Grilled Bruschetta Chicken Breast

 I was wondering what I would cook for dinner today while looking into my pantry when I realized I still had some dried Italian herbs.  So I came up with this…

You will need:

• 2 large chicken breasts (filleted)
• 4  large vine ripened tomatoes (peeled)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dry italian herbs

For the chicken marinade:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp dry italian herbs 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1tsp garlic powder

Mix the ingredients to marinade the chicken and fillet the chicken breasts in half.  Let chicken marinade for at least an hour before grilling.  To make the bruschetta, peel vine ripened tomatoes, remove as many of the seeds as possible, and dice the tomatoes into small cubes.  Pour the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and dry Italian herbs and mix all the ingredients.  Place the bruschetta in a closed container inside the refrigerator before you start to grill the chicken.  The chicken breasts should be grilled until the internal temperature reaches 170F.  Once the chicken breasts are thoroughly cooked, let them rest for about five minutes, after that, you may spoon the cold bruschetta on the grilled chicken.

Enjoy!

Note:

To peel the tomatoes, make an "X"cut on the base of the tomatoes with a paring knife and submerge them into boiling water for 60 seconds each.  After that, place them into a cold water bath and they should be pretty easy to peel.

Chicken Chilindron-Spanish Cuisine

Let me start off by saying this recipe is pretty much fool-proof.  I made this today for the first time and I absolutely LOVED it.  I must add, I did make some adjustments due to the fact that I don't have access to Spanish Serrano ham nor did I have a bottle of dry white wine handy, but it was still delicious. And at less than $20.00 to prepare, this chicken dish is sure to make it to your weekly menu.

You will need:

• 1 Whole organic chicken cut into pieces
• 5 strips of bacon (cut into 1" pieces)
• 1 Red bell pepper (bell peppers cut into 1" cubes)
• 1 Green bell pepper
• 1 Yellow bell pepper
• 2 large vine rippen tomatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 Large onion (roughly cut)
• 3 Cloves of garlic (finely minced)
• 1 Cup organic chicken stock
• 2 Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start off by cutting bacon into 1"pieces and placing them into a large sauté pan on medium heat.  Once bacon is crispy, remove and reserve in separate container and set the pan to medium high heat.  Cut chicken into pieces and season it generously with salt and pepper.  Place cut up whole chicken into the pan and pan fry it until each piece is almost cooked thoroughly.  Once you've browned the chicken, place it in a separate container and add the bell peppers and onions into the pan.  Sauté the peppers and onions until they are soft and then add the finely minced garlic.  Once the juice from the peppers and onions has evaporated, add the diced peeled tomatoes into the pan, sauté for about 5-7 minutes until their juice has also evaporated.  At this point, add the bay leaves, chicken stock, chicken pieces and bacon back into the pan.  Reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes.

I really hope you give this dish a try.  It truly is delicious.

Note:

To peel the tomatoes, make an "X"cut on the base of the tomatoes with a paring knife and submerge them into boiling water for 60 seconds each.  After that, place them into a cold water bath and they should be pretty easy to peel.

5 Minute Guacamole

This 5 minute guacamole is the perfect summer snack or side dish.  I hope you give this a try!

• 2 Hass Avocados
• 1 Large Tomato
• 1/4 White onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• The juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the avocados in half, pit them, place them in a bowl with the juice of 1/2 lime, salt and pepper to taste, and smash them to your desired consistency.  Dice the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno and mix into the avocado.  That's it!  Sounds complicated, right?  But it is well worth the effort!

Pork Loin Diablo

• 1.5 lb pork loin (usually come in a 2-pack)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp horse radish
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1tbsp cold butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or bacon grease

Start off by preheating your oven to 375F.  Prep the pork by rinsing and patting it dry. Trim off excess fat.  I find that pork loin sometimes has a piece of silvery tissue, I usually trim that part off as well.  Season the pork generously with salt and pepper.  In a large oven-safe skillet, melt coconut oil or bacon grease in high heat.  The pan must get hot since you will be searing the pork loin in only one side.  If your pan is hot enough, place the pork loin inside the pan and allow for one side to sear until it no longer sticks and it has formed a nice golden crust.  At this time, flip the pork loin and place the pan inside the oven.  Depending on your oven, the pork should be done in about 30-35 minutes.  If you want to check with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 145F.  Once the pork is thoroughly cooked, place it in a plate to rest.  Using the pan's drippings, add the chicken stock, the dijon mustard, horse radish and cayenne pepper and whisk.  Let the sauce reduce by half, then add the heavy cream or coconut milk.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir the cold butter constantly until it melts.  Slice the pork and spoon the sauce over it.  I hope you Give this recipe a try.  It sounds complicated but it is so simple to make!

