Sweet Chili Chicken

You know those days when you just get lucky? This was one of those days. As I move forward in my health journey, I am learning the important of making sure that the recipes I put on here are amazing. The first time I made this was on Saturday, and everyone eating agreed, there needed no tweaking. It was perfect. I didn't believe myself. Usually when I cook I'm quite good at just making something up on the spot that tastes pretty good (or else it completely flops - to the people who have eaten my flops without complaining - thank you). But this was an exception - it was fantastic. Like I said, I didn't believe myself - so today I made it again this time measuring the amounts I had eyeballed for the sake of recipe creating.

This is delicious with pineapple, and although I haven't tried it yet, I would suggest trying it with the grilled pineapple skewers from Make It Paleo. That would be amazing. Another option, that would be just as delicious (maybe more...?) is instead of putting the cauliflower right into the chicken to serve it over cauli-fried rice. I think that would be amazing - and somehow I feel like that's a more rounded meal even though its exactly the same.

One of my goals when cooking is to keep things simple, so that they can be done quickly and time efficiantly. I remember in my early days of grain free life, I would spend hours a day preparing just a single meal (cauliflower pizza crust anyone? Ain't nobody got time for that!)

I often find that the best recipes have very few ingredients, such is the case with this beauty.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Cauliflower:

2 Chicken Breasts, diced
1/4 of a medium red onion, cut into strips
1/4 TSP Salt
Pepper To Taste
2 Garlic Cloves Pressed or Minced
Dash of Ginger

For The Sauce:

2 TBSP Coconut Oil, Melted
1-2 TBSP Raw Honey
1 1/2 - 2 TSP Heaping Chili Powder

Fill a large pan about an inch full of water and bring to high heat. Once the water is bubbling, add in the chicken. Cover and steam the chicken in the water until it turns white - put in onions. When the nearly chicken is cooked, add in the cauliflower, and steam for  5 minutes. At this point drain most of the water from the pan, reduce the heat of the stove to medium. Place the chicken, onion, and cauliflower back on the pan and add in the salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir it all together to make sure the flavors mix. While the last bit of water is cooking off, make the sauce.

For the sauce! Melt the coconut oil in a small pan. Once the oil is melted, whisk in the honey and chili powder. It may not mix completely, that is okay because once you pour it over the chicken it begins to cooperate a little more.

When the water is cooked off the meat, pour the sauce over the chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. I am usually impatient by this point, so I go play piano....sing...dance...whatever I can find to occupy myself. Come back, and give it another stir. Reduce the heat of the pan to low, and making sure to leave it uncovered allow the rest of the liquid to cook off/thicken up.

THEN EAT!!! JUST EAT IT!!!

Yum. Nom nom nom.

Chili Sweet Potato Fries

Ah, sweet potato fries. God's gift to paleo-kind. Delicious, crispy yet soft. A good way to get carbs - I know many paleo-ers are uncertain if sweet potatoes are actually paleo, but I know that when I eat a higher amount of health carbs (like once every day or two) my mood, and hormones stabilize.

I have been making this recipe for a while, and it is still one of my favorites.

See that funny swirly vegetable in the background - those are called fiddleheads. I'm only telling you that because until I bought them, I didn't know what they were! They are delicious and remind me ever so slightly of asparagus in flavor.

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things, and I often keep a bag of pre-cut fries in the freezer if I want an easy meal. These are super easy to make, and delicious.

To make them you'll need one sweet potato, oil of choice (olive or coconut), chili powder, arrowroot powder, and salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop your sweet potato into fries (I like mine skinny). Dust the fries in about 2 TBSP of arrowroot powder. This is optional, but makes them crisp up. Toss the fries in about 2 Tablespoons of oil, then mix in spices to taste.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy, flipping twice. Eat right away and enjoy!!

On another note, if you are in the Calgary area, I've created a facebook group called Paleo Calgary - we'd love to see you there!

