Category: Meat

Why Pasture Raised Chicken

Health Benefits of Chicken

  • Good source of protein
  • Cancer-protective nutrients – niacin. Niacin deficiency can lead to DNA damage, cognitive decline
  • High in selenium- thyroid function, immune function, lowers cancer risk
  • Good source of Vitamin B6 – lack of B6 leads to higher homocysteine levels (increasing risk of heart disease)

Why Pastured Chicken?

  • Fewer toxins
  • Fed without pesticides, antibiotics, and animal by-products
  • Better living conditions
  • Less susceptible to disease
  • Conventional chicken contains arsenic!
  • Conventional chicken subject to bleaching and water incubation
  • Pastured chickens eat a natural diet including grass, seeds, and insects, results in chicken with lower fat levels, more vitamin A, and increased omega-3 fatty acids. Conventional chickens are fed grains, animal by-products, and even arsenic
  • Conventional chicken creates drug-resistant bacteria (meningitis, salmonella)

What about labels?

  • Conventional – Typically less than half a square foot of space per hen where they are not even able to spread their wings.
  • Cage Free –Hens are able to move around inside a hen house without being confined to cages. While this is a bit better, it is common for the tips of the beaks to be clipped or burned to prevent pecking at themselves and others (so many hens in a small space = distress)
  • Free Range – Can be deceiving because this is not a regulated term. All that is required is a door that gives “access” to an outdoor area but unfortunately, the hens never go outside.
  • Organic – This means the hens were fed organic feed (no pesticides) that contains no by-products.
  • Vegetarian – The hen is fed a vegetarian feed, often containing soy. While this sounds like it is good thing, chickens are actually omnivores, not vegetarians, and will naturally eat bugs, grubs, etc. This term is used to imply “healthier” but is not the case.

 

Go Local!

Chickens & Eggs: http://eastwestfarm.wordpress.com

Eggs: www.facebook.com/twobytwofarms

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Extra Sloppy Joes

This is a great alternative to something like the canned Sloppy Joe sauces.  This is super quick and tasty.  Always keep some grass fed ground beef in the freezer to throw together a recipe like this.

Serves 4-6

Advanced Plan

photo2 lbs grass fed ground beef
1 small organic green bell pepper
1 small onion
12 ounces (1 can) organic crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce (check ingredients!)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)

Brown ground beef.  Chop the peppers and onions very fine or do a wet chop in the VitaMix.  Drain the beef and add the veggies and cook until veggies are softened.  Add tomatoes and spices and cook until done.

Serve over lettuce leaves, with Grain Free Rolls, or in a sprouted grain wrap (Core Plan)

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

“Philly Cheesesteak” Stuffed Peppers

Advanced & Core Plan

Serves 4-6 people

photo1 pound grass fed ground beef
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons liquid aminos or tamari
4-6 organic green bell peppers, tops cut off and chopped (throw away stems), and ribs and seeds cleaned out
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1 container mushrooms, sliced
8-12 thin slices organic, raw cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the hollowed peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, just to soften a bit.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef with salt, pepper, chopped green pepper tops and onions.  When the beef is browned and the peppers and onions are soft, add the liquid aminos and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are slightly cooked.

Put a slice of cheese into the bottom of the peppers, fill with ground beef mixture, and top with another slice of cheese.  Cook in the 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

If you have leftover cheesesteak mixture, you can bake it in an oven safe dish with cheese over-top.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Taco Pie/ Dorito Bread

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I used to make way back in my college years that was delicious but totally unhealthy.  It used refrigerated biscuits as the crust and ground beef with packaged taco seasoning and cheese.  This updated, healthy version was inspired by my co-author’s mom, Lin Hardick who invented an amazing “Dorito” Bread.  I thought it would be great to turn that into the crust for this updated taco pie.  It turned out amazing.  I will warn that it is very spicy.  If you don’t like it quite so spicy, you can tone it down by using regular chili powder instead of the chipolte pepper powder.

