Mexican Pumpkin and Turkey Sausage and Shredded Chicken Stew [Low Carb][Paleo]

Cindalou's is hitting the road (hoping it isn't still iced over on our killer mountain driveway!) with a spicy low carb stew to warm even the coldest of frozen toes and fingers. It's Mexican theme at girls' night this weekend and I wanted to bring something with a little variety. For a small handful of ladies, there are enough Mexican dishes already there to feed a small Army... or a large one. All the classic Mex entrees and sides are already taken- beans, guacamole, taco salad, chalupas, quesadillas, flan, dips, and chips galore! I thought something a little different would be nice. Well, that and the fact that the hubby just bought a case of organic canned plain pumpkin from an Amazon deal last month! That's a whole lotta pumpkin for two. My stew is a variation on a common Tex-Mex pumpkin chowder, but I omit the high glycemic corn and use low carb substitutes with much more nutrition.

As you recall, pumpkin is a great low carb winter "superfood," packed with Vitamin A, C, E, magnesium, iron, and a host of other minerals. One common mistake: be sure to use the plain pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix!

Cilantro is a fantastic herb for detoxing the body of heavy metals. It is also a great source of B vitamins, zinc, and selenium as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals. In general, dried herbs are nutritionally dense foods, though potency of certain nutrients can be lost in the drying process.

Tomatoes and salsa provide more Vitamins A and C (better than oranges, plus less sugar), and the organic coconut milk and virgin oil provide brain nourishing and metabolism boosting medium chain good fats (the MCTs). Don't fear the coconut fat, it is burned as fuel for and repairing the body, not stored like longer chain polyunsaturated fats (bad fats like soybean, corn, and peanut oils to name a few). Vitamins A, C, E and the B assortment help strengthen your immunity in these blistery wintery days. Don't reach for a pill or softgel for health either- your body knows how to assimilate and nurture itself with vitamins and minerals from real food. Those supplements have their place but shouldn't replace basic real food... hey, you can always start with a big dollop of my warm spiced up stew! :)

Note: The turkey sausage is optional for vegetarians or vegans. For a non-Paleo ("Caveman") version add black beans. I just had a pack of gluten free Andoullie turkey sausages on hand and I wanted to combine the ideas of a typical Mexican pumpkin soup with a Brunswick stew. (Brunswick stew is out for us kosher southerners who don't do pork).

2 15 oz cans organic pumpkin (not pie mix)
1 15 oz can organic coconut milk
3/4 c water (or low sodium free range organic chicken broth- adjust for your consistency preference)
1 15 oz can Rotel tomatoes, Mexican Style Lime and Cilantro OR 1 15 oz can organic fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
1 7 oz can green chilies, drained
1/2 c. hot salsa (Kroger brand is gluten free according to the last list

1 T. organic virgin coconut oil
1 package Andoullie turkey sausage (I used Garrett Farms brand gluten and antibiotic free sausages)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded before serving (see below)
lime juice, to taste (I usede about 1/4 c)
stevia glycerite,~ 1 T.
1 tsp organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses (great vegan source of iron and B vitamins), optional

spices:

cilantro, ~ 2 tsp
sea salt and pepper, dash each
cumin, ~ 2 tsp
cumin seed, pinch of whole seed braised with pestle and mortar
oregano, ~ 2 tsp
thyme, ~ 1 tsp
Badia curry powder (it is gluten free, I asked the company and posted the reply on Celiac Forums at the end of the thread), ~ 1 T.

garlic powder and onion powder, ~ 1 tsp each
turmeric, ~ 1 tsp
parsley, ~ 1 tsp
paprika and cayenne pepper, ~ 1 tsp each
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (for color)

optional: 1 Reynold's slow cooker liner (makes for easy clean up)*

Preparation:

Line your slow cooker with the liner if you choose to use it.* Add the coconut oil and turn to high to melt the oil and swash it around the bottom (you can also spray the cooker or liner). Add the chicken breasts to the bottom. Add the pumpkin, undrained Rotel or fire roasted tomatoes, and coconut milk. You may wish to thin the stew with either water or organic free range chicken broth. Stir to mix well, though leave the chicken on the bottom. Cook on high for 3 hours. Check the chicken breasts with a fork and shred them a bit into large shreds if you can (to preserve the texture). My breasts were still a bit raw so I did most of my shredding at the end.

Since the sausages are already precooked and I didn't want them to get mushy, I decided to wait to add them until after the chicken had cooked a bit. The sausages can be sliced into bite sized pieces now and added to the stew. Or if you prefer, the whole sausages can be fished out at the end and sliced, though that method is a bit messy. Add the rest of the ingredients: broth or water, the drained green chilies, spices, lime juice, and salsa. Stir well. Cook on low for another 3-4 hours or until chicken is fork tender and shreds easily. Adjust the lime juice and cayenne to suit your taste. You can always cook it all on high for a shorter time as long as the chicken is well cooked. Since I have the time I wanted to let the spices and flavors simmer on low for the last few hours and "marinate" rather than just throw it all in on high for shorter.