New Jobs, New Happenings!

Well, School is over for the year and summer is in full swing (I hope, we often get snow May long weekend here...or in July....). I'm so excited for the new things to come in the next few months, all the places I'll get to see, go and the new foods I'll get to try. Speaking of new things, my copy of Gather came in the mail last week, and I have spend a countless amount of time peering into the pages, searching for the treasures to be found.

I have been enjoying the sun and warmth immensely, last summer I was sick for the entire warm season and spent the entire time coop up in my house, and didn't get to do any of my usual summer favorites. So far I have been enjoying bike rides, rollerblading and walks with my dog, Stryder. Isn't he the cutest thing ever? (Aren't I the cutest thing ever? Bahaha.)

The other thing that I missed out on last summer due to sickness (or recovery actually), was a job. I actually worked one week, and it killed me - to the point where I was unable to do anything for 10 months - lesson learned. Don't do too much too fast - but now that I am healthy I am stoked to be in the working scene again!! I was planning on two part time jobs this summer, I prefer to have variety of scenery. I worked one shift at a local health food store - the discounts would have been nice, but it wasnt for me, and I struggled not to judge peoples choices there. Oops. But I am so happy with my other job, at a local coffee shop. The basis of the shop is community, and I have an opportunity to do music within that job as well. I had my first shift today, and am in love with it! So much - I am so glad for such a great opportunity!

Other than that things have been pretty chill, I have been spending a lot of my time working on my yoga skills - I really do love yoga.

Happy Summering!

Coconut Curried Scrambled Eggs

One of my go to breakfasts is scrambled eggs. They are quick, easy and can adapt a wide variety of flavors. Usually I go for flavors like garlic and onion or the traditional salt and pepper, but I was feeling a bit tired of my norm this morning. I have been developing a slight curry addiction lately. Earlier this week a friend and I made an amazing Curry Shrimp Dish - that I hope to perfect and eventually post. For now, I bring you these delicious Coconut Curried Scrambled Eggs!!

One thing that I love about eggs, other than their ability to adapt flavors, is how simple they are. You'll need for this recipe:

2 Eggs
1 TSP Chives, chopped
1 TSP Curry Powder
1/4 TSP Garham Masala
A pinch of Salt
A pinch of Pepper
A sprinkle or 2 of Red Pepper flakes
1 TBSP Coconut Oil
2 TBSP Coconut Milk


In a medium sized pan melt the coconut oil over medium heat. After the oil is melted, add in the chopped chives. Beat together the eggs, curry, garham masala, salt, pepper, red pepper and coconut milk until frothy. Pour the mixture into the pan and scramble.

Note: This is meant to feed one very petite woman, as a side to something else. For normal sized people or more than one person, double or triple the recipe as needed.

Caramelized Apples with a Slightly Spicy Squash Sauce

Wow it's been ages since I posted a recipe! I can't take complete credit for this recipe, in fact the base of this recipe comes from my best friend Connie. Tonight as we were making supper, Connie pulled out a soup from her bag and said we could have have it along with our eggs in an eggplant basket lazy night supper. She wasn't exactly sure about the spice combination and said we could add too it if wanted. Being the unsanitary chief that I am I stuck my finger in the soup (which was already hot...), took a taste and said "hmmm....this would taste great with apple." I added a couple of things, like a bit of coconut sugar, and some red pepper flakes, caramelized some apples and we had a brilliant new, and unique dessert.

One thing I love about Connie is that while she doesn't eat paleo, she understands it, respects it, and is willing to try everything I make no matter its weirdness factor. She really is the best friend. Anyways, tonight we created a very unique but delicious new dessert that I'm sure we will enjoy for years to come.

Don't you just love instagram photos? I do!

To make this you'll need:

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups roasted squash puree (we had kabocha squash!)

