Gluten-Free, Baked Chicken Nuggets

I have been making these chicken nuggets for one of my clients for quite some time now, and have never posted a picture of them, because, quite frankly, I thought they were boring and would not look good on my Instagram feed.  Much to my surprise, these little guys got quite a reaction when I posted the pic yesterday and garnered several requests for the recipe.

This is a quick and simple recipe to prepare, but there are some key ingredients that make these nuggets special.

1) Use organic, air-chilled, boneless-skinless chicken breasts.  I love the ones sold at Whole Foods.

2) I use Gillians Allergen Free Breadcrumbs.  These used to be an easy find at Publix and Whole Foods, but the stores I frequent have stopped selling them.  My client orders them by the case off of Amazon, but if you don't need a case, just ask your supermarket manager if they can stock them.  The texture on these is very fine and they adhere well to the chicken.  They also have a slightly sweet taste, which is why I think the kiddos love them so much.

3) If you do not own an EVO sprayer, you are missing out on one of my favorite kitchen tools.  It is perfect for spritzing on an even coat of your favorite oil on to the surface of the chicken.  This allows for an evenly crisp texture when baked. This 8 oz. set of two sprayers is available at Wall-Mart, Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Gluten-Free, Baked Chicken Nuggets:

Preheat oven to 350 convention or 400 deg F for non-convection

Line a sheet pan with non-stick foil

2 whole organic, air-chilled, boneless/skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup Gillians allergen free breadcrumbs

EVO sprayer filled with extra virgin olive oil

1-Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and cut into 1 inch nuggets.  Place into a large bowl and sprit with olive oil, stirring to make sure all pieces are hit with a light coating of the oil.

2-Sprinkle salt and paprika over chicken and used clean or gloved hands to massage the salt and paprika into the chicken.  Make sure that all pieces are covered with the paprika, adding more as necessary to ensure complete coverage.

3-Add in the breadcrumbs and us hands to evenly coat all pieces of chicken.  Make sure that all pieces are evenly coated and sprinkle in more breadcrumbs as necessary.

4-Spray the sheet pan with a coating of oil. Arrange the coated nuggets on the foil-lined sheet pan, making sure that the pieces do not touch.  If your pan is too crowded, the nuggets will steam and not get crispy, so get another pan if necessary.  Spritz the nuggets with more oil.  Do not saturate, just a nice even coating.

5-Bake the nuggets for 12-15 minutes, until browned and crispy.  Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165 deg.

These are best when served immediately, but can be re-heated in a toaster oven or conventional oven. Reheating in the microwave is not recommended.

These Artichokes Have My Heart

I served this alongside some grilled lamb chops!
It was the perfect combination for an al-fresco spring dinner.

I stumbled upon a new to me product when I was shopping at Sprout's Farmer's Market yesterday afternoon.  Cynara grilled artichoke hearts.  These tasty morsels are what inspired the lovely Israeli Cous-Cous salad pictured above.  This recipe was paired with some grilled New Zeland rack of lamb, which made for an unexpectedly delicious Thursday night meal.

Ingredients  Scale

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup Israeli cous cous
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 medium zucchini, small dice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Bragg's sprinkle
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup frozen fire roasted corn, thawed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 14.75 oz jar of Cynara grilled artichoke hearts
• 1 scallion, sliced thin
• 2 sprigs of dill

Cooking Instructions

1) Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add olive oil and cous cous. Stir to combine and return to a boil, the lower heat and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water has been absorbed.

2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place chopped zucchini onto a sheet pan. Sprinkle with Bragg's, salt, pepper and olive oil and toss to combine. Roast for 25-30 minutes until zucchini is browned.

3) In a large bowl, combine cooked cous cous, roasted zucchini, corn, half of the artichokes, olive oil and lemon juice. Gently toss to combine.

4) Place salad on a servings platter and garnish with remaining artichoke hearts, scallions and dill.

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

*Make it Gluten Free by substituting 3 cups of cooked quinoa or brown rice*

I highly recommend purchasing a jar of these flavorful goodies!