Alternative Method (The Quickie): Throw it all in and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is fork tender and shreds easily.

Shred the chicken (and slice sausages if not done previously) before serving. This goes great with some guacamole or avocado and a dollop of (nondairy) sour cream (I would use my homemade coconut milk or cultured (fermented) soymilk 'yogurt'). Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and dig in!

While this stew has a nice spice to it, feel free to experiment with spice amounts. I prefer things fiery myself :) Don't forget cayenne pepper and those healthy coconut MCTs help reduce inflammation and rev up that sluggish winter metabolism, while pumpkin and tomatoes give a low carb and low glycemic vitamin and mineral punch. Keeping up your immunity naturally and holistically with healing, warming foods and proper exercise helps balance the body. Now go run in place as hard as you can for 1 minute- burst train and stretch those lungs and achy legs! Whew, now I'm all warm and toasty!

Other add ins that would be nice are 1 c. chopped white onion and diced tri bell peppers like a frozen mix of veggies and chunks of celery and torn bits of kale. I didn't have any on hand at the time though, what a shame to miss kale!!

Note: This was not spicy enough for my taste, but a T. or so more cayenne would help.

*Note on the slow cooker liner: It does not give material but I can tell it is some form of plastic which has been apparently "approved" as food grade. I am skeptical about the liner (as well as the ceramic Crockpot) leaching into the food (acids and fats tend to degrade plastics and break them down into possibly toxic by-products like dioxins and PCBs). However since I am traveling with this whole shebang, I wanted a quick and cleaner way to transport this stew. Yes, even Cindalou up on her health soapbox chose convenience :)

Tri-pepper Chicken Veggie Chowder

It's getting a little more chilly and rainy here as fall finally dons her hat, so I thought I'd share my excuse for a soup that is really chunky chili stew for the occasion. We made this soup awhile ago actually, but I'm behind on blogging here at Cindalou's due to much excitement and distraction in the "real" world. The bank bailouts and election coverage in the media are more intriguing than pepper stew, but they certainly lack the Vitamins A and C and healing capsaicin that the peppers pack. Capsicum is a collection of compounds found in chili peppers with amazing pain-reducing abilities when taking both internally and externally (with caution). There has been recent hype concerning the age-old capsicum and cayenne, also a source of the compounds, for use in arthritis creams and other topical aches and pains. Other benefits of capsicum include better digestion, ulcer treatment, a slight metabolism boost for weight loss, and some gentle pain relief. Personally, I'd rather eat a spicy stew than take a pill or use an external cream, though Jon swears the stew is what causes his pain ("mouth fire") :)

Late summer brings us the last of the pepper harvest around here, so drag out your slowcooker and stuff it full of some hot peppers and seasonal fall produce, or sit back to watch the fireworks on CNN. Hey, as bad as your lips and tongue sting at the spice (which is actually releasing aspirin-like compounds called salycilates and endorphins inside your body during digestion to relieve the pain), that spice is not as bad as the rhetoric on the economy. (Oh, and the white pepper innards hold the spice, not the seeds, so watch out!) Don't blame me for loving spice: I'm related to the Scovilles, though not the namesake of the Scoville pepper rating scale.

photo courtesy of squidoo hot sauce blog

3 large organic carrots
4 jalapeños, whole
1 habanero, whole (optional)
1 fresh, large, green banana pepper
1 red cherry pepper
1/2 green wax pepper
6 cloves fresh garlic
4 large whole thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
2 ears fresh corn, sliced off ear OR 2/3 lb. frozen corn kernels
2-3 sundried tomatoes
1/2 can large black olives, drained
1 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
1 large onion
2 c. low sodium gluten free chicken broth (We use Imagine*)
~12 c. water (enough to cover the chicken breasts in your slow cooker, we have a large Crockpot)
~1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
1 7 oz. can fire roasted diced green chilies

Seasonings:
rosemary
garlic powder
sea salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional but highly recommended for optimal health whallop)
dash crushed red pepper flakes
parsley

Optional add ins (if you have on hand):
1/2 bag (5 oz) of fresh, washed organic baby spinach or other dark greens
2 stalks organic celery, washed

First, wash and pat dry all of the peppers, celery, and greens. I minced about half the garlic and reserved the rest of the whole cloves for the soup. Slice the peppers (wear a glove if you're sensitive to the oil) to your liking and set aside. I finely chopped my jalapeños, but roughly sliced the longer wax and banana peppers and quartered the cherry peppers. The habanero I leave whole in the soup for the "winner" (around here, that's me since Jon's terrified of it). If you do choose to chop up the habanero, be aware that your soup spice level will go through the roof as the oils disperse in the broth. Don't fret about all the different varieties of peppers, substitute ones you like. Note that sweet bell peppers will not have the capasicin-loaded benefits, but they are still excellent sources of Vitamin C (especially eaten raw).

