Recipes

Green Enchilada Chicken Chili {Paleo, Whole30, & Keto options}

January 24, 2020

I love me some chili! My husband can’t stand beans so we usually leave them out. That’s the great thing about chili – it’s SO VERSATILE! You literally can put any veggies in it, throw in a protein, some seasonings, some sauce, and let it get happy!

This chili is no different. It’s very reminiscent of a corn chowder, but with a smokey mexican flare that is delicious.

Feel free to go crazy with toppings. Throw on some fresh tomatoes if you’re missing them from this dish, some sliced avocado, diced onions or scallions, cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt, crunchy chips, french fried onions, you name it.

I’m so glad I made a large batch of this…leftovers of chili just get better with time.

As the recipe name states, you can switch this recipe up to fit almost any dietary need or lifestyle. If you’re paleo, leave out the corn and dairy and sub in some dairy free cheese or sour cream and switch the corn for some chopped butternut squash or cauliflower florets or rice (or leave it out all together!)

If you’re keto, replace the corn and potatoes with squash, zucchini, or cauliflower. Also, pay attention to the sugar count in some enchilada sauces. You could also sub it out for some salsa verde that is low in carbs.

If you’re doing a round of whole30, leave out the dairy and replace with coconut cream or even some unsweetened almond/cashew milk will do the trick. For the corn, replace it with one of the previous listed veggies and if you can’t find compliant green enchilada sauce sub in some compliant salsa verde!

Really, if you have the base and seasonings right, you’re still gonna get that comforting chili flavor that we know and love!

Print Recipe
 Green Enchilada Chicken Chili {Paleo, Whole30, & Keto options}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet or soup pot over medium heat, saute the diced onions, celery, and potatoes for 5-6 minutes until the onions and celery have started to soften.
  2. Add the chicken pieces and saute for 3-4 minutes until they've just started to cook on the outside.
  3. To the pot, add the remaining ingredients and seasonings.
  4. Bring the pot to a simmer then cover and reduce the heat to medium low.
  5. Cook for 25-35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chicken and potatoes (or whatever veggies you are using) are cooked through. As it cooks, it will thicken and if you are using potatoes, those may thicken the chili even more as you cook it. Feel free to add a little broth, water, or more milk.
  6. Top with desired toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, crushed chips, scallions, or some crushed red pepper or diced jalapenos for some heat!
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Fried Green Tomatoes {Grain & Gluten Free}

July 12, 2018

If you are reading this title and don’t have a clue as to what these are… pay attention and make these!

Green tomatoes are simply unripened tomatoes. They’re much firmer and not as juicy as the red ones, which make them perfect for frying. Any variety will work for this recipe, I had Early Girl on hand, thanks to my mom’s garden this year.

Personally, I’m not even the biggest fan of fresh tomatoes, but the green ones, when battered and fried, I am DEFINITELY a fan! The taste of these Fried Green Tomatoes are fresh and slightly acidic… and the crunch on the outside is so, so good!

With a father, being born and raised in North Carolina, and a mother being able to cook just about anything, regardless of where she was from, these were a staple for dinnertime during the summer months. However, they never made it to the actual dinner table. My poor mom couldn’t fry them fast enough, as we all stood around the stove and ate them as soon as they finished frying…only allowing a few seconds to let them cool. Those seconds seemed like forever!

Do yourself a favor, and go pick some of those green tomatoes off your plants and fry them up!

Sometimes, I add a bit of parmesan cheese to the breading, but it’s not necessary. If you tolerate dairy, it adds a bit more flavor and crunch, but you can definitely do without it and they still turn out delicious!

Next time you’re looking for a new side dish for those summer dinners, make a batch (or 3!) of these Fried Green Tomatoes, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll also be addicted. Whip up a batch of Southwest Ranch Dressing to dip them in for even more flavor – it’s a personal favorite of mine!


Print Recipe


Fried Green Tomatoes {Grain & Gluten Free}

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings


Ingredients

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. Slice tomatoes thin - 1/8" inch or less, depending on preference. The thinner they are, the quicker they will cook.

  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg.

  3. In a large bowl or shallow plate, combine almond flour, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. If you're choosing to add the cheese, add the parmesan now, otherwise, simply omit it from the recipe.

  4. In a separate bowl or shallow plate, add the arrowroot flour.

  5. Add oil to a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Allow it to heat for 5 minutes or so.

  6. While the oil is heating up, dredge the tomato slices in the arrowroot, being sure to cover both sides and edges.

  7. After the arrowroot flour, dip the slices in the egg - coating both sides.

  8. After the egg, dip the slices in the almond flour mixture - being sure to evenly coat both sides and the edges.

  9. Place slices in the hot oil. You don't want to overcrowd the pan. I usually cook 7-8 slices at a time, depending on the size of pan. They should sizzle and start to fry immediately. If not, wait, and heat the oil further.