Paleo Friendly Sweet Potato Chili

Photo Credit to my friend and client @lipglossandsweatpants.
Thanks for "playing with your food"

It's always a thrill when one of my clients gives me accolades, especially when they take the time to style and photograph a dish that I made for them.  This chili is convenient, packed with nutrition and easy to eat on the go or while standing over the kitchen sink, but it's even better enjoyed while taking the time to sit down and savor all of the goodness in this bowl.  We should all take a few minutes out of our busy days to enjoy a nice meal.  It is good for your digestion, not to mention your spirit; so always remember slow down and make every plate something to be passionate about!

Ingredients  Scale

• 2 pounds of grass fed beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped fine
• 2 TB chili powder
• 1 TB cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 TB tomato paste
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups chopped sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces.
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Cooking Instructions

Combine all the spices and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook onions, peppers and carrots until the onions begin to turn translucent.  Add ground meat and garlic.  Continue to cook until meat is completely browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon.

Add in spices and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute.

Add in sweet potatoes, crushed tomatoes and broth. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and simmer for 30 minutes until sweet potatoes have softened.  Correct seasonings as needed.

Top with avocado slices and fresh cilantro if desired. 

This recipe yields 8-10 servings

Nutrition Facts

• Amount Per Serving (10 servings)


Calories 417
• Total Fat 20g

Saturated Fat 7g


Trans Fat 0g


Polyunsaturated Fat 1g


Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 79mg

Sodium 823mg

Total Carbohydrate 31g

Dietary Fiber 6g


Sugars 11g

Protein 28g

It's Always Soup Season: Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Beautiful photo by @lipglossandsweatpants

The fact that soup has become one of my favorite things to cook and eat, is pretty ironic, considering my first feeble attempts at soup making, and my general attitude that soup was not a real meal.  To me, soup had mostly been something to eat when you were sick, or cold, or too lazy to make anything more time consuming than pouring the contents of a can into a bowl and nuking it in the microwave.

Over the years, I have learned to appreciate soups as a year-round way to impart lots of nutrition into an easy to make and eat meal.  Like anything, learning a technique and plenty of practice are the way to achieve success, no matter the task at hand.  Soup is not just throwing a hodgepodge of ingredients into a pot and covering it with liquid.  Oh sure, this method may produce something that looks like soup, but will most likely taste like lumpy dishwater.  A tasty soup should be built with layers of flavor and quality ingredients.  To do this, all soups should begin with a base of aromatics such as onions, carrots and celery.  This is a classic mirepoix and is the base used in recipe I am featuring today.  Aromatic bases are not limited to mirepoix; many different cuisines have their own signature starters.  For example, Puerto Rican sofrito (peppers, onions and tomatoes) or Cajun holy trinity (onions, green bell pepper and celery).  Seasoning with salt, pepper and spices and tasting as you go are important.  If you are trying to reduce sodium, adding a splash of acid, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will help to waken up the flavors in your pot.

The Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup on the menu today, was inspired by a client's love of roasted lemon-pepper chicken as well as the changing seasons.  It is officially spring on the calendar, and time to lighten up the flavors and colors in the soup pot. Enjoy and always remember to make every plate something to be passionate about!

Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup:

• 
  
• For Shredded Lemon Pepper Chicken:
• 2 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 tsp EVOO
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• For Broth:
• 1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), divided
• 1 small Sweet Onion chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced into thin coins
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp Bragg's Sprinkle (or Italian Seasoning)
• 3 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 quart Chicken Broth
• Juice from 1 Lemon
• 1 lemon for garnish
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 
  

• Cooking Instructions

  For Shredded Chicken:
  
  Sprinkle chicken with olive oil, lemon pepper and salt Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Internal temp should reach 165 degrees. Allow to cool and then shred.
  
  For Broth:
  
  In a large Dutch oven add olive oil, onion. carrots, celery, turmeric, black pepper and salt.. Sauté veggies over med/high heat 5-6 min, stirring occasionally, until Onions are translucent and softened.. Add Garlic and sauté 1 minute.
  