Drizzle the olive oil into the slowercooker and place the washed chicken breasts in the bottom of the slowcooker. I chose to slice the corn off the cob and add the kernels directly to the Crockpot. Chop the carrots and celery and add to the pot as well. If you're adding any heavy greens like mustards or kale, chop and add them now as well. Either add whole sundried tomatoes, or chop them with kitchen shears and add to the pot. Add in all of your seasonings, broth, and water.

If you're using a Crockpot, make sure your's is large enough for all of the liquid. Cook the soup on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-7 hours - whichever timing fits your schedule best. Serve hot with a garnish of avocado wedges and a squeeze of lime. If you have fresh basil available, some chopped basil would be wonderful sprinkled on top right before serving.

* Imagine broths and soups are kosher, gluten and dairy free (depending on type). They are also non-GMO (not genetically modified). I buy the low sodium versions of the vegetable and free-range chicken broths.

A Brief (Incomplete) Synopsis of capsicum benefits:

• pain-reliever for aliments such as arthritis and shingles
• metabolism booster for weight loss
  
• aids indigestion and helps heal the inner mucosal membranes in digestive track
• kills bacteria in the stomach which can cause ulcers
  
• helps lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides
• can help kill cancer: studies show it can induce apoptosis (death) of cancer cells in the prostate, lungs, gastrointestinal track, and leukemic cancers among others
  

A neat summary of peppers on the How
Stuff Works website

Turkey "Chili" Cabbage Soup [Paleo] [Low Carb]

It's still January, our national soup month, and it is a bit warmer outside (in the 40's now), but since we've been on a soup binge I thought I'd squeeze this last one in. I bet everyone is sick of my soup and turkey already :) Bear with me just a bit longer here and maybe even try your hand at your own chili-soup concoction. If you don't do meat, I have just stolen my old red cabbage soup and veggie soup "recipes" (they all have similar ingredients and I don't do recipes- anyone else's or my own), so don't feel oppressed by all the recent turkey food. Cabbage is delicious in its own right. My soup archive is here if you do so dare to venture into soup-land.

Anyways, I decided that this sad package of ground turkey I had in the bottom of the fridge deserved a privileged place on my soup extravaganza list. This was inspired by both my shivering body (last week it snowed ?!?) and Melissa's latest bison chili post. I have been building on top or alongside many of Melissa's ideas lately - she provides excellent nutrition and lifestyle information. No commission, of course; I just enjoy sending you readers to a bonafide nutritionist. I am just a want-to-be nutritionist (who is working on my preliminary PhD presentation for early in February - wish me luck - I need a friggin' miracle here!)

Although the pictures look awful, this soup tasted great and is uber healthy. Be sure to add a good dose of extra virgin olive oil to the soup right before serving for extra healing monounsaturated good fat and a delicious flavor boost.

Turkey Chili Base:
1 lb ground lean turkey
2 medium to large onions
4 jalapeño with seeds, whole
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (or however many you prefer)
1/4" chunk fresh ginger, minced
2 T. organic virgin coconut oil, for sauteeing
1 T. gf bbq sauce (optional- I use Kraft Lite)

Seasonings:
garlic powder, to taste
2-3 T. dried rosemary
dash cayenne pepper (optional, but its great for a little metabolism boost, detoxing, and internal heating if you know what I mean!)
~1 t. (fiesta) chili powder- check ingredients to ensure gluten free
~2 t. turmeric
pinch paprika
~1 t. sage or gluten free poultry seasoning

Cabbage Soup Base:
8-10 c. pure water
1 c. red cabbage
~2 c. green cabbage
5-6 fresh basil leaves

Add the coconut oil to your large stockpot and turn the heat to medium to melt the oil. Roughly chop the onion, mince the garlic and ginger/horseradish mixture, and slice or mince 1-2 of the jalapeños. Add the chopped onion and garlic-pepper mix to the hot pot and saute for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is very light brown and aromatic.

Add the ground turkey and seasonings to the sauteed onion and garlic in the pot, and turn the heat to low. Break up the meat and mix in the seasonings with a spoon or spatula. Cook on low to medium low for 5-7 minutes or until the meat is ~ half done. You can cook it thoroughly, but that's unnecessary since the meat will simmer in the soup.

Next, combine all the other ingredients in the pot. I find it easiest to add all my veggies first and then pour in the water so that I do not overfill the pot. Turn the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for ~ 1 hour. Serve hot.

Sage Turkey Spaghetti [Low Carb]

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 small green pepper
2 small onions, chopped
1 28 oz can fire roasted organic (whole) tomatoes
1 small can (7 oz) mushrooms, drained
1/4 c. dried/dehydrated zucchini slices (or fresh)
1 organic carrot, grated
red wine, to taste
1 can 15 oz. organic tomato sauce
2 T. apple cider/red wine vinegar
~1/4 c. pure water (optional, it thins the "tomato-ey" taste a bit)

Seasonings:
Rosemary
Sage
Garlic
Crushed Red Pepper
Sea salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a food processor, mince the garlic and basil together. If you like a little heat, add a seeded red chili or a jalapeño. Roughly chop the onions and green pepper and set them aside. Open all the cans and drain the mushrooms (or use fresh mushrooms). I used the Saladmaster to finely grate the carrot and set it aside for later.

