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Chimichurri Chicken Salad

11/12/2013

The other night, I made a wonderful chimichurri sauce (credit to The Refined Chef) to go over flank steak. The sauce had an incredible flavor and did the meat just right. I ate it again the next night and when the meat was gone, I wondered what to do with the leftover chimhicurri sauce. I also happened to have some leftover roasted chicken so I decided to whip up Chimichurri Chicken Salad. It's a twist on traditional chicken salad and the unexpected flavor pairings make this a memorable recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 apple (I used honey crisp, but fuji or granny smith would work too), peeled and chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced, roasted almonds
3/4 cup paleo mayonnaise
1/4 cup chimichurri sauce (see recipe below) or to taste
fresh pea shoots or salad greens
lime wedges

Chimichurri Sauce (From the Refined Chef website)
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (I love Vom Fass vinegars)
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 t. dried crushed red pepper
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and chimichurri sauce and mix well. In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, chopped apple and roasted almonds. Toss with the mayo/chimichurri sauce until creamy and the consistency you prefer.
Serve atop fresh pea shoots or mixed greens. Garnish with lime wedges to squeeze over the top.

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Herbes de Provence Paillard of Amish Chicken (Vin de Set)

11/11/2013

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Here is another delicious course we had at our cooking class courtesy of Paul Hamilton, owner of Vin de Set. This was amazing and the flavor comes from simple but quality ingredients. Don't be discouraged by the steps involved. The broth is rich, nourishing and delicious and worth the extra effort. This is a wonderful dish to serve family or to impress guests! Serves 6-8.

Chicken Broth
1 whole free range chicken
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 quarts water
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 T. herbes de provence seasoning

Directions
Butcher whole chicken by removing both breasts, tenderloins, and skin. Remove thighs and separate from legs. De-bone thighs. Place breasts, tenderloins and thigh meat in the refrigerator. (Another option would be to boil the whole chicken, and when it is finished, pick cooked chicken meat off bones to save for chicken salad or to make Tex Mex Green Chicken.)

Place remaining parts of the chicken including the body, legs, neck, gizzard and heart in a stock pot with all remaining ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook on low 3-4 hours.
Strain broth through a metal sieve removing all bones and solids which can be discarded. Chill broth in refrigerator. Skim off fat layer from the top. (You can save this fat or "schmaltz" for use in sauteeing or adding flavor to veggies. Store in fridge).

Chicken Paillard
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 carrot, peeled, julienned lengthwise 4" long
1 parsnip, peeled, julienned lenthwise 4" long
1/4 rutabega or turnip, peeled julienned lenthwise 4'' long
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 sprigs fresh parsley

Heat chilled broth mixture up to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Taste broth and season to taste or continue to reduce liquid until desired taste is achieved. (If you did not make your own broth, you can sub store bought broth.)

Cut breasts crosswise into 6 or 8 equal portions. Pound out into 1/2" thick medallions. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and saute with oil (olive oil, clarified butter, or even the leftover chicken fat will work) over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
While chicken is cooking, blanch the julienned veggies in the broth for 3-5 minutes. Remove veggies with a strainer and place evenly in a mound on the bottom of 6-8 large soup bowls. Place sauteed chicken on top of the vegetables with a sprig of fresh parsley. Pour 6-8 oz of hot broth over each bowl and serve immediately.

Our "chef" and restaurant owner, Paul Hamilton, cooked up some tasty treats for us at our paleo cooking class at Vin de Set.

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Paleo Cooking Class at Vin de Set

11/10/2013

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Owner Paul Hamilton of Vin de Set

Last week, a group of us enjoyed a great evening of paleo cooking and wine pairings from Paul Hamilton, owner of Vin de Set, a lovely St. Louis restaurant known for it's great rooftop view and good, quality local offerings. Paul has been a paleo convert himself and has learned firsthand the difference a diet in quality meats, veggies, fruit, and healthy fats can do to improve health. We were treated to an amazing demonstration and enjoyed the courses he made as we watched him cook. After the show, I spoke with Paul and asked him if it would be ok to share some of the recipes he used. Graciously, he agreed and below is one of the delicious dishes we had that night. I will do future posts on each of the delightful courses we had. If you ever get a chance to visit his restaurants (Vin de Set and Eleven Eleven Mississippi), know that they will happily cater to a paleo or gluten free diet. They strive to use the best quality, local ingredients and after one bite, you know that it is worth it. I just hope he didn't see me licking my plate.

Kale and Swiss Chard Salad w/ Citrus Vinaigrette

Our first offering was a delicious blend of kale and swiss chard tossed with red onion, roasted walnuts, cranberries and raisins. The citrus olive oil vinaigrette was tart and tasty and complemented the greens well. If you've never tried greens before, this is the way to go.

Citrus Vinaigrette
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard (I added this)
1 shallot, finely chopped
zest from one meyer lemon
3 T fresh meyer lemon juice (sub regular lemon)
1/4 C orange juice
2 T. honey
salt and pepper to taste

In a measuring cup, add vinegar, mustard, shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, honey and salt and pepper. Mix with whisk. In a slow, steady stream, add olive oil, whisking to incorporate oil with vinegar and spices. Set aside and prepare salad greens.

Salad
1/2 bunch fresh kale, stems removed and chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
6 oz roasted walnuts, chopped
4 oz dried cranberries
4 oz dried golden raisins

In a large bowl, combine kale, swiss chard, and enough dressing to coat evenly when tossed. Divide dressed greens between salad plates. Spread remaining ingredients evenly among the salads.

Enjoy this delicious salad as an accompaniment to any meal! I will post the other recipes soon...

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Banana Pecan Muffins

11/4/2013

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Stop the presses! You don't ever have to search for a good Banana Nut Muffin recipe again. Ever. It's right here and it's the last one you'll need...I'm that confident. My daughter walked in from school today and the conversation went something like this... "What's that smell...are you making muffins?" I was like, "Yes, banana nut!". As I predicted, she responded, "Are they paleo?" And much to her dismay, my answer was "Yes". In her mind, any baked paleo treat is crumbly, tasteless and bland and definitely not worth her time. But these smelled so wonderful and came out hot and fresh. To no one in particular, she said, "OK, fine, I'll try it." After her first bite, she asked if they were really paleo. "They're really good Mom!" And it was then I knew that I found the perfect recipe. Believe me, I've made my fair share of muffin recipes and have a whole folder of paleo banana nut breads, muffins, cookies, and pancakes. I feel like the Bubba Gump of bananas. But this one is so much better than the rest. The combo of almond flour AND coconut flour, along with a few added dates and ripe bananas give these a good texture and the right amount of sweetness. You must try.

RECIPE

Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dates (or raisins if you prefer)
3 ripe bananas
1 T. vanilla (I prefer Mexican vanilla)
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
3 T. coconut oil melted
2 T. almond butter

How to:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (In a non stick pan, roast pecans on medium heat until fragrant tossing gently as they roast. This step is not a must but it adds another level of flavor and complexity to the muffin.) Set aside.
Mash bananas with a whisk or fork, and add honey and almond butter. Beat eggs and add to banana mixture. Add oil and vanilla and blend well. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including pecans. Mix wet with dry ingredients. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups or a non stick muffin pan. (I love my non stick muffin pan from Sur la Table. NOTHING sticks to this and it's so easy to clean.) Bake 15-20 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

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Chimichurri Chicken Salad

Herbes de Provence Paillard of Amish Chicken (Vin de Set)

Paleo Cooking Class at Vin de Set

Kale and Swiss Chard Salad w/ Citrus Vinaigrette

Banana Pecan Muffins

RECIPE

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