Steak Ranchero

Steak Ranchero is one of the dishes I grew up eating.  I hope you give it a try!

• 1.5  lb sirloin steak (cube 1/4" pieces)
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/4 can of tomato puree
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1.5  tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil 
• salt and pepper to taste

Roughly cut up steak into 1/4" cubes.  Place Coconut oil in a pan and set it to medium high heat.  Place steak into the pan with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and onion powder.  Let meat brown until all its juice is reduced.  While the meat is browning, dice tomatoes and onion into small cubes.  Once all the liquids has evaporated from the steak, toss in the diced tomatoes and onions (you could also toss in a finely diced jalapeno pepper for a little kick).  Stir steak with onions and tomatoes for about 5 minutes.  At this point, the tomatoes will have somewhat dissolved into a sauce.  Pour tomato puree and chicken stock, reduce heat to medium and cover the pan.  Let the steak simmer for 15-20, then enjoy!

Home Cookin'

Being raised in a traditional Mexican household, my mother cooked every single meal for the family from scratch.  I remember growing sick of the taste of Mexican rice and yearning for the salty taste of a chili cheese foot long.  Going to McDonald’s was a cause for celebration for my sibling and myself.  Needless to say, fast food was a rare treat growing up.

When I decided to go Paleo, I was a bit frustrated due to a lack of ideas as far as meal preparing was concerned.  While some meals were cooked at home, we were eating out about three to four times a week.  I wondered how I would manage to cook Paleo-friendly meals every single day without growing bored out of our minds.  I remember cooking kale so frequently we quickly got tired of eating it, not to mention all that baked chicken!  I decided we needed some variety in out lives when it suddenly dawned on me that growing up I was eating pretty primal!  For example, I remember eating fajitas with a side of grilled onions and guacamole.  Or say, my mom’s delicious chicken soup full of veggies, which I loved so much.  While I can’t say my mother’ cooking was perfect for my new lifestyle, with a few adjustments, I found myself with a new repertoire of meals that I am able to utilize and incorporate into our menu. 

Lastly, I want to touch on the subject I feel, most people find switching to Paleo so difficult.  I believe the reason is that most people are either scared or completely oblivious of how to cook a meal from scratch.  The whole thought of living without bread can seem pretty terrifying when you have a child who takes his own lunch to school every day.  The key to this lifestyle is learning the basic skills on how to prepare your meals as wholesomely as your time and budget will allow.

Baked Mustard Chicken

Baked mustard chicken is one of my go-to meals.  This recipe is quite simple to make and it is ready in less than an hour.  Did I mention it is also delicious?  If you think Paleo cooking is hard to achieve, give this recipe a try.  You WILL NOT be disappointed.

•               4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

•               1 medium onion, thickly sliced (about 1/4")

•               1/3 cup yellow mustard (preferably organic)

•               3 large garlic cloves, finely minced

•               1 tbsp garlic powder

•               1 1/2 tbsp onion powder

•               2 tsp lard or bacon fat

•               Salt and pepper to taste

Start off by pre-heating the oven to 400F.  Fillet the chicken breasts and reserve in a separate container.  In a large bowl, combine mustard, finely minced garlic cloves, garlic and onion powder along with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix all ingredients well and place the filleted chicken breasts inside of the bowl with the mustard marinade.  (I would recommend to let the chicken breasts marinade inside the fridge for a few hours, overnight would be even better.) In a baking pan, make a bed for the chicken breasts with the thickly sliced onions, place a dollop of 1/4 tsp of the lard or bacon fat on top of each chicken breast. Place baking pan in the oven for 34-40 minutes.  Of course, time may vary depending on your oven.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, which is only one example of how simple and delicious eating healthy can be.