In a large frying pan or electric skillet, add the coconut oil or other safe sautéing oil and turn the skillet to medium heat to melt the coconut oil. As a rule while cooking at higher temperatures, do NOT cook in olive oil or some other highly monounsaturated fatty oil. The heat (and light) destroys the more delicate mono and polyunsaturated fatty acid bonds, thus making the oil rancid and toxic. Even if you do not use hydrogentaed (trans-fat) oils, please be aware that you can create trans fats by cooking at high heat with unsaturated oils. I know that olive oil is the canonical oil for cooking, but this is largely due to detailed biochemical and nutritional ignorance on the part of the cooking industry. These chefs are just that - artists of food, not experts on the chemistry behind food molecular interactions, generally speaking. In light of this, please do not see what I have suggested as revolutionary or offensive. Rather, it is simply a statement of fact backed up with well-documented scientific studies. You can also reference Udo's nutritional bible, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, for more biochemical details on this subject. Please also recall that organic virgin coconut oil is not a bad saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is an antibacterial, antimicrobial, and metabolism and immune booster which helps you lose weight! If you are interested, I have addressed coconut oil many times in the past. If you already use it, then I guess I'm preaching to the choir :) More info on the different types of oils and their uses can be found at An Insider's Guide to Natural Medicine.

Once it is melted, saute the ground turkey with the extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, and herbs. I cooked the turkey on medium heat (~4 on my stove, or about 250-275 degrees in an electric skillet) for about 5-7 minutes (until the meat was ~ half done). As the meat slowly cooks, add more spices as necessary to adjust to taste. You may want to add a little more extra virgin olive oil, though I did not here.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes (with juice), wine, vinegar, and carrot to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Remember that grass fed meat cooks quickly, so always err on the side of less done. In the last few minutes, I add the green pepper so that it isn't mushy and still retains much of its vitamins.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and sea salt. I served this with gluten free brown rice spaghetti (and/or shirataki noodles) and sauteed mustard greens.

FYI: World's Healthiest Foods on cooking with extra virgin olive oil:

Extra virgin olive oil is our oil of choice at the World's Healthiest Foods, and it deserves special mention in this discussion of high heat. Information of olive oil smoke point - associated with the level of high heat it can withstand - is very confusing, and not at all consistent. Manufacturers of extra virgin olive oil - the most nutrient-rich type of olive oil from the very first pressing - list their smoke points as low as 200 degrees and as high as 406 degrees! In general, we believe that the lower limit of this range, somewhere between 200-250 degrees, is the most likely upper limit for safe heating of extra virgin olive oil without excessive damage to the oil. Inclusion of extra virgin olive oil in products baked in the oven at 350 degrees would therefore be worth avoiding, as would stir-frying in olive oil on the stove-top. Inclusion of the fresh oil directly on salads, or as a late-addition to some soups or sauces would prevent this high-heat exposure.

Pineapple Caribbean Spiced Turkey Breast

1 turkey breast (ours was 3.66 lbs)
1 20 oz. can pineapple slices with juice (unsweetened, in its own juice)
1 lime with juice, cut in half for garnish

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
tarragon
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
dash sushi wasabi powder (horseradish, spirulina, turmeric)
4-5 large raw garlic cloves
2 large jalapeños, with seeds

Spray your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Open and wash off the turkey breast and place in the pan. Open the canned pineapple and pour the unsweetened pineapple juice over the breast.

Sprinkle all of the seasonings and sea salt over the breast. Slice the jalapeño and add it to the top of the turkey. I didn't chop the second jalapeño so I could have a whole roasted pepper on the side. The whole roasted pepper has a wonderful mild, soft juicy taste - it's not really spicy. Arrange the pineapple slices on top of the turkey breast and in the pan. Tuck the whole fresh garlic cloves inside the pineapple rings and around the breast, as shown below.

Cook at 325 degrees for 20 mins/lb. Let rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving with the roasted pineapple and jalapeño slivers. The little roasted jalapeño slices have quite a kick, so watch out! I think they're great little spicy "chips"; I have a hard time not stealing them all for myself!

This went great with my Sundried Tomato Spicy Blue Corn Chips appetizer, my Fruity Apricot Quinoa, and some turnips greens. A great [pre]Thanksgiving meal (we cheated and did Thanksgiving today so we can have lamb tomorrow :) )

Avocado Sage Mushroom and Turkey Omelet [Paleo][Low Carb]

Ok, let the leftover turkey recipe bombardment begin! This is the morning-after quick and easy creation which will give you a high protein energy boost for the day. This makes a huge omelet which heartily serves two. If you are cooking for yourself, the leftovers make for a great packed lunch.