  10. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute and 45 seconds on the first side or until golden brown and crispy.

  11. Flip and cook for another 60-75 seconds or until the second side is golden brown, as well.

  12. Transfer slices to a cooking rack or plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil off.

  13. Repeat steps 6-12 until all of the slices are cooked.

  14. If you want to keep the slices warm (meaning there are not people around to eat them immediately out of the pan!), place them in a 250 degree oven on a baking sheet lined with a rack to keep them warm and crispy until served.

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Veggie Enchilada Soup

June 21, 2018
Cuisine

It’s the first day of summer and I’m in total soup mode over here! …what’s new though?

I’m always down for a bowl of soup and some avocado. I’m pretty sure I could live off of just that and be totally ok with it!

Besides a bunch of seasonings that you most likely have in your spice cabinet, this soup only has FOUR ingredients and only takes a little bit of chopping and stirring to bring it all together. It’s so easy and tastes oh-so-cozy.

All of the seasonings make it taste like it’s been simmering away all day long, but in reality, it’s done in less than 20 minutes on the stove.


Print Recipe
 Veggie Enchilada Soup
Cuisine keto, low carb, paleo, Whole30
Cook Time 18-20 minutes
Servings
small servings
Ingredients
Cuisine keto, low carb, paleo, Whole30
Cook Time 18-20 minutes
Servings
small servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a soup pot over medium heat, saute onions, squash, and salt in oil for 8-10 minutes until translucent.
  2. Add broth, tomato sauce, and remaining seasonings and bay leaves to the pot.
  3. Bring the soup to a simmer.
  4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Serve with your favorite toppings!
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Why Paleo?

November 4, 2017

For starters, what is paleo? You may have heard it called the caveman diet or stone age diet. Basically, you eat what the cavemen ate during the Paleolithic era, i.e. meat, veggies, roots, fruits, and nuts…and avoid grains, legumes, sugar, processed oils, salt, alcohol, coffee, and dairy products. In a nutshell, cut out the processed food and live off the land!

 

Food has changed drastically through the years and it’s causing some problems, to say the least! People, myself included, often ask why are things so different now? What is up with all of these intolerances? It used to make no sense to me! I grew up on a farm and most meals that we ate where made from scratch. (Thanks, mom and dad! I never knew how beneficial that all was!) I never had digestive issues or thought they were that common. However, in recent years, I’ve had so many friends develop intolerances or gut problems, including my husband. WHY?

 

Jill from Naturally Savvy does a great job explaining how our food has changed through the years. In a nutshell, factory farming wasn’t a thing way back when. The animals raised by our ancestors were not consuming growth hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified feed. They were raised outside and ate grass! I’ll spare the details of the awesome living conditions of most of the meat that this world eats today. However, I will say that the cheap ground beef you just bought at the grocery store is more unnatural than you can imagine and filled with chemicals…that you’re now about to consume. Look it up. Learn about how the kind of dairy you eat affects your skin, how it causes acne and those awesome gross stomach feels. It’ll blow your mind. WHO KNEW?! Fear not though, not all dairy is bad for you either. Remember, your grandparents ate it and they were just fine! What could have changed? THE PROCESSING. If you grab some of the un-tampered stuff, you’ll find that it is actually nourishing and good for you! Organic, grass-fed is the way to go! It may cost you a couple extra bucks, but your body will thank you down the road! Your health is an investment, NOT AN EXPENSE!

 

I’m a firm believer in being able to read and pronounce the ingredients in the food you eat. If you can’t confidently say it out loud and explain what it is, do you think its safe to eat? I surely do NOT. We need to go back to caring about what we put into our bodies. I know life is crazy, and cooking at home is not convenient, but…like the saying goes, “FAILING TO PREPARE, IS PREPARING TO FAIL.” Meal prep sucks and chopping tons of veggies at one time gets old, but let me tell ya, it makes cooking dinner on a busy night, SO SIMPLE when you have everything ready to throw in a pan. There’s no guilt and your stomach isn’t yelling at you for what you just did to it. It’s actually thanking you!

 

It has never been easier to find healthy options, than it is today! You just have to look and maybe pay a little more. Shop smart, though…or put in the time and grow your own organic foods! Personally, you’re going to be spending money on yourself and your family anyways…it’s either going to be on good-for-you food that AIDS your well-being, or on medical bills trying to figure out what’s going on with your system and possibly never finding a solution!

