Grilled Summer Salad

For the Grill

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pound firm peaches

For the Dressing

• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

For the Salad

• 8 cups baby or spring greens
• ¼ cup of sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat the grill to high. Spray grill rack with a high-heat cooking spray.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, turning once – about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Chicken is full cooked with the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let it rest while you grill the peaches. Follow the directions here for grilling: Grilled Peaches

For extra crunch, place your almonds in a small fry pan (no oil needed) and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden brown.

In a medium/large sized bowl, add and whisk the ingredients for your dressing. Add greens and almonds – mix to combine well. Slice your cooled chicken and peaches and place on top.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

For those of you familiar with the Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco, you know they mean business when it comes to garlic. Patrons who dine there traditionally have difficulty getting a taxi post dinner due to the garlic aroma coming out of their pores. This adaptation eliminates both heavy cream and flour, but certainly not the garlic. Likewise you may want to spare friends and neighbors after eating this, or better yet invite them over for dinner to share in the garlicky goodness!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup arrowroot flour
• 8 chicken thighs
• 40 large garlic cloves – peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock

Directions

In wide-deep skillet (a dutch oven would work just as well), bring oil up to temp over medium heat.

Separately, in a wide-shallow bowl combine the rosemary, salt, pepper, and arrowroot. Rinse and pat dry your chicken and one at a time press in to the flour mixture so it is lightly coated on all sides. Add chicken to your hot pan, working in batches, and let sear for 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.

In the same large pan, reduce heat to medium-low and add the 40 cloves of garlic and sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the wine, stock, and the seared chicken to the pan and return heat to medium brining your liquids up to simmer. Then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Finally, remove your chicken to a clean serving dish, and cover to keep warm. To make your sauce, return the heat on your pan to high and reduce the liquid by 2/3rds. To finish, puree your sauce in a blender (or use an emersion blender directly in your pan) and serve over your chicken.

Homemade Broth - Chicken/Turkey

If you’ve ever used homemade chicken broth in your cooking, then you know what a difference it makes to the flavor of a dish. If you haven’t, have no fear. Broth is super easy to make and easy to freeze – all you need is time to coax the wonderful flavors into your liquids. So pick a weekend, set aside some kitchen time, and make your home smell wonderful.

**I've found that previously roasted poultry brings a stronger flavor to the broth. This is a great way to make use of leftovers. If you don't have the time right after cooking your bird, freeze it until you're ready. Don't forget to save and use the bones too!

Ingredients

• 5 pounds chicken or turkey parts
• 1 yellow onion – quartered
• 1 head garlic – halved
• 2 parsnips – cut into medium sized pieces
• 1 carrot – cut into medium sized pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs thyme

Directions

In a large sized pot (such as a lobster pot), combine all your ingredients and fill with cold water leaving at least an inch of room from the top and cover. Over medium to medium-high heat bring temperature of water up to simmer. Reduce heat and maintain a good simmer for at least 5 hours, skimming off any foamy fat layers that rise to the surface. Keep your pot covered to reduce the amount of evaporation as much as possible. And when the broth tastes right to you, let cool and strain off your solids.

I traditionally freeze my broth in 1 and 3 cup containers. This year I am also going to freeze broth into ice cube trays for easy use in small batch cooking.

For those of you with a whole weekend dedicated to your broth, feel free to reuse your poultry for a second round – there are still plenty of nutrients to be found in the meat and bones. And the flavor can be almost as strong if you allow additional time for your simmer. Pick through and discard your old vegetables, and replace with new along with new seasonings. Return to the stove-top, add water, and repeat the same process again. It helps to label the broth as Firsts and Seconds (as in the rounds of cooking) so you can judge how strong the flavor will be when cooking later on.

BBQ Chicken

When first going on the paleo diet, I was challenged with hosting a summer dinner party. This dish made the perfect entrée – everyone raved about the chicken and no one knew that the bbq sauce was homemade.

When the weather turned cold, this dish can also be done entirely in the oven. Substitute the grill for broiling on low in the oven. 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup onion – chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 pounds chicken drumsticks

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, combine all the ingredients (except the chicken). Mix well to combine and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes to thicken.

** Remember that if you choose to use any of the sauce for dipping with your meal, to set some aside prior to basting – you don’t want to contaminate the dipping sauce with raw chicken.

Spray your outdoor grill with non-stick and preheat it to 375 degrees; also preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse your chicken and pat dry. Arrange chicken on your grill for direct heat and cook for 8 minutes with the lid closed. Flip chicken over and using a grill brush, coat well with bbq sauce and cook for another 8 minutes with the lid closed. Remove chicken to a foil lined baking sheet.

Liberally apply sauce to the chicken and place in your preheated oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees.

Hen-of-the-Woods

I am fortunate enough to have a mushroom vendor at my local Farmers’ Market; Madura Farms offers many different varieties of gourmet mushrooms including Hen-of-the-Woods, aka maitake. Known for its medicinal qualities, this earthy mushroom just begs to be paired with a good steak. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound hen-of-the-woods mushrooms
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme - chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary – chopped
• 2 tablespoons homemade chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Using a paring knife, remove the core of the stem on the underside of the mushroom. Then using your hands, gently break the mushroom into large pieces. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the mushroom to the heated oil and cook for 3 minutes. When they turn a golden brown on the surface, flip over and heat for an additional 3 minutes. Add the herbs and chicken stock and baste the mushrooms for another minute. Remove to a plate with paper towels to drain, removing any excess oil and serve.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless large chicken breasts - chopped
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 4 fresh green chili peppers – cleaned and diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 (19 ounce) cans cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
• 2 containers white mushrooms - chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Directions

Combine chicken, onions, peppers, spices, and broth in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

After melding all day, uncover, return heat to high, and stir in beans and mushrooms. Let meld for additional 15-20 minutes, or until mushrooms are at desired tenderness. Top with green onion and serve.

Hearty Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 (1.27 ounce) packet fajita seasoning
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 poblano pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can seasoned black beans
• 1 dash hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package of tortillas

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the hot oil; cook, stirring only occasionally, until brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over the browned chicken and stir well to coat. Add the red and green bell pepper, poblano pepper, and onion to the seasoned chicken. Stir and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the fire roasted tomatoes, and black beans with the chicken and vegetables. Bring up to a simmer and keep uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the mixture with hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste before serving.

Add heaping spoonful of mixture to the tortilla or flatbread of choice and fold burrito style. Be prepare to eat this with a fork and knife.

***The heartiness of the mixture will make up for the lack of cheese or sour cream. But if you are missing your dairy, sprinkle in shredded veggie slices for that authentic feel.