  Next, add in zucchini and squash. Stir to combine and then pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  Finally, add in the shredded lemon pepper chicken and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley and lemon slices, if desired.
• **Make it vegetarian by subbing chicken broth for veggie broth and the chicken breast for two cans of your favorite white beans or chickpeas**

Nutrition Facts

• Amount Per Serving (6 servings)


Calories 153
• Total Fat 5g

Saturated Fat 1g


Trans Fat 0g


Polyunsaturated Fat 1g


Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 37mg

Sodium 1362mg

Total Carbohydrate 12g

Dietary Fiber 3g


Sugars 7g

Protein 15g

Smashed Chickpea and Veggie Salad

Portable Protein!

I've been thinking about this spread since last week, when I made something similar for a client.  I used my basic egg salad recipe, but swapped out smashed chickpeas for the hard boiled eggs.  Mayo, yellow mustard, chopped celery, green onion, salt and pepper.  Simple, easy, classic and delicious.

I have been busy all morning, researching recipes and working on client menus.  My senses have been inundated with visions and thoughts of beautiful food for a couple of hours, and let me tell you, this makes a girl pretty hungry.  I needed something, filling, fast and easily edible with one hand.  This was the perfect opportunity to make myself the chickpea salad I had been craving since last week.  I decided to tweak the recipe a bit with some ingredients that I had on hand.  Fresh parsley helps to bring some life to the canned chickpeas.  Minced carrot adds some nice color and crunch.  Lemon zest and juice to brighten the flavor and add moisture to the mixture, in an effort to reduce the amount of mayonnaise needed.  Lastly, I added a couple of teaspoons of sweet and dill relish, for some extra tang.

The potato masher is one of my favorite kitchen tools and it goes way beyond potatoes!

This jazzed up version of smashed chickpea salad, did not disappoint.  It comes together in a snap and provides a great opportunity to work on some knife skills as well as chance to take out any pent up aggression whilst smashing the chickpeas.  Educational and therapeutic!

Fresh parsley, scallion, lemon, celery and carrot, finely minced.  It's always a good time to practice your knife skills!

So, now, lets talk about mayonnaise.  I am a tried and true Duke's fan, it's what my grandmother used and what is always in my refrigerator, but, Duke's is not available at the Whole Foods market where I do the majority of my client shopping.  As a result, I have been experimenting with some of the different mayo's available there.  I stumbled up Sir Kensington's a couple of months ago, and let me tell you, I have been having some seriously debaucherous thoughts about this gentleman, errr mayonnaise.  Perhaps it's his jaunty monocle and spiffy top hat that get me hot and bothered, or just the plain fact that this is some seriously tasty mayonnaise.  Whatever it is, I have been dreaming of slathering this creamy delicacy on everything for the past few weeks.

I may lose my southern card, but I am loving this mayonnaise right now. And plus, Sir Kensington is super cute ;0)

Today, I ate my smashed chickpea salad, sandwiched between two slices of toasted 100% whole wheat bread.  My tummy is happy and satisfied and my brain is ready to get back to work.  Until next time, always remember to make every plate something to be passionate about!

The finished product

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 rib celery, minced
• 1 scallion, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 small carrot, minced
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons, mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons dill relish
• 2 teaspoons, sweet relish
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1- Place chickpeas in a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher, until creamy, with a few chunks remaining.
2- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Tomatoes: A Love Story

My journey to true tomato love was a long one.  I spent the bulk of my childhood and teenaged years not liking tomatoes, for no other reason than the fact that  my father did not like tomatoes.  A pathetic reason to shun one of nature's most exquisite accomplishments, but little girls look up to their dads, sometimes not knowing or caring in the moment that he was terribly wrong. 

Every summer I would hear my aunt, mother, grandmother's and various other tomato lovers, extol the glories of a garden fresh tomato.  "There is just nothing like a summer tomato straight from the garden", they would say.  "So much better than the flavorless grocery store ones", they would prattle on.  I just did not understand; they all tasted like flavorless, gooey globs to me.  Perhaps my first taste of a tomato, was of the grocery store variety or perhaps I was just stubborn and had my mind made up that they were plain gross.  Who knows for sure?  Time seems to fade unpleasant memories.  What I do know, is that I spent several more years refusing to taste a tomato.

