Chicken and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

 

I found the idea for filling lettuce wraps with quinoa on pinterest and thought it was a brilliant idea!  My husband is supposed to go grain free for three months and I've been trying to put together recipes and meal plans that include three criteria: processed free, grain free, and delicious!  These lettuce wraps absolutely qualify.  These are also very kid friendly which is a bonus.

 

3 large chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil or regular sesame oil

4 Tbsp. liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

 

2 heads of lettuce - Boston, bib or butter

3 cups cooked quinoa (here's how I make it in the rice cooker)

shredded carrots

shredded or sliced cucumber - I like English cucumber because they have less seeds

chopped cilantro

peanut sauce

 

Combine the olive oil, sesame oil, liquid aminos, garlic, and ginger in a gallon size zip top bag.  Add the chicken breast and seal it up.  Squish around the marinade ingredients so that the chicken is completely coated and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes or longer.  While you wait, cut the veggies, put them on a platter, and make the peanut sauce (here's my easy two ingredient recipe).  Cook the chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil.  Then move to a cutting board and let them rest for a couple minutes before cutting them.  You can cut them in strips or cubes - doesn't matter.  I consider this an assemble yourself dinner, but for the kids, they liked everything separate with no sauce.  Whatever suits your fancy!

 

 

 

Quinoa in the Rice Cooker

 

My life just got even easier the day I learned you could make quinoa in a rice cooker!  I know it's not that complicated on the stove top, but how much better is it to throw everything in and just walk away.  That's my favorite kind of cooking!  Plus, this is ready in about 15 minutes, so I can turn it on, prep the rest of the meal and in no time everything is ready to eat.  Here are the basics, but you can play around with the ratios to make this how you prefer.

 

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups liquid

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Do not skip the step of rinsing the quinoa or it will be kind of bitter.  Just pour it in a fine strainer and rinse in the sink - this will only take you about 30 seconds.  As far as the liquid goes, I use one cup water and one cup chicken stock, but you could use all water, all chicken or vegetable stock, etc.  Dump it all in the rice cooker, put on the lid, and press the button.  Done to perfection!

 

If you are trying to go grain free, this is a fantastic substitute for rice in just about any dish.  It's also good all by itself.  Get creative and add all kinds of chopped veggies, vinaigrettes, seeds, nuts, cheese crumbles, etc.  Plus, quinoa is high in protein - great for my whole family!

2 Ingredient Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is ridiculously easy - I mean, my two year old can make this!  Technically it's more than two ingredients, but you only need to add two things to the bowl.  I love that this is processed free, but not taste free and super healthy.  Anyone want peanut sauce last minute?  Coming right up!

Organic Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (just peanuts and salt)
Braggs Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing

Combine equal parts of both peanut butter and salad dressing.  Stir to combine - that's it! 

You can heat this up if you want it warm or serve it cold.  If you want some texture, you could use chunky peanut butter or add some chopped peanuts after you make it.  If you prefer more peanut taste, add more and visa versa for the ginger sesame dressing.  Serve this with whatever you like.  Here are a few ideas - lettuce wraps, chicken satay, pasta, stir fry, baste salmon etc.  Have fun trying this on whatever sounds good!

Honey Popcorn

A friend of mine shared her family recipe for a sweet popcorn treat.  She told me they have always made a melted butter and honey combination that they pour on popcorn for a special snack or treat.  I loved this idea because who doesn't like a salty-sweet combo?  Plus, this is a processed free snack/treat I don't mind giving my kids in the place of caramel or kettle corn.  My family goes nuts for this!  Thank you Jody for sharing!!!

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn
4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 stick)
3 heaping Tbsp. raw honey
1/4 tsp. salt

I use an air popper to make the popcorn, but you can pop it on the stove if you prefer.  While it's popping, I grab a very small pot and melt the butter.  This will only take about a minute.  Then stir in the honey and salt.  Pour this over the popped popcorn and toss to evenly distribute. 

I have also made this with coconut oil instead of the butter and this resembles much more of a sweet, less salty treat - more caramel corn like.  This is also really good if you swap the honey for pure maple syrup!

Cauliflower Leek Soup

 

I saw the idea of this soup on pinterest, but there were no exact measurements to recreate it.  I love discovering recipes that include more vegetables and can be processed free, so I played around with this until I figured out a soup I liked and could recreate.  This is super fast and easy, but you don't have to admit that if you don't want to!

3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
8 oz. bag of clean leeks chopped, or 2 leeks cleaned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
32 oz. package of chicken or vegetable broth (4 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper

In a pot, saute the leeks in the butter/coconut oil until soft.  Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and cover the pot.  Cook until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and blend in the pot with an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  This will need some salt, so don't forget it!