4 free range eggs, whisked with ~1 t. water
~ 3/4 c. chopped, cooked turkey
8-10 fresh basil leaves
1 medium ripe avocado, sliced or chopped
1/2 onion
1 large jalapeño with seeds, sliced
~ 4 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
~ 2 c. fresh torn kale
2 T. organic coconut oil (or more olive oil), for frying
1 T. extra virgin olive oil

Seasonings:
sage
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
dash crushed red pepper
sea salt and pepper

Turn your skillet to medium high and add the coconut oil to melt. Add a tablespoon of water (or lite coconut or other "milk" or olive oil) and whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Wash and pat dry the kale and fresh basil. Tear the kale into bite sized pieces. Finely chop most of the fresh basil, reserving a few leaves whole for garnish. Slice the mushrooms if they are not presliced and chop the cooked leftover turkey into bite sized pieces or shreds. Chop the onion into small pieces.

Add the mushroom, onion, and turkey to the skillet and season. Saute together for about 2 minutes until the turkey is warm and the onions are a bit brown. Add the kale and reduce the heat to medium low, covering and steaming for another 2-3 minutes or until the kale is soft and bright green. Uncover and remove everything from the pan and set aside. You may want to add more coconut or olive oil so the eggs do not stick.

Whip the eggs one last time and add the fresh chopped basil, sea salt, and pepper. Pour the eggs into the pan and cover. Cook at low to medium low for a few (~2-3) minutes until the eggs are set and no longer runny (they even steam and "poof" a bit when they cook covered).

Once the eggs are finished, add the previously sauteed veggies and turkey to half the egg, as shown above. Use your spatula to gently lift the sides of the egg to ensure no egg stuck to the pan. Finally, use the spatula as a lever and flip the uncovered half of the egg over the filling and serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh pepper and whole basil leaves. This make a hearty breakfast and lunch of leftovers.

Lime Avocado Turkey Veggie Soup [Low Carb]

Broth Base:
~8 c. water
carcass of roast turkey, skin removed
~3 T. organic apple cider vinegar

As I mentioned previously, adding the vinegar helps leach calcium from the bones. This is a easy and inexpensive way to get the maximum benefit from your leftovers. It is always better to get your vitamins and minerals from a natural, whole food source rather than pills. Bring the water, bones, and vinegar to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. I boiled my bones for about 45 minutes, but there's no rule as far as I know. If you'd rather reduce the heat and simmer the bones for a longer time, that'd work just as well (I do this with my Grass Fed Beef Bone-Based Soups).

Soup Ingredients:
1 large ripe avocado
3 limes
~ 2 c. chopped extra dark and white meat pieces
4 large organic carrots
1 large bunch fresh collards
~1/4 head fresh red cabbage
1 large or 2 medium sweet onions
~2 c. cooked organic brown rice (I used our leftover Coconut Brown Rice)
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 large jalapeños with seeds, sliced
~1 c. of leftover turkey drippings, skimmed of all fat

Seasonings:
dried rosemary
garlic powder
bay leaf
sea salt and pepper
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped for garnish

Optional Add-Ins:
2 small red potatoes or 1 large sweet potato, cut into ~fifths

While the bones are boiling, wash and pat dry the greens. Roughly chop the onions and the bunch of collards (about 10-15 very large leaves) and place in a large bowl. I used the Saladmaster to ripple cut the carrots and to shred the red cabbage. Mince the garlic and set aside. Slice two of the limes into small pieces (~8th's or so) to add to the soup and leave the last lime whole for now. Slice (or chunk) the avocado into pieces and set aside.

As the bones boil (or simmer), the leftover meat on the bones should fall off or loosen. After the bones are finished boiling, turn off the heat and use tongs to remove the bones to cool on a side plate. Once the bones are cooled a few minutes later, use a spoon or your fingers to pull off the rest of the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and add the meat back to the soup base. You can add an extra cup or so of water for more soup if you have room in your pot.**

Add all of the seasonings, the leftover roast drippings, the cooked rice, and all veggies except the avocado and the 1 whole lime. Bring the soup to a boil (we brought ours to a boil at medium heat). Once it is boiling, turn the heat to medium low and cover. Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Slice the last lime into wedges for garnish and serving. Once the veggies are tender, serve hot with the sliced avocado and lime wedges. Don't forget to squeeze the lime over the soup before eating. The water soluble vitamins and color from the red cabbage give the soup this beautiful deep purple hue, making the broth alone attractive for serving.

** If you make this ahead of time, you can refrigerate the soup base overnight. The overnight refrigeration allows the fat to congeal at the top so you can spoon it off the next day in preparation for turkey soup.