“Dorito” Bread/Taco Pie Crust

Get the recipe here from Lin’s Blog:  http://goodfood-lin.blogspot.com/2011/02/dorito-bread.html

Instead of making it into bread, simply press it into a pie plate as evenly as possible and bake until slightly browned (about 10-15 minutes).  Set it aside and make the taco pie filling.

Filling

photo1 lb grass fed ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder or 1/4 grated yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1/2 cup filtered water
3 tablespoons salsa, optional

Brown ground beef then and add spice mixture, water and salsa if desired.  Cook for about 5 more minutes.  Pour into the prepared “Dorito” crust.   Top with shredded raw, organic cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Optional Toppings:
Salsa
Avocado
Organic Sour Cream
Black Olives
Cilantro
Shredded Lettuce

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Holstein-Style Schnitzel

My husband, upon traveling back from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Belarus for the wrestling world cup with the USA Men’s Team, described a very interesting dish that I tried to duplicate (successfully according to him).  He enjoyed the meal in Minsk, Belarus and he described it as a chicken cutlet with a fried egg on top.  After trying to figure out what it was and what could have been in it, what I finally identified it to be was a Holstein-style schnitzel.  I lived in Germany for a while and became a lover of schnitzel and I guess it is a beloved dish all over the world.  Of course the traditional schnitzel is made with unhealthy oils, and bread crumbs, I was able to update the dish to make it an advanced plan dish that was a hit with the whole family.    This one will definitely be making regular appearances on our dinner table! photo  • 4 organic chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin or 4-6 chicken cutlets (if you can find them already cut thin like that) Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup almond flour • 1 tablespoon paprika • 1 egg for dipping chicken • 4-6 eggs for topping chicken (one egg for every piece of chicken) • 1 lemon, zested and juiced, divided, plus wedges for serving • 4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, organic butter, or grapeseed oil • 4 anchovy fillets • 4 tablespoons capers, optional Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in oven to keep cooked cutlets warm. Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast longways but not all the way through, open the meat up like a book and set into a plastic food storage bag or 2 pieces waxed paper. Gently pound out each piece into very thin, large cutlets. Put cutlets on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Scramble one egg in a bowl and add almond flour, paprika, lemon zest, and sea salt and pepper to taste in another bowl. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large non-toxic skillet over medium to medium-high heat along with the anchovies – they will melt down into the olive oil and infuse the flavor into the chicken. Dip the chicken in the egg and then the almond four mixture and add 2-3 of the breasts (not crowding the pan) and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side.  Transfer to oven, add a bit more oil, if necessary, and repeat with the remaining breasts. Keep the cooked cutlets hot in the warm oven. Squeeze lemon juice generously over each piece. While cutlets are in oven heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 4 eggs, break the yolks for “over hard” eggs and fry to desired doneness, season with salt and pepper.  Repeat with any remaining eggs – you will want one per breast. As the eggs are done, place one on each piece of chicken and keep warm until all eggs are done.  Sprinkle with more paprika. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter (serve over romaine lettuce if desired) and top with capers, optional.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

Traditional Chicken Parmesan is breaded and fried which makes it an unhealthy dinner choice and Italian restaurants are very tricky to navigate if you are trying to eat healthy.  This recipe saves the day for people who love Italian food.  It is not only health-i-fied but it is so easy it just isn’t fair.  This is sure to be a family favorite!

Serves 4-6

Core & Advanced Plan

2-4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breast halves (if they are very thick, you can pound them with a meat mallet to make them thinner)
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 t Italian Seasoning
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1 T olive oil
1 beaten organic egg
sliced or shredded organic mozzarella cheese
Jarred marinara sauce (check ingredients for NO sugar)

Spread the olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot. Whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl and mix the almond meal with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish.  Set up your dishes in assembly line form.  Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the almond meal mixture, coating both sides with eggs, almond meal and seasonings.

 

 

 

 

 

Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot and layer mozzarella cheese on top and cover with entire jar of marinara sauce.  Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Roberto1 Comment