 

All of this isn’t to say you can’t grab some food through a drive-thru window every now and then – I personally would rather go eat a big tub of ice cream than that…but to each his own. I’d also like to add – if you’ve been eating processed foods for the majority of your life (that probably includes some meals that you ate at home that were made with processed ingredients) it’s going to take some time to repair your gut. I’ll be adding another post of some of the supplements and “potions” I made my husband take while on his personal journey to a healthier gut. Combined with our paleo diet, these things really made a difference!

 

I hope you aren’t running away after I totally picked a part how you eat and cook. Cooking is fun and all, but sometimes…it just sucks and you DO NOT WANT TO DO IT. Also, those dang dishes…curse them! We are all real people. Health-nuts can be (usually are) annoying. Come on, those Whole Foods people are WEIRD. I used to think that. Haha! Now, walking through the health food aisles at my local grocery store or actually shopping at a Whole Foods (we don’t have one by us – SAD DAY!) is one of my favorite things to do! I’m still a down-home cooking type of girl. I have to be a lot more conscious of the ingredients that I cook with these days, but the meals don’t have to feel like health food!

 

My goal with everything that I make: I don’t want to be able to tell that I’m eating a healthy version of something…I just want to think, “Man, this hits the spot!”

 

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How this all started for me…

November 4, 2017

Hey All!

I’m Taylor. I do my best to keep it REAL, I find myself frequently going off on a tangent (sorry !), I love me some Jesus, and I absolutely love eating good food! I’ll save all of the other super interesting details about myself for another post! 🙂

My husband would say that I’m obsessed with the perfect bite. He is always giving me a hard time about how everything I eat has to be SO GOOD or else I’m upset. Honestly… that’s the truth! I want all food to be DELICIOUS, COMFORT FOOD! What’s so wrong with that?! I love butter. I love gravy. I love cheese. I love gravy. I love butter. Did I mention that I love gravy? Growing up in my family, we each had our own gravy boat at the dinner table. NO JOKE. Gravy and butter are serious business in my household…along with homemade, comfort food. I don’t think anyone should have to give up flavor to eat better. Nope, it’s just not happening.

Anywhooo…(I get a little sidetracked when I go on a butter or gravy rant!) over the past couple years, my husband developed stomach issues that we thought were simply dairy-related…that meant no more cheesy soups, creamy casseroles, or chocolate chip cookies – or so we thought. He wasn’t much of an ice cream fan, so giving that up didn’t bother him at all – what the heck, bro? ICE CREAM IS LIFE. So, after some tears were shed, we started a semi-strict Paleo diet (we could never fully give up cheese though, let’s be real, people!) in January of 2017. After 8 months, and tons of researching by his crazy wife, we learned he has more of a leaky-gut problem than a dairy intolerance. So, me, the nutty, “gotta-solve-every-single-problem” wife that I am, changed things on him again! He was such a good sport about it all too! I hope our future children eat whatever I put in front of them like my Jon does! He was one of the lucky ones that saw an improvement within a couple weeks of strict dieting! Since January, I have learned a ton, cheated a lot, and converted so many favorite dishes into healthier versions! We are now on a journey to healthy guts while following a diet that is closest to paleo with some QUALITY dairy involved. It’s been great! We feel great and do not miss a thing!

These days, everything is overly-processed. Even the trendy, “healthy” options are filled with substitutes that are just not good for you. It’s a tough task to consciously eat better. I get it. Convenience is AWESOME and healthy options are not always easy to come by, particularly ones that TASTE GOOD and, again, aren’t overly-processed. It’s all about being mindful and preparing. In my opinion, healthy options do not have to be lacking, by any means. Let me just tell ya, there is nothing wrong with some meatloaf, made with grass-fed beef and a side of mashed plantains (the green ones taste just like potatoes!) all covered in…you guessed it – GRAVVYYYY! It’s all about the ingredients! You want your body to know what to do with the things that you are putting into it! You just gotta put in the time to learn about your options.

I’m beginning this blog by saying that I am NOT a recipe writer. I do not follow recipes and I rarely (and when I say rarely, I mean NEVER) write down my recipes. I just like to put together some tasty food. Just like my mom, I love to go into my kitchen and make a casserole out of completely random ingredients and have it turn out to be some dang-good comfort food! After years of being asked for my recipes, paleo or not, I decided it was time to consciously try to jot some things down and share them with all of you!

My goal is to provide you with the crowd-pleasing, simple recipes that I’m cooking every week at home. I’m hoping that this blog inspires you to make smarter food choices and to confidently get in that kitchen and make some good-for-you comfort food! Your gut will thank you!

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