Coconut Curry Chicken

What you need:
1 lb chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
2/3 large carton chicken broth
1 pinch cayenne powder
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

What to do:
Add olive oil to a large pot over med low heat.
Mix in the onion, garlic, and ginger.
Cook for 20 min.
Add in the tomato paste, cinnamon, chicken broth, cayenne, curry, salt and pepper, and coconut milk.
Stir well and cook another 20 min on med low.
Add in the chicken, tomatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro.
Let simmer for 1 hour.
Taste periodically and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken

What you need:
10 skinless chicken drumsticks
1 onion diced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
6 cloves fresh garlic minced
zest of one lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
pinch of anise seeds
pinch of ground fennel seeds
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
3 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Place the diced onion on the bottom of a crock pot and spread evenly.  Lay chicken over the onion.  Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.  When chicken is done the meat should pull right off the bone.

Healthy Chicken Salad

What you need:
1 rotisserie chicken, pulled
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup baby carrots, diced
1/2 cup purple seedless grapes, diced
1 handful sliced almonds
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Simple Healthy Spaghetti

Sometimes you just need some spaghetti.  To me this is every bit as good as the real thing, and you don't feel glued to the couch afterward.

What you need:
Two large spaghetti squash
1 lb lean ground turkey
One jar Amys premium organic pasta sauce (found at whole foods)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 bell pepper coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped baby portabello mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Poke six holes in each squash with a knife, and put them in a large microwave safe casserole dish.
Nuke for twelve minutes.  Let squash rest for five minutes, then cut in half lengthwise.  Remove the seeds with a spoon, then take a fork and scrape the meat of the squash out.  The squash should come out in strands, much like spaghetti.  One squash will make enough for two people.  I use two so that I can have leftovers the next day.
While squash is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over med high and add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook for three or four minutes, then add the turkey and cook until turkey is browned.  Add the pasta sauce and the mushrooms, and cook over med for five minutes.

Serve sauce over the spaghetti squash.

Better Beef Jerky

 It's always good to have some easy protein around to get you through the day.  Making your own beef jerky is more cost effective, and you can control what you want in it.  This batch is way lower in salt than anything you will get off the shelf, but has a great flavor.

What you need:
3 lb of lean beef (I used 2 london broils), cut into 1/4 inch thick strips, across the grain
     Or have your butcher cut it (normally they are happy to do it and it saves a ton of time)

1 bottle coconut aminos
1 heaping tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper
1/3 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste

What to do:
Mix the coconut aminos and all of the spices in a mixing bowl.  Taste it and adjust spices if needed.
Place the sliced meat in a 1 gallon ziplock bag and fill with the mixture. Squeeze any excess air out of the bag and close it, then squeeze the bag a few times to make sure all the meat is covered.  Put it in the fridge overnight.  When marinating is done, place the meat on a drip rack and put that on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  This amount of meat will require two racks.  You want to allow just a sliver of room between each piece of meat for air flow.  Put the meat into a 200 degree oven for 6 hours or so.  You will know it is done when the meat cracks but does not break when bent.  
When it's done I put it in a ziplock and put it in the fridge.  It should last for a couple months, but you'll never know because it'll be gone by then. 

Salmon with Steamed Brocolli

What you need:
2 salmon filets (skin on)
2 cups brocolli, washed and cut into florets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lemon

What to do:
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat
Place salmon filets face down (skin up) for five or six minutes until they get some color,
Flip filets and turn down heat to med, let cook for another six minutes or until meat is flaky but moist.  Garnish with lemon slices.
Steam brocolli in microwave for three minutes while fish cooks.
(Sometimes I will turn on the oven if the meat looks like it is going to burn before it cooks all the way. I'll throw the skillet in the oven for about ten minutes, usually turns out perfect.)