I spent most every summer in North Carolina, where my two sets of grandparents lived.  They both had lovely kitchen gardens that grew a variety of vegetables, but most prized, were always the tomatoes.  As time went by, I started to feel slightly left out of the excitement surrounding the arrival of what my family referred to as, the first "good" tomatoes.  My maternal grandmother would carefully peel the skin off of one of the plump, crimson orbs, still warm from the vine.  She would then lay thick slices on bread that had been slathered with mayonnaise, next, a dusting of salt and pepper, then topped off with another slice of soft, mayo covered bread.  The tomato lovers would oooh and ahhh with every bite of their sandwich; wash it down with a tall glass of iced tea and continue on with the remainder of their day with an extra twinkle in their eyes and bigger grins on their faces.  I knew I was missing out on something special.

I vividly remember the time when I finally tasted a "good" tomato.  It was sliced on top of a hamburger.  I don't believe that I was even aware that the tomato was nestled between the patty and bun, but I knew instantly, when I bit into that sandwich, what I had been missing all of those years.  It was an explosion of sweet juiciness that made my tastebuds dance and left me with the same knowing grin that I had witnessed on the faces of all the tomato lovers I had crossed paths with over the years.

From that moment on, I was hooked and have since dedicated every summer since, to the pursuit of the first "good" tomato of the summer.

More recently, my summer tomato ritual has included canning, cases and cases of tomatoes with my canning group.  We lovingly call ourselves, The Can Can Girls.  These can can girls are not into high leg kicks and ruffled skirts, but rather, cute aprons and Ball jars.  This group of six, is now like a well oiled machine, that can put up dozens upon dozens of quarts of tomatoes in a day.

Bathing beauties getting ready for canning

Our tomato packing skills improve each year!

The cute labels from this summer's canning summit.

These jars of juicy gems have become one of my most prized possessions. I greedily horde my jars of tomatoes and rarely share them with anyone else. (I readily admit that, I need to go back to kindergarten and re-read the chapter on sharing)  I will gladly share other items that we can, just not tomatoes.  My favorite thing to do with the jarred tomatoes is to make a quick sauce for pasta.  It is simply a  splash of olive oil, some chopped onion, a grated garlic clove, a splash of white wine or chicken stock and a jar of Can-Can Girls, juicy tomatoes.  In twenty minutes, I have a bright and flavorful sauce, that is especially welcome during the dark days of winter.

One of the heirloom tomatoes I bought at the Osage market.

This summer, I have been franticly searching for my first "good" tomato of the summer.  Although, it took a bit longer than usual this season, I finally found it!  I stopped at the Osage Farmer's Market in Dillard, GA yesterday on the way home from a family reunion in Franklin, N.C.  I loaded up on goodies from the farm stand, but it was the tomatoes that I was most excited about.  As I drove home, with a heavy foot on the gas pedal, the possibility of finally getting the perfect summer tomato was exciting!  I could smell the aroma of the fruit, wafting up from the back seat.  I called the house to make sure that we had a loaf of bread and some mayo on hand, as a stop at the grocery store would only delay my much anticipated lunch.  I rolled into the driveway, grabbed the bags of fresh veggies (the suitcase could wait till later), and breezed into the house.  I was on a mission.  After a quick "Hi" to the family and my pooch, it was on to selecting the perfect specimen for my sandwich.  I had built this up so much in my mind, that had the tomato sandwich been a flavorless bust, I might be at my therapist this morning, contemplating how a bad tomato sandwich had sunk me into a deep depression.  But alas,  I am here at my computer, writing like a maniac, in an effort try to capture the excitement that remains from the perfectly "good" summer tomato sandwich that I ate yesterday.

Unlike at my grandmother's house all those years ago, my sandwich did not make it to the kitchen table to be eaten in a civilized  manner, on a plate with a napkin in my lap.  This was a drippy kitchen counter meal, served on a paper towel; but, like at my grandmother's house,  it was washed down with a tall glass of iced tea, and I most certainly went about the rest of my day, with a grin on my face.  The grin that had eluded me for some many years; the grin of someone who had finally had their first "good" summer tomato.