Tarragon and Onion Stuffed Roast Turkey [Paleo][Low Carb]

We used one ~22 lb. monster of a turkey, some fresh organic carrots, sweet onions, various red and sweet potatoes, and some peppers. Stuff and season as you like with whatever fruits and veggies are in season in your area. You really can't go wrong! This is my preemptive Thanksgiving turkey since the birds are on sale now, we didn't have room in our freezer, and I can't pass up roast turkey. Reader beware that now you'll see turkey, turkey, and nothing but turkey leftover recipes for the next three hundred posts since only Jon and I are chomping down on this feller :) If you have whole cranberries, dates, figs or other fall fruits they'd be great here also, especially in the "stuffing." I didn't do gluten free bread stuffing since we don't really do much bread (we're corn tortilla and seaweed wraps type of folks) and I am lazy. Maybe a future turkey will feature stuffing, no promises though :)

1 large turkey (our was ~22 lbs)
2 large organic sweet potatoes
4 large sweet onions
4 jalapeños with seeds
5 large organic carrots
4 medium organic red potatoes
~5 c. water (to baste turkey in as it cooks)*
1 lemon, seeded and sliced

*You can also use gluten free chicken or vegetable broth, San-J wheat free tamari, or Bragg's but I did not use any of these here. If you do use tamari or Braggs (or many vegetable broths), be aware that your recipe is no longer soy free.

Seasonings:
tarragon
Italian seasoning
dried rosemary
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
chili powder
hot curry powder (optional)
paprika

First, take out a giant heavy-duty roaster pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You want to use a defrosted or fresh turkey so that you'll be able to remove the neck and innards (kidney, liver, heart) which are inside the turkey cavity. I tried once to remove those from a still half frozen bird and all I did was waste hot water, time, and my patience, only to end up with freezing cold hands and a bad temper. Open the packaging and line the sink with plastic bags so the raw turkey juice doesn't spill everywhere and dirty the whole sink. As you clean it off with cold water, dig inside both ends of the bird to remove the neck and bag of organs. Sometimes I keep the liver and stuff to cook since my mom loves liver, but this time I didn't. If you do cook and eat these, be careful not to overdo it on the cholesterol. Also, organ meats are better suited for protein type metabolisms, so if you're a carb type you might want to bulk up on the low fat white meat and tone down the dark meat and organ meats. To each his own, remember everything in moderation!

After the bird is washed, place it in your rack and/or roasting pan. Pour in the water to form a base for basting and for great turkey soup stock later. Wash your potatoes, carrots, and peppers thoroughly and pat dry. I chopped my carrots only in half so we could have nice roasted carrot "sticks," but sliced carrots work great also. I left all my potatoes whole for turkey flavored roast potatoes. I only smashed/sliced open the potatoes right before serving to make them a more manageable size for Jon. Slice the jalapeños and lemon and set aside. I chopped up 2 of the onions and thinly sliced the other two onions. The sliced onions I used along with the sliced lemon for stuffing underneath the turkey skin, along with the bulk of the seasonings, as shown below.

You'll most likely want to stuff your turkey before you add the surrounding vegetables; you don't want to knock the side vegetables out of the pan while you stuff the bird.

Spice and Onion Stuffing Method:

I first slid my fingers up under the skin at both the neck breast area and later in the rear turkey area in order to loosen the skin. I worked my fingers up under the skin to separate the skin from the meat while being cautious not to rip the skin. It takes a little practice, but I think I got started early on this method in high school anatomy class skinning a cat for dissection. Gross, I know, but very educational. Anyways, getting back to the turkey: the reason why I dry rub the seasonings mostly under the skin is that we don't really eat the skin since, even with free range birds, the fat is mostly saturated. I'd rather get my fat from better quality sources like flax, hemp and hemp powder, olive, and coconut oils.

Once the skin is loose, mix all of the seasonings in a small bowl and take a little at a time in your fingers and rub onto the meat (under the skin). I use about 90% of the seasoning under the skin and rub the rest on the outside of the skin. After all of the seasoning has been applied to the meat (remember to get the breast and back), then slide small slices of onion and lemon under the skin as well. These under-the-skin onions get nice and mushy-tender while the onions reserved for the pans get a nice blackened and roasted, almost caramelized taste. I like the variety, but if you don't want to bother with all this under the skin stuff then don't.

Now that all of the dry rub seasonings and onion slices have been stuffed under the skin, rub the remaining half of the spice on the outside of the turkey. Place your chopped carrots, chopped onions, and whole red potatoes around the bird wherever you can fit them. I "stuffed" the cavity with the two whole sweet potatoes and a few pieces of chopped onion. Lastly, add the sliced jalapeños and seeds over the top. Sprinkle the rest of the seasonings over the veggies before roasting.

Bake at 350 degrees on the bottom rack of the oven for about 10-15 minutes per pound (my mother always said 20 minutes per pound to be safe, but I've found that makes the turkey breast too dry). You want the final temperature to be at least 160 degrees as measured from the thickest part of the breast. I baked ours for about 5 hours or so while basting it every hour. Once the skin obtained the brownish roasted looking hue shown in the pictures, I covered the top loosely with aluminum foil in the last two hours of baking so that the skin wouldn't burn.

