Category: Meat

Crockpot Grass-fed Steak Fajitas

Fajitas are a crowd-pleaser because everyone can customize their own.  This is a great on-the-go recipe because it literally takes just minutes to prepare (and minutes to devour as well).  Cooking grass fed beef this way is ideal because it makes the meat nice and tender.  You will be hard pressed to find grass-fed fajitas at any restaurant!

1 ½ lbs grass fed flank steak (look for a local farm or order from US Wellness Meats
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tamari or liquid aminos
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4  bell peppers (red, green, or yellow)
1 large onion

Serve with any of the following: sprouted grain tortillas (core plan only),  grated raw cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro, lime slices, salsa, organic sour cream, black beans, etc.

Mix together the dry spices including the chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.  Rub the spice mixture all over the flank steak and place it in the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle the tamari or liquid aminos on top.

Top the flank steak with the diced jalapeno and minced garlic. Slice the bell peppers and onion and put them in on top.
Turn the slow cooker onto HIGH and cook for 5 – 6 hours (meat should be very tender).  Take the meat out and either slice with a very sharp knife or shred the meat using two forks.  Transfer to a serving dish.

Use a slotted spoon to get the peppers/onions out and place on the serving dish with the meat.  Add the topping you want and voila…restaurant style fajitas at home!

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves:  4

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups spinach, washed and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
6 slices cheese (preferably raw cheddar, havarti, feta, ricotta)
4 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
sea salt
black pepper

Butterfly chicken breasts, lay them flat and using a sharp knife, slice the breast in half longways, opening it up like a book.  Be sure not to cut through to the other side.  You want it to be one large, thinner piece of meat.  Salt and pepper both sides and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Boil a some filtered water in a saucepan and add sun-dried tomatoes, boiling for about 5 minutes.  Drain and when cool enough, chop fine.

Heat olive oil and garlic on low heat.  When warm, add spinach and stir until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat.

Lay chicken on a cutting board and spread 1/4 of the spinach/tomato mixture on the chicken and top with a slice of cheese.  Roll up as tight as possible and secure with a toothpick if necessary.  Place in a greased baking dish.  Do the same with the remaining 3 breasts.

Cook about 18-20 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees.  Serve as is or use a very sharp knife to slice into rounds.

Serving Suggestion:

Asparagus & a fried egg (over easy or over hard)

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Healthy Chicken Fingers your Kids will LOVE

Kids love chicken nuggets and chicken tenders but the kind you buy frozen or get at a restaurant are unhealthy and even dangerous.  There are some brands on the market that are better than others and may be made with organic chicken but they are still typically breaded with wheat breadcrumbs.  Many of the “healthy”, grain free/gluten free recipes result in a less than exciting taste, breading that just won’t stay on, and doesn’t get the crispy, crunchy texture kids love.  You can also feel great about this grainless, gluten-free, highly nutritious chicken recipe.

I have experimented with a lot of recipes and finally found one that passes the test.  I tried multiple ingredients and convoluted recipes and ended up with one that is just 3 ingredients (5 if you count salt and pepper) and is fabulous.

1 lb organic chicken tenders or chicken breasts pounded thin
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (recipe in Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book, organic plain greek yogurt (preferred)  or Grapeseed oil Vegenaise.  (This brand is readily available and has a purple top.  There are other versions that use canola oil which we do not recommend)
1 cup almond flour
sea salt and black pepper to taste

UPDATE:  I recommend using the plain yogurt or homemade mayonnaise because Vegenaise contains some soy – based ingredients.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge in Vegenaise and then in almond flour.  Place in a glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 – 40 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS:

•Make a lemon butter sauce for a “piccata” style dish

•Make the chicken into chicken parmesan by adding organic spaghetti sauce and mozzerella

Kimberly Roberto2 Comments

“Pigs” in a “Blanket”

I had to put pigs and blanket in parentheses because it is not the typical “pig” (our nutrition plans exclude pork) and uses beef or chicken instead.  The “blankets” which are usually packaged crescent rolls loaded with refined flours bad fats and lots of additives/preservatives are replaced with a fiber-rich, flourless dough.

This recipe comes from Maria Emmerich who is a nutrition/recipe enthusiast like me.

“Blanket”
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder (found in health food stores)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup grass fed organic butter
1 cup boiling water

“Pigs”
Organic chicken breakfast sausage or grass fed beef hot dogs (cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch sections)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine coconut flour, phsyllium husk powder and salt.  Start boiling water and melt butter.  Add melted butter to flour mix and stir continuously.  Pour in boiling water while stirring dough.  Once dough forms move quickly and pinch 1 tablespoon sized pieces of dough, using your fingers, flatten the dough and form it around the meat.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes until dough is puffy and golden.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Garlicky, Lemony Baked Chicken

This is an extremely simple recipe that is absolutely delicious!  It takes a little extra work in de-boning the chicken breasts but many stores will do it for you.  This cuts down on the risk of knife injuries!  Leaving the skin on makes for a super presentation and nice crispy layer.  It is so simple yet perfect to impress your family or dinner guests.

1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped fine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless organic, free-range chicken breasts, skin on (preferably de-boned)
1 lemon. cut into wedges

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat, (do not let the olive oil smoke or the garlic brown)  Off the heat, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon sea salt and pour into a glass or ceramic baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up on top of the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them sea salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and place them around the chicken breasts.  Be sure to put the chicken on top of the sauce and do not pour the sauce over the chicken – this gets the nice browning at the end.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is done and the skin is nice and browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes, covered and serve hot with the sauce from the pan.

 

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Boiled Chicken with Bok Choy and Ginger Broth

Advanced Plan

Serves 4-6 depending on serving size.

Cooking a whole chicken gives soups/stews incredible flavor and added nutrition.  This is a simple dish that is packed with nutrition and incredible, pleasant flavor.

1 whole organic whole chicken
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 small dried Thai chili pepper (also called a red bird’s eye chili)  If you buy fresh- stem it, seed it, and split it in half lengthwise
1 stalk lemongrass, outer layer removed, and pounded with a meat mallet
1 4inch piece peeled ginger root, cut into slices
4 kaffir lime leaves, optional
filtered water
6 heads baby bok choy rinsed and cut in half lengthwise or 1/2 bunch regular bok choy

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Season it inside and out with salt and pepper to taste and place in a large dutch oven or stock pot along with the chili pepper, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and ginger.  Cover the chicken with filtered water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook on medium-low for about an hour. As it simmers, skim off any foam or fat on the surface.

Check chicken for doneness (it should be falling off the bone) and turn off the heat.  Let sit for 30 minutes then transfer the chicken to a large strainer.  Discard the solids.

When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove all of the meat from the bones trying to keep the pieces in large chunks.  Add back in with the broth and re-heat at medium-high heat until it begins to boil.  Add in the bok choy and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Add more sea salt and pepper if desired.  Serve.

NOTE:  Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves sometimes require a trip to an Asian market or specialty store.  Buy extra and freeze!  They are great for adding to curries and soups.

CORE PLAN OPTION:  Serve over cooked brown rice

IN A HURRY OPTION:  Use 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Poach with the water and other ingredients for about 10-15 minutes.  Turn off heat, cover and let cook the rest of the way.  When chicken is cooked through, shred it into 1-2 inch pieces.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment