mustard-glazed chicken thighs

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or coconut oil
2 tablespoons gluten-free mustard*
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon sea salt black pepper to taste
12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter or coconut oil, mustard, sage, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish, and brush the mustard glaze evenly over each one.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into the center of one of the chicken thighs.

PREP TIME 25 MINS • COOK TIME 45 MINS • SERVINGS 6-8

Use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts if you don’t have chicken thighs. Serve with Creamy Herb Mashed Cauliflower and a green salad. These are fantastic reheated in the oven or toaster oven, and they make a delicious breakfast as well.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 3051-3058). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Shrimp Pad Thai

4 large zucchini or yellow squash
1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
4 dozen extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

FOR THE SAUCE
1/2 cup almond butter (raw or roasted)*
1/2 cup coconut aminos*
4 drops fish sauce*
1/2 teaspoon minced or grated garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
sea salt and black pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)
1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber

Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, covered, over high heat. Place a steamer basket in the pot. While the water comes to a boil, shred the zucchini or yellow squash into noodles using a handheld julienne peeler, a spiralizer tool, or even a regular vegetable peeler (if using a regular peeler, the noodles will be wide and flat versus spaghetti shaped). You should get 4 cups of noodles. When the water is boiling, steam the noodles in the basket for 3 minutes, then remove them and set them in a colander to drain off the excess liquid as they cool slightly. Place the snow peas on top of the noodles in the colander. Place the shrimp in the steamer basket over the still-boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until pink all the way through. The cooking time will vary with the size of the shrimp. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until well combined.

Place the noodles, snow peas, sauce, and shrimp in a large skillet over medium-high heat; toss gently to combine and heat through. To serve, garnish with sesame seeds and top with the green onion and cucumber slices.

Lemon Chicken with capers & chives

1 whole (4- to 6-pound) chicken (or bone-in, skin-on parts if you prefer)
2 tablespoons ghee, unsalted butter, duck fat, or coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 lemon, zested and sliced into rounds
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Split the chicken in half using a large chef’s knife, then lay it flat on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up. Brush the skin generously with the ghee, then sprinkle on the capers, chives, and lemon zest. Season liberally with salt and pepper, then place the lemon slices on the chicken.

Roast for 45 to 60 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the chicken or the bone-in parts you select.

PREP TIME 10 MINS • COOK TIME 45-60 MINS • SERVINGS 4-6

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 2968-2970). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Tomato-Basil quiche with bacon & spinach

8 slices bacon
8 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
 2 cups chopped spinach
1 to 2 tablespoons bacon fat (reserved from cooking bacon)
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slice the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the meat is cooked, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels; reserve the fat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, garlic, chives, basil, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir in the spinach.

Grease a 9 by 11-inch baking dish with the reserved bacon fat, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Top with the bacon pieces and cherry tomato halves. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the quiche puffs up and becomes golden brown on the edges.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 2916-2917). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Mini Mexi-Meatloaves

grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • sugar-free

PREP TIME: 25 minutes
COOKING TIME: 40-50 minutes
YIELD: 4-6 servings
 
for the sauce topping:

• 4oz tomato paste
• 4oz water
• 2 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 tsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinches of sea salt
• black pepper to taste

ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, duck fat, or bacon fat
• 1 small onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or grated (1/2 Tbsp)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp corriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper – or more to taste
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 bell pepper, any color, grated (or very finely diced)
• 1/4 c cilantro, chopped

preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, combine the tomato paste, water, bell pepper, cilantro, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper and simmer for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients into the meatloaves – stirring occasionally to prevent burning. If your sauce reduces too far and looks like it may burn, add more water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk to combine. The sauce should have a fairly thick consistency, almost like ketchup, not loose like a pasta sauce.
• In a medium skillet, melt the duck fat and sautée the onions over medium low heat until they are translucent and the edges begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
• In a large-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and then place the ground meat into the bowl with the beaten eggs. In a small mixing bowl, combine the spices, carrots, bell pepper, and cilantro. Then add the spice and vegetable mixture to the meat and egg until well combined.
• Divide the meatloaf mixture into 2 parchment paper lined mini loaf pans (or use 1 large tin, baking time may vary), filling them up and slightly over the top as the mixture will shrink a bit in cooking.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce onto each loaf, spreading it into an even layer to coat the top and reserve the remaining amount for dipping after the loaves are baked.
• Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 160 degrees F.

Source: Balanced Bites

Lemon Rosemary Broiled Salmon

 

Yield: Approximately 3-4 servings. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
• 1 lb wild salmon
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp Rosemary Salt Blend

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to a low broil setting.
2. Place thinly sliced pats of butter in a baking dish where you will place the salmon (or spread ghee or coconut oil down).
3. Place the salmon in the dish and sprinkle with the rosemary salt. Place more thin pats of butter on top of the salmon, then top with slices of lemon.
4. Broil on low for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. A thicker piece of fish may take closer to 15 minutes while a thin piece will take just around 10.

For the Rosemary Salt Blend:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c ground, dried rosemary
  (preferably made from drying fresh rosemary)
• 1/4 c coarse sea salt

Preparation:

1. Combine all spices in a food processor. Store in a jar or resealable bag for use in recipes.

Source: Balanced Bites

Bacon-Wrapped Smoky Chicken Thighs

Yield: Approximately 4 servings.
 

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• 8 slices of bacon
• 2 tsp Smoky Spice Blend

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of Smoky Spice Blend, then wrap each one in 2 strips of bacon. Sprinkle with the remaining Smoky Spice Blend and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Smoky Spice Blend: Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp chipotle powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp onion powder (eliminate to make this FODMAP-free)
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

Preparation: Combine all spices in a bowl, then store in a small container. Yield: 4 bacon-wrapped chicken thighs

Source: Balanced Bites