinated chicken thighs that I’ve been making the last few months that is definitely a keeper. It is SIBO friendly, Low FodMap and makes twelve chicken thighs. That may seem like a lot, but for a family of five, I can tell you that they do not last long enough.

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs 2

The thighs are wonderful to use leftover and sliced on top of a salad for lunch the next day. Marinating them infuses them all the way through with a delicious orange ginger flavor. If you are looking for more leftover inspiration, cut the leftover chicken off the bone into bite size pieces, and make a fresh pot of hot Jasmine Rice (I use my mini rice cooker frequently for the purpose of having fresh hot rice in small quantities.) If you’ve never tried one, they are inexpensive and cook rice perfect every time without having to watch it or worry about it overcooking, and it keeps it hot until you are ready to eat it. I will never be without one again. To make the chicken fried rice, warm the chicken in garlic infused olive oil on the stove top in a skillet. Then, stir in the hot, fresh cooked rice, drizzle it with sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper, then stir in a few sliced scallions. Push aside the chicken and rice mixture to one side of the pan. Add a little more garlic olive oil to the empty side, and add in two whisked and seasoned eggs, and scramble them over medium heat. Now, incorporate the egg into the chicken and rice mixture for an easy chicken fried rice. Yummmm!

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs 3

The chicken should marinate at least 8 hours and preferably overnight for the most robust flavor infusion.

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs 1

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs

1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

8 Sliced Scallions (green parts only for low fodmap)

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Minced Ginger

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil (my favorite brand)

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos (this is not on the SCD Legal list, but many do well with it, so listen to your body. It is an excellent substitute for Soy Sauce. Here is a discussion about it on Danielle Walker’s Facebook page.)

2 Tablespoons of Sesame Oil

Zest of One Orange

1 Tablespoon of Ume Plum Vinegar (SCD Safe according to wellbees.com)

1 Tablespoon of Honey or Maple Syrup

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt or more to taste

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Directions: Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Lay out 12 bone in chicken thighs in a large, deep baking pan. Pour the marinade over the thighs, then flip them to coat all the surfaces evenly. Cover with wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

To bake the thighs, preheat the oven to 400° degrees F. Lay out a cookie sheet covered with parchment, if you want an easy to clean pan. 🙂 Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade allowing the scallions, ginger and orange zest to remain on the thighs, and lay them out in one layer onto the large sheet pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes. The skin will be crispy and brown. Enjoy!

Chicken Marinade

Orange Ginger Marinated Chicken Thighs, Paleo, Low FodMap

Sundried Tomato, Basil, Chicken “Pasta”

Chicken, Tomato Basil Noodles

Good for you Pasta Bowls will all the flavor and more vegetables, less carbs!

That was the goal of this juicy chicken and pasta bowl.

Now I’m a girl who grew up with Pasta Sunday, and I still look forward to a big serving, but with a healthier twist that isn’t going to give my belly a pooch and have me slumping down on the sofa for the rest of the evening in a carbohydrate coma.

Chicken Tomato Basil Pasta Toss Grain Free

It is always a great idea to choose boneless chicken thighs if you don’t want to take the chance of getting a dry breast. Thighs just have more flavor, and according to Dr. Oz in his White Chicken Meat vs. Dark Chicken Meat episode by Food Journalist Mark Schatzker, we have been trained our whole life to go for the white meat as a healthier option but is it? That being said, if you use perfectly roasted chicken breasts in this recipe, they would be delicious too, just not as foolproof. There is definitely a time to use them, like in my new chicken salad recipe with lemon pepper and strawberries here! The key is they have to be roasted to perfection and not taken a minute beyond 165°F.

Now, onward!

I like to roast my spaghetti squash the day before in the oven while I am making that night’s dinner, let it cool, then shred it into noodles with a fork and refrigerate it until the next day when I plan to make this dish. You can also completely do it in the same day.

Chicken Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash Noodles

You are killing two birds with one stone, and saving a bunch of time by prepping it a day in advance.