We enjoyed this awesome turkey with my Easy Coconut Brown Rice, organic (no corn syrup) cranberry sauce, and some garlic sage mixed veggies on the side. Don't forget that the roasted veggies from the turkey are a great side dish also! You can use the juices from the turkey as dressing or you can thicken the juice with cornstarch to make an easy gravy. If you like the canned cranberry sauces, be careful to check the ingredients for corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. I have found that the organic varieties sold here do not contain corn syrup, but they do have evaporated cane juice. The cane juice is considered more "natural" sugar, but it it still sugar so watch the glycemic impact.

Turkey Soup Base Sidenote:

I plan to use the strained juice from the turkey as a broth base for some turkey soup made with the leftover large bones, carcass, and some organic apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps leach calcium from the bones while your boil the bones for soup broth. After boiling and simmering the bones, remove them and let the broth cool. Refrigerate overnight. The overnight refrigeration allows the fat to congeal at the top so you can spoon it off the next day in preparation for turkey soup. I'll post the soup recipe later this or next week with our leftovers.

Bamboo and Artichoke Chicken [Paleo] [Low Carb]

I always get questions on what I eat for lunch. Specifically, I'm asked for some quick gluten, dairy, nut, corn, soy, egg, blah blah free low carb recipes. This recipe will last me a few more lunches. I'm a multi-task lunch maker; I either make them while preparing dinner or while cleaning up after dinner. Recipes like this are especially easy since I can concentrate on another meal while it cooks.

This recipe obviously has meat since I need a higher protein diet, but it is free of all nuts, corn, soy, eggs, red meat, flax, tomatoes, gluten, wheat, and dairy (and many other foods I can't think of at the moment). What you see is what you get :) If you have trouble with "key" ingredients such as onions, please feel free to omit them or substitute whatever you like. Truly, there are no real "key" ingredients! Even this recipe could have chicken completely swapped out for some fresh tuna steaks, mahi mahi fillets, turkey breasts, or try a high protein vegetarian black beans, lentils or quinoa twist. Experiment and please share your results!

I hear from many people that they just don't have the time to cook. I understand. I hope some of my recipes can provide a good basis for inspiration for healthy food, lifestyles, and good time management since I have found that my diet and exercise are the cornerstones of my health and productivity. Cooking is my love and hobby but also a necessity and priority, but don't think just because you're not a stay at home cook or star chef that you can't do the same. Even my "most difficult" recipes are ones that anyone can do (well, given a little practice in the kitchen). Just ask Jon: he is occasionally forced from dishwasher to dinner maker when I'm taking a day off :) Anyways, enough motivational disclaimers and onto the food!

Low Carb Bamboo and Artichoke Chicken [Paleo]

4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
sea salt and pepper
3-4 T extra virgin olive oil
2-3 slices onion
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
5-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
5-6 large collard leaves, chopped (optional)

Seasonings (to taste):
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
dried rosemary
crushed red pepper

An aside on cooking method:
This is the first recipe where I was able to use our brand new Saladmaster oil-core electric skillet. Mom and Abba Jockers (Jon's family) blessed us with this as an early wedding shower present to help me more easily and quickly prepare my food. This super sexy appliance is more than just some electric griddle or frying pan (and the price tag sure reflects that!); the insulated oil-core of the skillet allowed me to cook the chicken at much higher and even heat (350 as seen below) than I could on the stove top which drastically lessened the cooking time and even gave a nice browning to the meat. The quality of the stainless metal assured that the chicken and onions did not stick even without added fat. If food does stick, a simple rinse does the trick. Jon loved the easy cleanup - I think he's spoiled now! I added olive oil since chicken alone is too low fat for my body; my body works much better on a high protein, veggies, and good fat diet. I cooked this whole meal in the skillet while I made Jon's lunch, cleaned out the fridge, made a Crockpot beef roast for later tonight, and cleaned up. The skillet really helps me multitask and make our food asap since otherwise I am trapped in the kitchen all night. You'd think one could be overwhelmed with kitchen appliances, but I manage to make use of mine on a weekly basis preparing meals. Next on the list: Saladmaster Crockpot ...

Our fantastic new oil-core Saladmaster electric skillet cooking up the chicken and onions.

Thanks Mom and Abba Jockers!!

If you do not own an electric skillet, then you can use a frying pan and cook this all a little longer since the stove top heat is much lower. If you prefer, this can be made entirely in a Crockpot with a 4-6 hour low-heat cooking time frame. I used our electric skillet preheated to 350 degrees. If you have a normal skillet or even a teflon-coated skillet (these are not ideal, I'll talk about teflon later), then you may wish to spray your pan with nonstick cooking spray and turn to high heat.

Slice the onion and add it, the chicken breasts, olive oil, and seasonings to the skillet. I grilled the chicken in the skillet at 350 degrees (high heat) uncovered for about 10 minutes per side. The meat had a nice brown crispy "crust." This also allows for the onions to caramelize, making them naturally sweet and soft.

