Cooked, shredded chicken

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}

August 15, 2018

Any excuse to make food that is Mexican-inspired, I am down for! I recently purchased a huge bag of fresh hatch green chiles and have been finding different ways to use them beside your typical enchiladas, casseroles, or sauces.

                 

If you don’t have access to fresh hatch green chiles, you could use the canned variety in this recipe. It won’t have as fresh of a taste, but it will still be delicious, nonetheless!

Try this Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad on a sandwich, with some crackers, on it’s own, or in a wrap like I usually do!

Feel free to use more or less jalapenos in the recipe to adjust to your heat level. We like things on the spicy side, so I tend to go heavier on the jalaps.

In this recipe, I use Primal Kitchen’s Egg-free Mayo, due to my husband’s new egg intolerance. I was super surprised to find that it tastes so much like regular mayo! If you have an egg sensitivity, definitely check this variety of their mayo out!

Balanced Health

          

Balanced Health

 

Print Recipe
Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Rough chop green chiles and blend in a food processor until minced or almost smooth.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine green chiles, mayo, and seasonings.
  3. Add in the onions, jalapenos, and shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
  4. Serve immediately on a sandwich or in a wrap or refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

*Sub 1/4 cup of canned green chiles

Southwest Chopped Salad

March 14, 2018

There is just something so addicting about that spicy, smokey, char-boiled taste of the Southwest. You get all of that in this big bowl of veggies, plus some protein from chicken and bacon, if you decide to add those in, like I do! It all comes together perfectly with the addition of my Southwest Ranch Dressing! I swear, I could put that stuff on anything and it’d be even more delicious. It. Is. So. Good. It has a perfect balance of smoke and spice with a little tang from lime juice. It’s definitely something to keep on hand in your fridge!

Because of the charred vegetables in this salad, it takes a couple extra minutes to make, but, I PROMISE, it’s so worth it! Just look at those edges! NOTE: This recipe is not entirely PALEO. Corn is a grain, and therefore, is NOT technically paleo. It’s not necessary, but it’s a nice addition. Feel free to omit that ingredient, if you want to!


Print Recipe
Southwest Chopped Salad
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5-8 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5-8 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. With the High BROIL setting on, lay jalapeños, sweet pepper slices, and red onions on a lined baking sheet. Broil for 4 minutes.
  2. Rotate the pan and broil for another 3-4 minutes or until desired char is reached.
  3. While the veggies are under the broiler, cook the corn! In a large nonstick pan over medium high, saute corn and oil until the edges are charred. This should take about 5-8 minutes. FYI: You might have some fly away kernels!
  4. Allow all of the vegetables to cool before adding to your salad.
  5. While they cool, chop your greens and cilantro into smaller bite sized pieces and add to a large bowl.
  6. To the chopped greens and cilantro, add your chicken, bacon, corn, charred vegetables, green onions, and 1/2-3/4 of the dressing.
  7. Toss the salad until everything is completely coated. If you like extra dressing, add more! Personally, I use almost all of (1) recipe of the Southwest Ranch Dressing.
  8. Top with crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch!
Recipe Notes

*Southwest Ranch Dressing

** You usually can find these mini sweet peppers in a plastic bag in the produce section - you could sub red, yellow, or orange bell peppers.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free)

February 6, 2018
Cuisine
Course

I honestly have SO MANY COMFORT FOODS! Chicken Enchiladas are one of those foods! However, this dish used to be filled with a bunch of stuff that irritated my husband’s stomach, and just wasn’t good for anyone to eat a bunch of! Therefore, I knew I HAD to convert it to Paleo…for my poor husband’s sake – it’s one of his favorite meals. I really didn’t want to live without these enchiladas either. I love the creamy filling when it mixes with the green chile sauce. You could definitely sub a red enchilada sauce in this dish too! I just prefer the lighter flavor of the green sauce with these enchiladas. I typically prefer red sauces with beef. That’s just me! You do you. 🙂

You might want to double this recipe too! They freeze wonderfully, if there is any left, that is! My husband has to practice serious self-control around these things – especially since they’re made with my Paleo Tortillas/Crepes! He actually prefers these to any other tortilla. They have a bit of an eggy flavor, compared to other tortillas, and they hold up so well, in comparison! I don’t know about you, but some brands of tortillas, just completely fall apart and tear whenever you try to roll them up! NOT COOL. These tortillas do NOT do that – I PROMISE!

Print Recipe
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free)
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
medium enchiladas
Ingredients
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
medium enchiladas
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Prepare 2 batches of tortillas according to recipe. See notes below.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except for the tortillas, enchilada sauce, and green onions/cilantro.
  4. To each tortilla, add 1/2 cup to the center and spread it out, vertically.
  5. Roll up each tortilla and place in a baking dish. You might have to use a couple baking dishes.
  6. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until all of the filling and tortillas are used up.
  7. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges of the tortillas start to brown and crisp up.
  9. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro before serving!
  10. If you can tolerate some dairy, feel free to sprinkle some raw, grass fed cheddar on top or top with a dollop of sour cream!
  11. ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

Paleo Tortilla/Crepes

  • for the tortillas, I make them in an 8 inch non stick pan for enchiladas. Each batch makes 5-7, depending on how thick you make them.

** You can substitute almond, cashew, or coconut milk instead. If using coconut milk, try to use the creamier part of it - unless you can find "culinary coconut milk" (that's similar to Nutpods!). If using almond or cashew milk, reduce amount to 1/3 cup.