This is a super flavorful pasta with beautiful oregano, basil and garlic all over the cubed thighs that are browned on the stove and then finished in the oven in 20 minutes total time. While the thighs are roasting, the rest of the ingredients can be prepped. Then you pour the chicken juices (broth) with all the seasonings right over the pasta. There is not a lot of fat in it because the chicken in skinless, but there is a Lot of Flavor!

Chicken Sundried Tomato Basil Pasta Grain and Dairy Free

Sundried Tomato, Basil, Chicken Pasta

1 Roasted Spaghetti Squash, cooled and shredded into “noodles”

1 Red Onion, Diced

2 Tablespoons of EVOO

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil Packed Organic Sundried Tomatoes, diced

1 Cup of Sliced Scallions (green onions)

1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil

1 Can of Organic Mushrooms, drained

2 Pounds of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

1 Tablespoon of Dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon of Dried Basil

1 Tablespoon of EVOO

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Cloves of Minced Garlic

Directions:

Roast you spaghetti squash up to a day in advance. To roast the squash, preheat your oven to 400° degrees F. Split your spaghetti squash from stem to end and remove the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place it cut side down onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast 45 minutes to an hour, or until the top of the squash is soft when pressed.

Remove from the oven, and flip upright to cool completely. Shred the squash with fork tines. If using later, cover and refrigerate.

On the day you are making the dish:

Preheat the oven to 400° degrees F.

Whisk together the basil, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Brush the seasoning over your boneless chicken thighs. In a large skillet, brown the chicken thighs on each side for five minutes, using a little more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer the chicken thighs to a parchment lined cookie sheet, and place in the oven to finish cooking through for approximately ten minutes, or until the thermometer reaches 165° F. Remove the thighs from the oven, and when cool enough, cut each thigh into quarters. Reserve the chicken juices from the pan, this is the broth!

In the same uncleaned pan you used to cook the chicken, you will make the sauce. All the brown bits from the chicken are little nuggets of flavor.

Brown the diced red onion in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add the sundried tomatoes, scallions and mushroom, and stir warming and incorporating them into the cooked onions. Now, add the previously prepped spaghetti squash and the chopped fresh basil. Toss with tongues to coat and evenly distribute the vegetables.

Add the chicken pieces and juices from the chicken to the “noodles” heating and incorporating gently.

Serve!

Sundried Tomato, Chicken and Basil Grain Free Pasta has tons of flavor! It uses boneless chicken thighs and is a perfect bowl noodles for Grain Free Pasta Night! Paleo, Dairy, Gluten and Grain Free.

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad on Blue Tray

This chicken salad is my current Summer obsession! It has all the bright flavors of Summertime with it’s bright lemon and strawberry flavors with the bite of black pepper! Perfection!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad 1

I do hope you give it a go, because I think you will really love it!

One of the keys to a really good chicken salad with white breast meat is roasting the chicken breasts to absolute perfection. It is handy to have a instant read thermometer for this. Another tip when roasting boneless, skinless breasts is to rub them with olive oil. It locks in the juices!

Ming loves Strawberry season! We got freshly picked ones from the Farmer’s Market!

Ming Smelling the Strawberries.jpg

I use a loose mayonnaise based dressing in this chicken salad that has plenty of fresh lemon juice for a lovely zing!

Also incorporated into this salad is crunchy toasted pecans, two kinds of onions (scallions and yellow) and fresh diced strawberries!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

Ingredients for the Chicken:

3 pounds of good quality boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 to 5)

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Zest of one Large Lemon

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 400° degrees F. Lay out the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Brush all over both sides of the breasts evenly. Roast in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and do not take the breasts over 165° to ensure your chicken is juicy and tender. Check it at 20 minutes, remove any smaller breasts that may cook faster, then keep roasting if necessary in three minute increments until the chicken is done at 165° F. I can’t stand a dry breast!

When the chicken is done, remove it from the baking sheet onto a plate, then cover it with another plate to cool.

