Garlic Chicken Butternut Squash Lasagna

Calling all Cave Boys and Girls!...This is a great one from Julie Bauer on the Foodee Project's site! Enjoy!

 

What you need:

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 head garlic clove, roasted
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 lb chicken, diced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/8 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon basil (fresh or dried)
• 1 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
• salt and pepper, to taste

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the end off the bulb of garlic to reveal the cloves inside. Wrap in aluminum foil and throw in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
3. While the garlic is roasting, you'll need to cut your butternut squash. Use a sharp knife ya dummy.You can do this a couple different ways but remember, you are trying to get the long squash into "lasagna type strips".
4. What I did (Megan and Brandon at Health-Bent taught me this): Cut the end off the squash, then use a peeler to take off the skin. Then cut the squash into 1/4s lengthwise. Remove seeds and strings. Then you can do 1 of 2 things: either use a knife to slice the butternut squash into strips or use a mandoline to slice the butternut squash into thinner strips (that's what I did).
5. Set aside and begin to make your chicken and sauce.
6. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your diced onion to begin to cook. After about 3 minutes of coating your onions and bringing out their flavor, add your diced chicken along with a bit of salt. Let the chicken cook under low heat while you make your sauce.
7. Your head of garlic should be roasted by now, so pull it out of the oven and remove the roasted cloves and put directly into your food processor. You can you a fork to pull them out of just squeeze the b*tch. Up to you.
8. Add olive oil to your food processor along with the roasted garlic and turn your food processor on. Prepare yourself for your kitchen to smell like heaven. Sh*t, I love garlic. Once the garlic cloves have become a paste, add your coconut milk and tomato sauce along with basil and parsley. Pulse until saucy. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
9. When the chicken is ALMOST done cooking (yes, it can still have a little pink to it), remove from heat.
10. Now for the lasagna stacking. Pull out a 8x8 or 9x9 glass baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with a bit of sauce, then add a layer of butternut squash strips, a layer of chicken, and a layer of sauce. Repeat until you are all out of chicken and butternut squash. The last layer should be butternut squash and topped off with sauce.
11. Bake, uncovered, for around 40-45 minutes. The squash should be tender BUT do not cut into it until it has set for a while. I gave mine about an hour. I know, I know, it sucks ass. But it will be a difference and will actually be like lasagna instead of a throw together. Got it? Cool.

Everyone likes sauce.

Everyone likes layers.

For more great recipes like these, check out the Foodee Project at http://www.thefoodee.com/

Grilled Spiced Chicken with Caribbean Citrus-Mango Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the ginger, cinnamon, cumin, anise, and cayenne pepper. Rub the chicken with the spice mixture, and place in the bowl. Cover, and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, mix the mango, orange juice, lime juice, and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. When grill is hot, brush the grate with oil.
4. Grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes per side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Serve over grilled vegetables and top with the mango sauce.  (Shown served over rice. If you're going grain-free, the vegetables are a fantastic compliment!)

The original recipe calls for corn starch and dark rum to thicken the sauce. It works fine without it! Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Chicken Corn Chowder

Fuel up or recover with this healthy version of an old favorite...

Ingredients:
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1 10oz can cream of chicken soup (low fat, reduced sodium)
1 cup skim milk
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup stewed diced tomatoes, no added salt

Directions:
1. Toast corn kernels under broiler for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Place all items in medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Stir well and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is done and corn is tender. Serve in soup bowl. Optional garnish: steamed broccoli.

Servings: 4. 1 cup per serving.

Prep & Cooking Time: 20 minutes (5 for prep, 15 for cooking)

Nutrition: Calories 210, Total fat 2g (1g sat, 0g trans), Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 380mg, Carb 34g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 10g, Protein 15g

Recipe from USA Triathlon Magazine, Winter 2011 from Judy Doherty, triathlete and owner of Food and Health Communications

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe:

8 Chicken thighs, with bone (and skin)

1 bell pepper, red or green, or both!

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 C red wine

1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 C water

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, no added salt

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt

1 spaghetti squash

Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Turn it on low, and walk away for 5-7 hours! That's the beautiful part! 45 minutes before you're ready to eat, bake the spaghetti squash: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce several holes in the spaghetti squash, and put the entire squash in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the squash and slice it in half (the oven makes it soft and easier to cut). But be careful... it will be hot!!! Scoop out the center pulp and seeds. The flesh will still be too hard, so put both halves back in the oven, face down on a baking sheet, with about 1/4 C water. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes. Use a spoon and scrape out fleshy part from the shell of the spaghetti squash, it scrapes out very easily! It will work magic as a spaghetti/pasta substitute! Place 1-2 chicken pieces on the squash and spoon some sauce over the top.

Enjoy!

Recipe posted by Kelly Greco of CFSCC

Coconut Chicken Nuggets with Curried Mustard

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg yolk
1 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 c + 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c unsweetened coconut
1/2 c coconut oil
Salt & Pepper to taste 

Method:
In a bowl combine 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c dessicated coconut and some salt & pepper. Mix it around with your hands. In a separate bowl, combine the ground chicken, 1/2 c almond flour, onion & garlic powders, egg yolk and some salt & pepper. Mix it with your hands until everything has been incorporated.

In a saute pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat.

Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and in the palm of your left hand, roll it into a ball. Drop it into the almond/coconut mixture and roll the chicken ball around with the fingers on your left hand. Make sure it’s completely coated. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Place in the saute pan and cook on each side until nice and brown.

Curried Mustard Ingredients
1/3 c yellow mustard
1 T mayo
yellow curry powder, to taste
handful of cilantro, chopped
squeeze of honey
Mix together and serve as a dipping sauce with the nuggets.
From Health Bent - Paleo/Caveman Friendly Recipes

Grilled Dijon Chicken

We love the lean protein of skinless chicken breasts, but let's face it: we're always looking for new ways to make them taste great. Here's a tasty—yet simple!—way to prepare chicken breasts that works especially well on your summer BBQ grill.

• 2 fresh skinless chicken breasts

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs—parsley, thyme, etc.
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt (to taste)
• Ground black pepper (to taste)

Preheat grill or broiler. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Mix garlic, mustard, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in flat bowl or casserole dish, then coat chicken liberally with mixture on both sides. Grill or broil chicken for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, or until center is no longer pink. Makes 2 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 20 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories: 314, Protein 38g, Fiber 4g, Carbs 6g, Fat 15g, Sat Fat 2g