Getting ready to bite into this tomato goodness!

Oodles of "Noodles"

I love when my clients challenge me to step outside of my comfort zone in the kitchen.  As a personal chef, it is my duty to adapt to the dietary needs and wants of my clients.  During any given week, I will cook vegan one day, paleo the next and a little gluten and dairy-free sprinkled in between.  In my personal life, I am none of those things.  My own food philosophy leans more towards a "flexitarian" approach to food; that is 80% plant based, 20% animal protein.  I like real, whole foods and have never found myself searching for a pasta, or dairy alternatives.  I will eat most anything, but strongly believe in moderation and portion control.  With that being said, I had to chuckle, when I realized that this vegan sweet potato "noodle" dish was probably on of the most favorite things that I had prepared this week.

So let me just say, I would not eat this as a substitute for for a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, but I would prepare and eat it, because it is REALLY GOOD, in its own right.  This recipe does require some special equipment, a spirilizer and a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix,  are a must in order to achieve optimal results.  I love the spirilizer and have enjoyed experimenting with various types of veggie noodles.  For spirilzing sweet potatoes, skinnier potatoes seem to work the best, also cutting the potato in half makes it more manageable.  Now, I am no expert on blenders, in fact, I have not owned a blender, since I received one for a wedding gift, twenty years ago.  I used it once; it broke; I threw it in the trash!  I have never found the need for a blender, because I don't enjoy the things you typically make in a blender, like frozen cocktails, milkshakes and smoothies.  I have been perfectly content with my immersion blender for years, because it makes things that I do like, such as, creamy soups and savory sauces.  Luckily my client had a Vitamix in her kitchen, which worked like a charm for this recipe.

There are plenty of cashew cream recipes on the internet, which I referenced to help me get started with the liquid to nut ratio.  With experimentation, I settled on 2 cups of soaked cashews to 2 cups of liquid.  I used almond milk and vegetable stock.  This produced a creamy, rich and pourable sauce. base.  Fresh garlic, salt, white pepper, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, and organic onion granules rounded out the flavor.

Another point of humor for me in this recipe is the nutritional yeast.  I was first introduced to this ingredient about five years ago, during a class I assisted at the Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont Hospital.  Nutritional yeast was presented as a substitute for parmesan cheese. Needless to say, I was completely appalled by this notion!  Nothing, I mean NOTHING, could possibly be a substitute for real Parmigiano-Reggiano, one of the worlds finest and cherished ingredients.  I immediately disregarded nutritional yeast and did not think of it again, until years later, when it appeared as a garnish on a potato dish that I ate in a restaurant.  What was this savory powder on my roasted potatoes?  I loved it!  I asked the server what it was, and when he confirmed that it was nutritional yeast, I smiled.  I suppose the presentation and context of an ingredient are key.  As a substitute for parmesan, I was not interested, yet when presented in its own right as a garnish, I was hooked.  Mind games, I tell you!

This recipe is a prefect summary of many things that I thought I did not like or support over the years, but certainly shows that with time, experimentation and an open mind, one can broaden your horizons and palate.  So whether vegan sauces and veggie noodles are your norm or your nemesis, I encourage you to get in to the kitchen and try something new, and as always, make every plate something to be passionate about!

Sweet Potato "Noodles" with Sautéed Spinach and Cashew Cream Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
• 4 sweet potatoes, spirilized (skinnier sweet potatoes work best)
• I box of baby spinach, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour or overnight.
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion granules
• 1/4 teaspoon ground, white pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• parsley and basil for garnish

-Spirilize sweet potatoes. Drizzle with  1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 400 deg. until cooked through and starting to brown. About 20 minutes.

-Sauté spinach in olive oil with ground nutmeg, until wilted.  Use tongs to incorporate and evenly distribute the spinach into the cooked sweet potato noodles.

-Drain cashews and add to a Vitamix, along with almond milk, veg stock, garlic, onion granules, white pepper, salt, lemon zest and nutritional yeast. Blend until creamy.

-  Pour sauce onto the noodle mixture and garnish with parsley, basil and an additional sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Serve Immediately.