Tag Archives: Paleo

A Girl’s Night with a Chicken Sweet Potato and Apple Bake

Last night I had a “Girls Night.”  I love a girl’s night and hope I have them through my twenties, thirties, forties, until forever!  Three of my best friends came over to celebrate Christina’s birthday.  We completely vegged out.  Which means, comfy clothes, wine, dinner, dessert, and even some silly yoga.

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I wanted to make a nice fall dish for everyone.  I thought about it all day trying to think up a dish.  I knew I wanted sweet potatoes, maybe some fall vegetables, and chicken.  Then I remembered the sweet potato and apple hash I made recently and got inspired by that.  I decided it would be easier to make a one dish meal – ya know take a bunch of ingredients, throw them in a pan, put it in the oven, and done – that’s my kind of meal!  And so was born the Chicken Sweet Potato and Apple Bake.

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Chicken Sweet Potato and Apple Bake

  • 4 Organic Chicken Breasts
  • 1 Macintosh Apple (cut into small cubes)
  • 2 Sweet Potatoes / Yams (cut into cubes)
  • 1 Red Onion (cut into cubes)
  • 3-4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Fresh Rosemary

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Put the coconut oil in a casserole dish and put it in the oven for a couple of minutes for it to melt.  Place the 4 chicken breasts in the dish and salt and pepper each side.  Add in the sweet potatoes, apples, and onions on top of and around the chicken.  Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper and a dash of cinnamon over the dish.  Top with some fresh rosemary.  Cover with tin foil or lid and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes.  Enjoy with a grilled vegetable – I did asparagus last night.

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After dinner and a few glasses of wine we had plenty of girl talk, life in your 20s talk, more wine, pumpkin spice hershey kisses (so good), selfies, and down dog practice!  All in all it was a pretty fabulous night.  Girls nights are always good for the soul.

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Simple Caprese Burgers

I think I’m getting this burger thing down!  I had a bunch of basil left over from my Lemon Basil Chicken & Artichoke “Pasta”  meal last week.

I figured why not throw the basil in some burgers?  And if I’m going to have basil burgers well why not just plop them on some juicy tomatoes and top them with some fresh mozzarella?  And so were born these Simple Caprese Burgers.

These burgers came out great, they were some of my favorite ones yet.  I paired it with some parmesan quinoa and have lunch ready for the rest of the week!

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Simple Caprese Burgers

  • 1.25 lbs Grass-Fed Ground Beef
  • 1 Cage Free Egg
  • Sea Salt
  • Cracked Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Fresh Basil (chopped)
  • 1 Big Juicy Tomato
  • 2 Large Fresh Mozzarella Balls
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add your egg, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh basil to your beef.  Mix together and form 4 patties.  Throw on the grill over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes.  Flip the burgers and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Place burger on one or two slices of your tomato.  Top with a few slices of fresh mozzarella.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.

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These burgers made my Monday a whole lot better!

Lemon Basil Chicken & Artichoke “Pasta”

I’m super excited about this meal I put together tonight.  My inspiration came from wanting to try spaghetti squash for a while now, PaleOMG’s “pasta” recipes, and the extra lemon I had sitting on my counter since last week.

So as I walked through the aisles of the brand new Trader Joe’s in Stamford (ecstatic about this), I came up with Lemon Basil Chicken & Artichoke “Pasta.”

Oh just as an FYI.  I’m far from a great cook.  I’ve always enjoyed cooking since I was younger but took about an 8 year hiatus (thank you college and post college life).  Even when I was younger though, I was always the type to throw a dash of salt here or a heaping of garlic there.  So when I cook, I don’t always measure everything.  People have different palates so I prefer to season to taste.

Lemon Basil Chicken & Artichoke “Pasta”

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  • 1.25 lbs Organic Chicken Breast Tenderloins (cut into cubes)
  • 1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 Can Artichoke Hearts
  • 1 Lemon
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Fresh Basil
  • Salt
  • Lemon Pepper (from Trader Joes)
  • Garlic Powder

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise (this was a lot harder than I thought!).  Place the two halves face down on a pan and bake for 40 minutes.  When they are done turn them over, let cool, and scrape out “spaghetti” with a fork by going with the grain.

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While the spaghetti squash is cooking, start preparing everything else.  Coat your skillet with olive oil and let it heat up on medium heat. Throw in chopped onion and garlic clove.  Saute for 5 minutes and add in chicken.  Saute until chicken is cooked on the outside. Add in your halved and washed artichoke hearts. Take half of your lemon and squeeze over chicken.  Make sure not to let any seeds fall in!  Add in basil and start seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Turn burner to low and let simmer for 10-15 more minutes, or until your squash is done.

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Once your squash is done and you are able to pick it up, fork the spaghetti into a big bowl.  Squeeze the other half of your lemon on to your spaghetti squash.  Add in chicken mixture and mix together with spaghetti.  Enjoy!

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