Assembling the Salad:

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Fresh Ripe Strawberries, diced

1/2 Cup of Finely Diced Yellow Onion

1/2 Cup of Green Scallions, sliced

1/2 Cup of Toasted Pecans (Toast at 350° degrees F. for 8 minutes) cooled and chopped

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (from the lemon you zested for the chicken)

1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Good Mayo (I use this kind)

1 Tablespoon of Really Good Honey (Local is Lovely)

Directions to finish the Chicken Salad:

Cube your cooled chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl. Add the diced yellow onion, scallions, and toasted chopped pecans. In a blender, blend together the chicken salad dressing ingredients until creamy and smooth: (the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, sea salt, black pepper). Pour the dressing over the chicken salad (saving the strawberries for last as they are tender) Toss the chicken salad until the ingredients are evenly disbursed and coated with the dressing. Now, fold in the diced strawberries. Chill and serve.

I hope you enjoy this delicious warm weather chicken salad full of the bright flavors of Summertime!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad for Summer..jpg

*This post has affiliate links in it. I receive a very small commission if you purchase through my links. The small commission helps cover the cost of maintaining this blog. Thanks! 🙂

Farm Market Local Strawberries

Best Cranberry Chicken Salad – My All Time Favorite Chicken Salad

Best Chicken Salad Paleo Gluten Free

This is my family’s favorite chicken salad recipe. It has two kinds of onions in it, dried cranberries, crunchy celery, high quality mayonnaise and a little white pepper! It is requested, especially in the Summer, when I have guests coming to stay.

Best Chicken Salad So Yummy

The Wild Sweet Peas are profuse this year Up North! I couldn’t resist including some in this post! They are carpeting the fields and roadsides this time of year and are extra gorgeous this Summer!!!

Sweet Peas

Cranberry Chicken Salad

6 Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 Cup of Finely Diced Celery

1/2 Cup of Dried Cranberries (I use apple juice sweetened like these)

1/2 Cup of Diced Red Onion

1/2 Cup of Sliced Scallions

Sea Salt to Taste

1/4 Teaspoon of White Pepper

1 1/2 Cups of High Quality Mayonnaise (I used Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo here)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400° degrees F. Lay the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet, and brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the breasts in your oven for 30 minutes or until they just reach 165° degrees F. You don’t want dry breasts! Set aside to cool.

Chop and prep the celery, onions and scallions. When the chicken is cool, chop it into nice bite sized pieces on the smaller side.

Best Chicken Salad Recipe

This is a large recipe perfect for a potluck or picnic! It also keeps well in the refrigerator for three days.

12 Servings.

Best Cranberry Chicken Salad Healthy and Delish

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy

I have a new Chinese chicken makeover that will fulfill all your cravings for Chinese takeout and not leave you feeling bloated and thirsty the next day.

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy - Perfect for Chinese New Year - Paleo, AIP

The chicken is skillet to oven, and we are going to make some butternut squash noodles and oven roast the bok choy! It’s a really, really good dinner.

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy - AIP Paleo - Nightshade Free

I am making this for Chinese New Year this year and am still working on some other recipes to add as well. It is a very special time for my family. Two of my daughter’s were adopted from China when they were babies, and I have always honored their heritage. One of the ways we do that is having a party on Chinese New Year and also the Autumn Moon Festival. Visiting China was magical each time, and authentic Chinese food is amazing, with lots of healthy vegetables included.

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy - Gluten Free - AIP Paleo

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy

Preheat your oven to 375º degrees F.

To begin, prep your butternut noodles and bok choy (see below). Then, mix together the ginger, tarragon, cinnamon, sea salt and cloves, and season your chicken cubes evenly with it.

Ingredients for the Chicken:

8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into fourths

1 Tablespoon of Ground Ginger

2 Teaspoons of Tarragon

1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Cloves

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (you may substitute 3 minced garlic cloves if you like and use regular olive oil in place of the garlic infused olive oil.)

Directions for the Chicken: In a large oven safe skillet, add the olive oils over medium high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Then add the seasoned chicken when the olive oil is hot enough to sizzle. Cook the chicken four minutes on one side or until golden brown, then flip the cubes and brown the other side. When the chicken is brown but not cooked through, pour the reduced chicken sauce over the chicken in the skillet, and toss to coat evenly. Place the skillet into the oven and cook the chicken an additional five minutes, or until the chicken is done. Spoon the chicken into a bowl and pour the sauce from the pan and all the brown bits over the chicken.

