Tag Archives: chicken

Whole 30 – A Realistic Meal Plan – Week 4

recipes, whole30 September 22, 2014 Leave a comment

I forgot to post this when I actually finished but I did the entire Whole 30! By the end of it I felt really good, lost 8 pounds, and changed my relationship with food. I was SO tired of cooking that I honestly didn’t eat as much just because the thought of cooking yet another meal was enough to keep me from eating. I will definitely keep a lot of these habits moving forward though. Following the whole 30 shopping guidelines and meal plans at home for the most part but being able to eat out occasionally would be sustainable for a long time. Overall, I would recommend this plan, definitely one of the best cleanses or detoxes that I have done over the years!

Day 22:
Breakfast – Pork Hash and blueberries
Lunch – Red Curry with Chicken (leftover)
Dinner – Tarragon Cream Chicken with sautéed broccolini

Day 23:
Breakfast – Apple with Almond Butter
Lunch – Tarragon Cream Chicken (leftover)
Dinner – Chili over a baked yukon gold potato

Day 24:
Breakfast –Pork Hash
Lunch – Italian Chicken Stew (made night before)
Dinner – Chili over a baked yukon gold potato

Day 25:
Breakfast – Pork Hash
Lunch –Italian Chicken Stew (leftover)
Dinner – Steak with Roasted Purple Potatoes and sautéed broccolini

Day 26:
Breakfast – BLAT “Benedict”… without the egg
Lunch – Italian Chicken Stew (leftover)
Dinner – Ate out – side salad with grilled chicken, no dressing

Day 27:
Breakfast – BLAT “Benedict”… without the egg
Lunch – Apple with Almond Butter
Dinner – Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Broccolini

Day 28:
Breakfast – Banana
Lunch – Ate out at a Paleo Bistro
Dinner – Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Purple Potatoes

Day 29:
Breakfast – Pork Hash with mushrooms
Lunch – Apple with Almond Butter
Dinner – Pot Roast Stew

Day 30:
Breakfast – Pork Hash with mushrooms
Lunch – Pot Roast Stew
Dinner – Steak with Roasted Purple Potatoes and sautéed broccolini

Italian Chicken Stew

recipes August 14, 2014 Leave a comment

This is one of those meals that was a complete experiment and it actually turned out really well. It’s kind of Roman Chicken meets Seafood Cioppino…kind of. However you describe it, it’s delicious and hearty and an excellent Whole30 compliant meal and (bonus) it’s really easy too!

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Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can organic petite diced tomatoes
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 cups of fresh kale, chopped
oregano
salt and pepper
olive oil

Heat olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom) in large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken then place in oil in bottom of pot in a single layer. Be careful putting the chicken in the oil! Cook about 3 minutes until starting to turn golden brown, turn chicken and cook 3 minutes on the other side, then remove from pot.

Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add red pepper and cook for another 4-5 minutes. You can add a little more olive oil also, if needed. Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes until you can smell the garlic but it isn’t yet burning.

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Add chicken stock and deglaze the pan (scrape the brown bits off the bottom and into the stock). Add a sprinkling of oregano, salt & pepper and stir. Add tomatoes and return chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add kale and mix into the liquid well, then simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce is the consistency you want. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Tarragon Cream Chicken – Whole30 Compliant

recipes August 13, 2014 1 Comment

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This is one of the only recipes I actually like that is based on a master recipe from the Whole30 program. I followed their directions once and tweaked it the second time and I preferred that version, which is here. To be fair, I haven’t tried all of their recipes (after 2 bad ones I completely gave up and have made up all of my own since) but of the ones I have tried, this one and a slightly modified version of their chili which I will post soon, are the only 2 I’ll make again.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1 tbsp tarragon (fresh is best)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup coconut milk (culinary, in the can)
8 oz mushrooms, I like baby portabella, sliced
1 green onion (including the green part), chopped
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle sliced chicken with salt and pepper then brown in a single layer for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown, remove from pan.

Add 2 cloves chopped garlic to the pan as well as the sliced mushrooms and green onions. After about 15 seconds, add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of coconut milk and deglaze the pan (scrape the brown bits off of the bottom).  Allow mushrooms to cook for a few minutes until soft and then add tarragon and chicken back to the sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until sauce has reached thickness you want, I like it to just coat the spoon when I pull it out of the sauce. This dish is great with roasted veggies or potatoes as a side. It’s also really good heated up for lunch the next day which makes lunch at work a little more enjoyable than just a salad. Enjoy!