Charred Chicken & Hannah Sweet Potatoes w/ Avocado Salad

Gung hay fat choy! 

Chinese New Year is today. Why not ring in the Year of the Rooster with some good-luck oranges and auspicious chicken thighs?

Chef Nate Appleman's low-fat recipe for charred chicken and sweet potatoes appeared in Bon Appetit this month, and is adapted here for paleo.

His diet philosophy is to eat in moderation, not deprivation ~ a good New Year’s resolution to aspire to.

My Paleo Marin: 3.5 Persimmons*

Note: Chicken marinates for 1-12 hours ahead of cooking.

Ingredients for Salad Topping:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium avocado, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped Castelvetrano olives (no pits)
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Main Dish:

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
Kosher salt 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-4 garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press

2 Hannah sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with fork

2 large sprigs rosemary

2 blood oranges or 2 Cara Cara oranges, one thinly sliced and one cut in wedges.

Directions for Salad Topping:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve with the chicken.

Directions for Main Dish:

1. Put chicken pieces in medium bowl and add sprinkling of salt. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic cloves. Mix well. Cover and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, or until cooked through. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the thighs skin side down and leave for 5-6 minutes. Skin should char but not smell burned. Transfer to baking pan skin side down and bake until cook through, about 18-22 minutes. 

4. About 1 minute before removing chicken from oven, add the rosemary sprigs to the baking pan. Remove baking pan from oven.

5. Reheat frying pan and add the orange slices. Gently fry each slice about 30 seconds per side; turn with tongs.

6. Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter. Tear or cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and place around the chicken. Put the oranges on the platter, add the salad topping, and garnish with 1" cut rosemary sprigs. Squeeze orange slices on individual servings if desired.

Serves 2-4.

Recipe adapted from Chef Appleman's recipe here.

#paleo #chicken #sweetpotatoes #lowfat #goodfat #healthyeats #maindish #glutenfree #dairyfree #yearoftherooster #chinesenewyear #gunghayfatchoy

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.

Southern Comfort Salt Pork and Collard Greens

In need of some comfort food this week, I looked back to the southern cooking of the maternal side of my family.

The recipe passed on to me called for 1/2 pound of bacon; I used salt pork which is more like what I remembered. At first, the greens were very salty, but it all seems to have settled down with time, especially when mixed with scrambled eggs or added  as a complement to another dish.

If you've been wanting to try slow-cooked collards (and can handle salt), this recipe should work for you.

My Paleo Marin Rating 4 Persimmons*

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh collard greens (about 2 pounds)

1/2 - 3/4 pounds salt port, chopped into 1/2" pieces; or 1/2 pound bacon cut into bite-sized pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped in large dice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken stock, preferably home made
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the collard greens until water is clear; tear into 2" pieces, discarding bottom stems. Set aside.

2. Fry the salt port pieces in a cast iron pot over medium heat until they are cooked through (about 5 -7 minutes). 

3. Add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook just until it turns slightly brown. 

4. Add the greens and cook them down until they soften (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken stock, water and pepper. Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat until the collards are tender, about 30 - 45 minutes. Stir frequently.

Serve as a side dish, or mix in with eggs, sweet potatoes, etc.

#paleo #collards #greens #saltpork #bacon #southerncooking #comfortfood #glutenfree #dairyfree

Recipe adapted from Rosanne's Sister-in Law Barbara's Collard Green Recipe.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.

Cinnamon Maple Apple Chips ~ Cooking with Kids

Fill your kitchen with the aroma of baked apple pie, and then enjoy these super healthy apple chips.

This is an easy recipe for kids to help make - and proudly share or pack up in their backpacks for later!



My Paleo Marin Rating: 4 Persimmons*

Ingredients and Instructions:

Safari Snack Bags 
available here

Follow the easy recipe here from the Simple Bites website.  
Note: I doubled the glaze recipe for 3 large apples.

#paleo #snacks #apples #cinnamon #driedfruit #chips #glutenfree #dairyfree #vegan #maple #syrup  #Vermont #healthyeats #lowsugar #AIP #kids #safari

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.

Pomelo & Pomegranate Citrus Salad

Take 1 pomelo, 1 pink grapefruit, and 2 oranges. Trim top, bottom and sides. Slice segments from membranes.

Place slices and juice in bowls. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve.

You're welcome.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons*

Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Chef here.

#paleo #fruit #salad #citrus #pomegranate #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #healthyeats #pomelo #vegan

The pomelo is native to South Asia
and is a cross between
an orange and a grapefruit.
Image from Sky HD Wallpaper website

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.