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Cups

January 30, 2018
Course

Buffalo flavored foods go hand and hand with sporting events, parties, and appetizers, in general. I love it! It’s the main reason I’m always ok with Super Bowl parties! 😉 I’m really there for the food and commercials, anyways! These Buffalo Chicken Cups are a great addition to your menu for the big game!

Speaking of buffalo flavored things, I make a few casseroles that are buffalo-inspired too! The possibilities are endless with that hot sauce. Check out my Buffalo Chicken Casserole recipe! It’s low carb, super tasty, and easy to throw together on a weeknight! Who doesn’t love a casserole?

 

Print Recipe
Paleo Buffalo Chicken Cups
Course Appetizers
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
cups
Ingredients
For the crust:
For the buffalo chicken filling:
Course Appetizers
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
cups
Ingredients
For the crust:
For the buffalo chicken filling:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, combine all of the crust ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine shredded chicken and the remaining ingredients for the filling.
  4. In a greased cupcake pan, drop 2-3 tbsp of crust batter into each opening. Press the batter up around edges to create a little cup. It should make about 14 cups.
  5. Add 2-3 tbsp of the buffalo chicken filling to each cup.
  6. Bake cups for 18-20 minutes or until the center of the crusts are done. You can check this by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done!
  7. After they have baked for about 20 minutes, remove the cups from the cupcake pan and ENJOY! I like to serve these with homemade ranch!
  8. Optional step for extra crispiness: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer cups to a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until desired crispiness is reached!
Recipe Notes

I cook mine while I prep and cook the rest of the recipe. I use my Instant Pot! I set it for 25 minutes and two large chicken breasts are perfectly shreddable after that time. SUPER EASY!

4-Ingredient Chicken & Noodles (Dairy-free)

January 22, 2018
Course

Chicken & Noodles is a total comfort food for many people … especially my husband. It’s simple and so yummy! Canned condensed cream of chicken soup used to be a staple in my kitchen. It was always a go to for so many dishes. However, that isn’t the case anymore. I’ve made it a goal to find healthy alternatives to things that we loved to eat! Chicken & Noodles, complete with that overly-processed condensed soup was one of them! I swear that my husband could live off of that and Beef Stroganoff. Even after finding a creamy alternative, it’s been a struggle finding a pasta that wasn’t packed with carbs yet still paleo. There’s a few delicious ones out there, but we keep those to a minimum. I recently stumbled upon a green bean pasta that has only 2 INGREDIENTS – green beans and water! This pasta is so good and packed with protein! It’s now on our dinner menu at least once a week!



I love simple, one-pot dishes! Who DOESN’T love simple tasty meals?! This dish tastes like it’s been cooking forever because of my favorite chicken bouillon paste…and, I promise, you won’t miss the dairy! This paste is liquid gold and goes into so many of my dishes! It’s organic and SO DANG TASTY! Make it a point to grab some the next time you’re at the grocery store!


 My Chicken & Noodles meal comes together so quick when you have a leftover rotisserie chicken! However, you are more than welcome to cook a couple chicken breasts or a few thighs, just for this dish! Alright, let’s get to this easy recipe!

Print Recipe
4-Ingredient Chicken & Noodles (Dairy-free)
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil and add pasta. Cook until desired doneness. The pasta that I used cooks in about 4 minutes - it's awesome!
  2. Drain and add the pasta back to your pot.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes* over medium heat or until everything is heated through. Taste and add more salt if you'd like! The bouillon paste is usually plenty salty though!
  4. For extra creaminess, add a few tbsp of ghee or grass fed butter - that ALWAYS makes things even better, in my opinion! You can try mixing in some italian herbs or poultry seasonings too. Just be sure to add those in when you add the other ingredients!
  5. You can bulk up this meal buy adding some peas, carrots, or broccoli too! I love to steam a bag of broccoli in the microwave while I'm boiling the pasta and dump it in when I add my chicken. Super easy! It's super versatile and delicious so many different ways!
Recipe Notes

*Be advised, the longer you let this simmer, the more your noodles will cook. Therefore, if you let it simmer for a while on low after it's heated through, you may end up with more broken bits of noodles and a stickier consistency - still delicious. I honestly prefer things this way! haha - A mooshy mess! 🙂


BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Dairy free)

January 19, 2018
Course

This isn’t some extravagant and fancy recipe, but MAN, IS IT EVER TASTY! I’m a huge BBQ and ranch lover, and particularly love when the two are combined! I love different takes on chicken salads and this recipe does NOT disappoint! It’s so versatile and only gets better with time in the refrigerate. The flavors just get more and more happy as the day goes on. It’s definitely something to keep on hand to snack on during the week!



Print Recipe
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Dairy free)
Course Dinner, Lunch
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Course Dinner, Lunch
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
cups
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Ready for this....Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Done! You can definitely make this ahead of time too! It will only get better as you allow the flavors to combine and get happy! 🙂
  2. Feel free to add more or less BBQ sauce depending on your personal preference. The same goes for the celery salt! I'm obsessed with it...so I tend to add more.
  3. You can eat these like a wrap, treat it like a dip and serve it with chips or tostones, or just eat it with a big spoon! It's good any way you have it!
Recipe Notes

*This salad uses my Ranch Seasoning Mix.