In the last 5 or so minutes before the last chicken side is finished, add the bamboo shoots, collards, and artichokes hearts. Stir and let the bamboo and artichokes form a slight brown hue after about 6-7 minutes. If you like your veggies softer, turn the heat down and let simmer for a few more minutes. I basically threw the ingredients in the pan, ignored it for the most part, and came back to flip the chicken and add the veggies once the chicken browned. Serve hot with a dash of sea salt and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for a low carb healthy meal.

Creamy Tomato Butternut Squash and Mushroom Chicken [Dairy Free] [Paleo]

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large (27 oz) can low sodium organic whole peeled tomatoes (I used the Muir Glen brand)
14 oz (1 can) organic unsweetened "milk" of your choice*
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 c. dehydrated (or 1 lb fresh) portobello and shitaki mushrooms
1 medium butternut squash, cooked (with skin)
~2 T. dry red wine or cooking sherry (optional)

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
tarragon
Italian seasoning

Slow Cooker Directions:
Place the chicken and dehydrated mushrooms in the bottom of the cooker. Add the tomatoes with juice, lite coconut milk (or whatever you're using), sherry, and seasonings.

Either chop or slice the cooked butternut squash (with skin for extra fiber) with kitchen shears and add it to the slow cooker. If you do not have precooked squash on hand, add it to the bottom of the slow cooker beneath the chicken since it will take longer to cook.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high 4-5 hours until the chicken is nice and tender. Serve hot with easy coconut rice, over a bed of greens, or drained black beans - whichever suits your tastes.

Skillet Prep:
Coat your large skillet with nonstick spray and add 2 T. virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Add the chicken, sherry, seasonings, and squash. Saute over medium high heat for 6-10 minutes until the chicken juices run clear. Add the tomatoes and coconut or other milk and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes until everything is heated through.

*I used lite coconut milk, but plain or unsweetened hemp, almond, rice, or hazelnut nondairy milks would work fine. If you can eat dairy, goat or cow milk would work as well. In my opinion, either coconut, hemp, goat, or cow milk would work best here since almond and rice milk can be a bit thin. If you are a Celiac and drink rice milk, be careful and check that it is not made with malt (barley). For all of you dairy lovers out there, the goat milk would give this a nice tangy taste so I'd recommend it. The best "milk" options for a low glycemic index and load meal are your unsweetened coconut, hemp, almond, rice or hazelnut beverages. I never recommend soy milk due to the many negative side effects of soy, and dairy options like cow and goat milks have a decent amount of sugar from lactose (~11 g for 1 c. of skim cow milk). It is naturally occurring sugar and isn't that much in the long run, but just so that you're aware. I don't even have that option as I am highly sensitive to lactose and casein.

Spicy Peach Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
splash extra hot hot sauce (we used Kroger brand)
pepper
4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2" piece ginger, minced
parsley
oregano
crushed red pepper
1/4 c. low sodium gf free range organic chicken broth

Topping
1 c. frozen unsweetened peaches
1 jalapeño with seeds, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
chunky hot salsa


Spray a frying pan and place the chicken in it. Add the seasonings, chicken broth, and hot sauce and cook until the chicken juice runs clear. We had very thick breasts so it took ~ 10 minutes for our chicken.

Topping: Put the frozen peaches and chopped jalapeno in a microwave safe bowl or pot. Once the chicken is cooked, add remaining chicken juices to the peaches. Heat the peaches until they are warm (we nuked them for ~5 minutes). Once the peaches are warm and soft, carefully (don't burn yourself like me...) remove them from the microwave. Top the chicken with the minced garlic and ginger combination. Continue topping with salsa and the hot peach mixture. Top it off with a few more jalapeños and red onion slices.


For a different twist: spread your favorite fruit jam (I used unsweetened blackberry for Jon) over the top the cooked chicken.

I served this with warm Honey Mustard Potato Salad and spinach.

BBQ Turkey Chili [Loaded Chili Potatoes]

1 lb lean (98% fat free) turkey
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
~3 T. gluten free light bbq sauce (optional; we use Kraft Carb Well since it has no added sugar)
1 can organic kidney beans, drained (I omit for myself since they don't sit well with my type O blood tummy :) )

Toppings, Wraps/Base for Chili and Garnish:
2 red cabbage outer leaves and 2 green cabbage outer leaves for Paleo version wrap, steamed
2 medium baked red potatoes, cut in quarters (for non-Paleo version)
1 organic carrot, grated
handful natural raisins (optional)

Seasonings:
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano
cumin
cayenne pepper

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add olive oil, onion, garlic, seasonings and turkey. Cook on high until the turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the bbq sauce and serve hot. The bbq sauce is optional, but I think it gives the otherwise lean dry turkey a nice kick.

Paleo version

This chili is great alone or with organic beans added, wrapped in steamed cabbage leaves, or loaded on top of a baked potato. I topped it with grated carrot and raisins for Jon who loves any excuse to eat raisins while I love any excuse to put veggies and fruits in...well, everything!

Loaded Chili Baked Potato