3/4 of a can of Coconut Milk

1 TSP each of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powders.
Optional: 1 clove of garlic pureed. If you're unsure about the garlic, leave it out but we enjoyed it.
1/8 - 1/4th tsp red pepper flakes
1-2 TBSP of Coconut Sugar

Mix everything together in a sauce pan and allow to simmer while you cook the apples. Make sure to leave it on a low heat once it starts to simmer so that is doesn't burn!

For the Apples:

2-4 Apples (we had two, but extra sauce with it!)
1 TBSP Coconut oil
1-2 TBSP Coconut Sugar

Melt the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. While the coconut oil is melting cut the apples into slices. Add the apples to the pan and cook until the apple start to soften. Once the apple are beginning to tenderize add the coconut sugar, and lower the heat to low-medium. Stir the apples so the sugar is evenly coated over the apples. Allow the apples to cook until soft, browned and tender, stirring ever so often. Once they are done remove from heat, and allow to sit for a couple minutes. This will allow the sugar to really caramelize!

Divide the apples equally so that everyone gets their fair share and no one fights. Dip in the sauce and enjoy the unique flavors of our newest creation.

Fennel & Yam Beef Stew

I've been wanting to make stew for ages. I for months I have had packages of beef stew meat in my freezer - just calling me to make something delicious out of it. For the past few months I have been buying yam after yam, with the intention of using it for stew but always, unsure of what else to put into a stewed, ending up using them for something not stew-like-at all.

As I took a bite of this today, my fear of making bad stew disappeared as I fell in love with the flavors of beef, fennel and yam together. It's so simple, easy and yet I was amazed at how delicious it was. It is naturally sweet and almost delicate in its taste.

To make this, you'll need:

2 Carrots (I used rainbow)
1/4 of a bulb of fennel (including the bulb, stalks, and seeds of that 4th)
1 Large Yam
1 Lb Grassfed Stew Beef
1 Medium/Large Shallots
1/2 TSP Black Pepper
1/2 TSP Salt

Begin by peeling and chopping your yam into 1 inch pieces - put it in your slow cooker. Chop your carrots, shallots and fennel and drop them in with the yams. Put your beef in the pot! Mine was still frozen at this point, so if your its don't sweat it! Add in the salt and pepper, then pour water over the stew until it is just covered.Cover and put on High Heat and allow to cook for 8-16 hours. I put too much water on mine to start, so it needed longer. The picture up this is from about 11 hours, but I had it again for supper and by that point the extra water was gone. Oh my oh my how delicious.

The Homemade Mascara Saga

I've been trying to make better choices about what I put on my skin lately, and the more I do the more i realize just how difficult it is to find make up that aren't full of junk. So, I set out to find a mascara recipe that I could make at home, didn't smudge and left me feeling good about what was going into my body.

Along my search I came across this recipe! It is from the book Toxic Free by Thank Your Body. Getting to the point of actually making the mascara was quite the process. I had a choir concert a few days after I discovered this, and I was determined to have it ready by then....did not happen.

I was going to start with brown, because I couldn't find any decently priced activated charcoal anywhere. I ran into my fist problem when I was trying to clean out an old mascara tube. It was two hours of me banging on the end of the tube, cleaning with q-tips, more banging...hitting the tube on the counter (in a bucket...). Nothing worked. So, I ended up going to my concert mascara-less the next day. Luckily I have friends (I don't really care if I wear make up all the time, but for concerts its required.). Word to the wise, if you are going to make mascara, simply buy some off eBay.

About three weeks later, my mascara tubes arrived from eBay. And I made my first batch. Brown. I couldn't see the brown. So I ran all over the city looking for decently priced activated charcoal. At last! I found some! Yay! And here are the results! So far I am enjoying the mascara, and the more I wear it the more I like it. I'm getting used to the different feel of it, but sometimes wonder if it could benefit from a slightly larger amount of beeswax. Maybe I didn't press it down enough?

Oh look there I am chilling in the recliner with my new mascara! Great!