Chicken Sauce:

1/4 Cup of Coconut Amminos

1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

3 Tablespoons of Honey

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions for Chicken Sauce:

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then, lower the temperature and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Set aside to prepare the chicken.

Ingredients for the Butternut Noodles:

1 Butternut Squash (Spiralized)

3 Cloves of Garlic (Omit for Low FodMap and Substitute Garlic Olive Oil for the Olive Oil)

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: Spiralize the solid end of the peeled butternut squash. (I use this one and love it.) In a large skillet, add the olive oil, salt and garlic and cook over medium high until fragrant, this happens very quickly. Add the spiralized butternut squash noodles. Toss and cook until al dente. Then, whisk together the coconut aminos and honey, and toss with the squash noodles to coat. Cook a few more minutes, then set aside until ready to serve.

Bok Choy on Sheet Pan

Ingredients for the Bok Choy

6 Baby Bok Choy (Mine were pretty large, so you be the judge of how much you want.)

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder (Omit for Low FodMap and substitute 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil in place of 1 of the tablespoons of Olive Oil above)

1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Aminos

1/2 Teaspoon of Fish Sauce

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375º degrees F. Wash and half the bok choy lengthwise (see photo). Lay on a rimmed sheet pan. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients, and brush evenly over the bok choy. Bake in your oven for 20 minutes.

To Serve:

Place a mound of noodles on your plate. Spoon Chinese chicken and sauce over the noodles add some bok choy on the side. Dig in!

Delicious Chinese Chicken Dinner that is Grain Free, Paleo and AIP. It is the perfect dinner when you have a Chinese Takeout Craving!

Chicken Pizza Paillards

Chicken Pizza Paillairds

Paillards is a French term for pounded or thinly sliced meat. Paillards are quick cooking and tender. For these Chicken Pizza Paillards, I used Primal Palate’s Super Gyro Seasoning Blend. It is my favorite gluten free seasoning blend of Himalayan pink salt oregano, marjoram, thyme, and garlic. This is a fabulous, juicy chicken dish! A quick tip I got from Rachel Ray, buy boneless chicken breasts in bulk for savings, and pound them into paillards and freeze between sheets of parchment. Then when you want to make a quick cooking chicken dinner, you can just pull the amount you want out of the freezer. They thaw very quickly!

Chicken Pizza Paillards

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

16 Oz. of White Button Mushrooms, Sliced

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Pizza Sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic which has no Sugar Added)

Fresh Basil, Chopped

3 Tablespoons of Aged Balsamic Vinegar (my favorite is 18 year old from Fustinis)

Super Gyro Seasoning Blend

Sea Salt

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F. Pound the chicken breasts to about a half inch thick using a meat pounder, and cover the chicken with plastic wrap when pounding to prevent splatter. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to a cast iron skillet with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous double pinch of sea salt, and cook over medium high heat for ten to fifteen minutes until nice and golden brown. When they are golden brown, add in 3 tablespoons of aged balsamic vinegar and cook until it has evaporated and infused into the mushrooms. Set aside.

In a large nonstick, oven-safe skillet, add the last 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Season your pounded chicken generously with Super Gyro Seasoning by Primal Palate on both sides. (A nice even coat. The amount depends on the surface area of your chicken. I like to be generous) Add the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 4 minutes a side or until golden brown on each side. Now, pop the chicken into the oven for five minutes, or until the center of the chicken reaches 165° degrees. While the chicken is in the oven, heat up the pizza sauce.

Remove the chicken from the oven and top each breast with the hot pizza sauce, 1/4 of the mushrooms and sprinkle with chopped basil.

Enjoy!

Sandra

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Chicken Pizza Paillards

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Mango Cashew Chicken Dinner Salad

This salad is inspired by one of my favorite salads from Red Mesa Grill in Northern Michigan. I order it every year from their gluten free menu and it is so good, I decided to recreate it at home adding my own spin on it.