You can add some toppings if you want.  My suggestions would be a drizzle of olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, maybe a sprinkle of bacon or freshly chopped parsley.  This soup is good on it's own, but looks fancier with toppings. 

Chicken Saltimbocca

Do you ever want to serve something that seems really fancy, but doesn't take a lot of time or effort?  Well, this is the dish for you!  I absolutely LOVE chicken saltimbocca, but I always thought it was complicated and time consuming to make.  Then I saw Trisha Yearwood make a version on her cooking show and it was so simple that I couldn't resist trying it.  I only made a minor change or two to make it processed free and the result was fabulous!!!   This may be my new favorite dish - I'm serious!!!

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour (use sprouted whole grain or at least whole wheat)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
juice from 1/2 a lemon
4 thin chicken cutlets - or two chicken breasts filleted to make 4 thin pieces
4 thin slices of prosciutto
ricotta cheese - rough 1/2 cup
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
salt and pepper

Start with the sauce first.  In a small pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux.  After this has cooked for about a minute, add the broth and lemon juice and whisk until it starts to become thick.  Then turn off the heat and set aside.  You may need to add a sprinkle of salt.

Season both sides of the chicken and lay the pieces out flat.  Top each with a piece of prosciutto and a couple spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.  I didn't measure the ricotta, but you could.  Next, sprinkle on the spinach and roll them up.  Secure with a toothpick.  Don't worry about overstuffing or having some of the filling come out in the pan.  It will all taste and look great in the end!

Place them in a separate skillet (one that also has a lid) and sear each side in some coconut oil.  This will only take a couple minutes per side.  Then take the sauce you had set aside and pour it over the top of each roll.  Let it come to a bubble, then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with the lid for 10 minutes. 

 

Now it's ready to serve!  This comes together in less than 30 minutes and seems so fancy-shmancy!!  I love that this is so easy and a good one to keep in mind for company.  This serves 4, but could easily be doubled or tripled.  Remember that there are toothpicks on the outside, so you could either remove them before serving or warn people to watch out for them.  Give this a try, I think you'll love it!

Steak Fingers

 

If you like steak - you have to try these!  This was a gold-star, family favorite growing up (when can you please seven kids?!) and still is for my family too.  Steak fingers are another one of my mom's recipes that I decided to see if I could make processed free.  These are breaded, pan-fried pieces of meat that are SO delicious and make you feel comforted deep down.  But with breading and oil come a lot of problems.  Here's another example of how a few swaps can save the day! 

 

 

1 cut of top round/round/top sirloin/sirloin steak  (my favorite is sirloin - it's the most tender)

2 eggs + 1 Tbsp. water

1 cup flour of your choice (I'll explain below - just not refined white flour!)

coconut oil

salt and pepper

 

Cut the steak into roughly 3/4 inch strips - does not have to be exact!  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  In a large frying pan, melt enough coconut oil over medium heat that it fills the pan about 1/4 inch high. 

 

 

Now you'll want to create a little assembly line on the way to the pan.  Beat the two eggs and water together in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  In a separate dish, add the flour of your choosing and also season it with salt and pepper.  Here is the beauty of this recipe - I don't cook with refined white flour anymore.  I have tried every other flour in my pantry with this recipe and they have all tasted great!  I have made these with whole wheat, spelt, coconut, and almond flours and they were all good.  So decide what flour fits your needs when it comes to the type you want to use.  

Dip the steak into the egg wash, then dredge it in the flour.  Shake off the excess flour otherwise it will build up and burn in the pan. Season it again with salt and pepper after you place it in the pan.  It will take only a couple minutes on the one side, then flip and lightly season the other side too.  These cook up really fast.  You'll know when they are done because the coating will turn golden brown.  (Note: I like to use two sets of tongs - one for dipping in the egg and flour, and one for cooking in the pan.  This will save your fingers from becoming a complete mess!)

Drain these on a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels.  Because you are cooking these in batches, I like to loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the plate to keep them warm.  I find that I have enough to fill the plate then add a second layer of paper towels and continue the process. 

 

When you have cooked them all, they are ready to eat.  My family is split on how to eat them.  Some like them just how they are and some like to lightly dip them in steak sauce, which is not completely clean, but delicious.  You can make a homemade, cleaned-up version of steak sauce, it just takes a little more time, but I think it's worth it if you prefer these with sauce.  If you like them plain, you're good to go!  This will serve about 4 adults.