Mango Cashew Chicken Summer Salad

The salad has a delicious combination of sweet juicy mango, crunchy cashews, tart cranberries, onion and roasted chicken. The mango dressing is bursting with vitamin C. It is a perfect Summer main dish salad!

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Begin with making a marinade for the chicken breasts:

Marinade:

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

Zest and Juice of 1 Lime

2 Cloves of Smashed Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Whisk the marinade together well. Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a gallon zip bag, and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag, and place it flat in the refrigerator for 3 hours, flipping once halfway through to ensure the chicken is evenly seasoned. You can refrigerate the chicken for up to 24 hours in the marinade.

Now prepare your salad dressing.

Mango Salad Dressing

Mango Salad Dressing:

Ingredients;

1 1/4 Cup of Ripe Mango, diced

1/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Cilantro

2 Tablespoons of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (I use this kind)

1 Green Onion, sliced

1 Teaspoon of fine Sea Salt (I like this brand)

Blend the mango and olive oil in a blender until completely smooth and creamy. Add the lime juice, salt and cider vinegar and blend to incorporate. Now, add the fresh scallion and cilantro, and pulse the blender just until you can see tiny bits of scallion and cilantro. You want to be able to see it and not completely incorporate it into the dressing.

Refrigerate the dressing. This will keep 3 days in the refrigerator.

Now to make the salad! 🙂

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad Prep

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad Ingredients:

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 – 5 oz. Container of Organic Baby Romaine, washed and spun dry

1/2 Head of Organic Iceberg Lettuce, washed, spun dry and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 Ripe Mango, Diced in to 1 inch pieces

1/2 Cup of Salted or Raw Cashews

1/4 Cup of Apple Juice Sweetened Dried Cranberries (I use this brand)

1/4 Cup of Green Onion, Sliced

1/4 Cup of Red Onion, Finely Diced

Additional Sea Salt for Sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° degrees. In a cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium-high. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, and sprinkle them with additional sea salt, and add them to the pan. Brown the breasts two minutes per side, until golden brown, but not cooked through. Place the chicken on a baking sheet, and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes or just until the chicken reaches 165° at the center. Remove the chicken from the oven, and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Mound the salad greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with a generous amount of Mango Salad Dressing. Sprinkle the mango, cashews, cranberries, green onion and red onion on top. Slice your cooked chicken breasts on a diagonal (they can still be warm) and arrange the breasts on the top of the salad. Sprinkle with some additional sea salt to taste.

Serve!

4 Large Dinner Sized Servings (1 Chicken Breast per person)

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa or Cauliflower Rice

This is a hearty dish utilizing my new teriyaki sauce recipe that is soy free and healthy. I have been experimenting with quinoa lately in my cooking, and find I tolerate it very well. This is a pleasant discovery since I admire the benefits of quinoa, such as it being a good source of protein, with all nine essential amino-acids in it and fiber. I buy sprouted quinoa here. If you are eating grain free or strict Paleo, substitute cauliflower rice (here is a video demonstration from Cooking Light on how to make delicious cauliflower rice) for the quinoa.

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa

The Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa also has one of my favorite things………lots of veggies! I am The Eat Your Veggies Lady after all! I have included broccoli (cruciferous vegetable), carrots (a root vegetable and a good source of Vitamin A and healthy carbs), scallions (alliums which are cholesterol lowering and cardiovascular protective), mushrooms (a significant source of zinc, calcium, iron, potassium, folic acid and more), and I just couldn’t help myself, I added some fresh basil on top of each bowl at the end, because I like it’s flavor so much (it’s benefits are, disease fighting, antibacterial, and combats stress).

First you will make the sauce. This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. It is a wonderful condiment to have on hand, so any extra will not go to waste.

Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce

Makes 2 Cups

You will need a medium sauce pan and a blender.

Ingredients:

10 ounces of Frozen Pineapple (or fresh)

1/2 of a Red Apple, cored but not peeled

1/3 Cup of Chopped Yellow Onion

1/3 Cup of Coconut Aminos (a soy free alternative made from coconut sap)

1/3 Cup of Fresh Orange Juice

1/4 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced or 2 Teaspoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: Add all the ingredients to the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until the apple is tender, about five to ten minutes. Cool for fifteen minutes. Add it to your blender and puree until smooth. Add the sauce back to your sauce pan, and simmer again until reduced by a third. Store refrigerated in a glass container until ready to use.

Now to prepare the Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa!

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa – Soy Free

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa

Prepare enough Quinoa to make 4 servings according to package directions. Set aside, covered.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken:

2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes

4 Cups of Fresh Broccoli Florets cut into bite size pieces

4 Cups of Carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces (this is about 4 large carrots)

6 ounces of fresh mushrooms, diced (I used oyster mushrooms. Use the kind you like.)

1/2 Cup of Scallions, sliced

2 Tablespoons of fresh Basil

4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, divided

1 1/4 Teaspoons of Sea Salt, divided

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper, divided (omit for nightshade free)

Directions:

In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Turn your burner to high heat, then add the chicken cubes to the olive oil and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Brown the chicken on one side for 5 minutes, then flip and brown the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan into a large bowl and set aside. Don’t worry if it is still pink. You will cook it more.

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Over medium high heat add the diced carrots and a half teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook for five minutes. Then, add the broccoli to the carrots and cook another five minutes, stirring frequently. You can add a little broth or water if needed.

Add the carrots and broccoli to the chicken in the bowl.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and the mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and brown the mushroom over medium high heat. This should take about 5 minutes.

When the mushrooms have browned, add the chicken and vegetables back into the pan and bring up to a sizzle over medium high heat. Stir in the scallions and 1 cup of prepared teriyaki sauce. Add more if needed. Cover and cook over medium heat for five minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Oyster Mushrooms

Chicken and Broccoli

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa

Serve beside the cooked quinoa, sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and some extra scallions.

Teriyaki Chicken and Quinoa

Serves 4 – 6 people with leftovers. 🙂

Eat Your Nutrients!

Chinese Orange Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs and fresh squeezed orange juice and zest really make this skillet to oven soy free Chinese Orange Chicken shine!

Chinese Orange Chicken

Coconut aminos is a fantastic substitute for soy sauce. I was thrilled to discover it several years ago, because it is hard to make some favorite Asian dishes without that distinctive salty umami flavor.

As with so many Chinese dishes, there is chopping and dicing required, but this Orange Chicken comes together very quickly after the prep, which can be done at your convenience, or all at once, and there is no messy deep frying. The total cooking time is about 25 minutes from stove to oven. Feel free to serve this with a steaming hot scoop of Jasmine Rice! There is plenty of sauce to meld into the rice. 🙂

Chinese Orange Chicken

Chinese Orange Chicken – Soy Free

Chinese Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pound of boneless chicken thighs, diced into 2 inch pieces

2 Cups of Diced Carrots

1 1/2 Cups of Diced Yellow Onion

1/2 Cup of Sliced Green Scallions

1/4 Cup of Honey

1/3 Cup of a Good Quality Honey or Molasses Sweetened BBQ Sauce (like this or this both gluten free)

Zest and Juice of 1 Large Orange (make sure your microplane grater is sharp to get all the zest like this one)

3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos (find it here)

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (Garlic Infused if you are eating Low FodMap)

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt, divided

3/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Directions: Preheat your oven to 375º degrees. Use a large oven-safe, non-stick skillet, or stainless steel pan.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and warm over medium high heat. Add the diced carrot and onion and a half teaspoon of sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the carrots and onions from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the garlic (or garlic infused olive oil) and let it just sizzle. Add the diced chicken. Your pan should still be over medium high heat. Don’t disturb the chicken for about five minutes or until it is browned on the bottom. With a large spatula, flip the chicken pieces to the other side, and brown that side for about five more minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the orange juice, zest, honey, coconut aminos, ginger, cider vinegar, and bbq sauce. When the chicken is browned, add the carrots and onions back in and incorporate. Pour the sauce over the mixture, and let it come to a simmer. Pop the whole pan into the oven and bake for ten minutes. Remove from the oven. The sauce will have thickened just right and the chicken will be cooked through.

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