Lemongrass – Ginger Marinade for Chicken (or veggies/tofu/fish)

I came up with this marinade for my honey, he loves Asian-inspired dishes.

For my vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian friends, this marinade would be great with veggies, organic firm non-GMO tofu, or fish. 

Equipment: Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Microplane Rasp/Zester or Standing Grater, Blender, Gallon-Size Ziplock Bag or Bowl for marinade, Baking Pan with Wire Roasting Rack

·      1 lemongrass – remove top, dice

·      2 inch chunk ginger – peeled, dice

·      1 leek – remove green tops and end, dice

·      3 fresh garlic cloves – peeled

·      ½-1 lemon – zest and juiced

·      1 teaspoon dried thyme

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      3 tablespoons organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar

·      2 tablespoons honey, organic grade B maple syrup or organic apple juice

·      2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or substitute with gluten-free tamari)

·      1 tablespoon organic sesame oil

·      1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional, omit for vegan/vegetarian)

·      2-3 pounds organic or pastured chicken thighs or drumsticks

1.    Wash and prep lemongrass, ginger, leek, garlic and lemon.  Remove top from lemongrass, peel the ginger, remove green tops and end of leek (make sure you get any sand out inside the leek when you wash it), and peel the garlic cloves.  Rough chop the lemongrass, ginger and leek.  Zest the lemon with a microplane rasp or a standing grater.   

2.   Add to blender - chopped lemongrass, ginger, leek, garlic and lemon zest to blender.  Add juice from the lemon.  Add thyme, kelp, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, honey, coconut aminos, sesame oil and optional fish sauce.

3.   Pulse in blender until smooth and combined. 

4.   Place chicken (or veggies/tofu/fish) in gallon-size ziplock bag.  Pour marinade over the chicken.

5.    Marinade chicken in refrigerator for 24 hours or at least overnight.  I turn the bag over a few times during the process, just to make sure the marinade gets on everything. 

6.   The next day, remove chicken from refrigerator.  Let rest for about 15-20 minutes. 

7.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

8.   Roast chicken on a wire rack over roasting pan for 20 minutes skin side down.  Flip chicken at the 20 minute mark and roast skin side up for another 15 to 25 minutes. 

9.   Remove from oven and serve hot. 

Yield:Makes about 4-6 servings. 

Note: This would also be wonderful grilled instead of baked. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

This pureed soup is so simple and satisfying, perfect for fall and winter. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Blender or Food Processor, Soup Ladle, Large Mixing Bowl

·      2 tablespoons pasture butter or coconut oil

·      1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

·      2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

·      5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks*

·      6 organic apples, peeled, cored and quartered

·      2 cups homemade broth, stock or bone broth

·      1-2 cups organic apple juice (fresh juice is best)

·      1 strip kombu (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1.    Prep onion, garlic, butternut squash and apples – wash and peel.  Remove outer skin of onion, cut in half and dice.  Mince garlic.  Remove seeds from butternut squash (save to roast or freeze for stocks).  Core apples. 

Gala Apples and Butternut Squash

Please excuse the yellow hue, the natural lighting was not good in my kitchen.

Little Love - my favorite helper

2.   In a large stockpot, melt fat of choice over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring on occasion, until slightly golden brown.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring on occasion.

3.   Add butternut squash and apple chunks into the stockpot.  Add broth and apple juice, just enough liquid to barely cover the soup contents (I usually leave about ¼ inch of the squash and apples sticking out without liquid covering them).

4.   Add kombu, kelp, thyme and sea salt to the stockpot. 

5.    Bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork-tender.    

6.    Remove soup from heat.  Prep blender to puree the soup.  Bring large mixing bowl and soup ladle to the station where you will puree the soup.  In small portions, add soup contents to the blender (please use caution as the soup is extremely hot).  Note: Do not fill the blender more than half full, when contents are pureed they will expand, you don’t want hot soup all over your kitchen ceiling.  Puree soup until smooth, add pureed portions to the large mixing bowl.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Add soup back to stockpot.  

7.   Keep soup on low heat until ready to serve or store in the refrigerator for later. 

8.   Serve hot as is or top with sour cream or crème fraiche.     

Optional Toppings: Top with a dollop of cultured sour cream or crème fraiche.  It’s delicious with a blend of the two as well.   

*Note:Butternut Squash should make about 6 cups cubed, I usually buy 2 medium-size butternut squash.  If you end up having a little less or a little more, that’s fine, just alter the juice/liquid so the juice just barely covers the soup contents.  You don’t want too much liquid when you start to puree the soup, you want the soup to be somewhat thick, too much liquid will make the puree very thin, more like a broth based soup. 

Yield: Makes about 3 quarts.

Baked Grain-Free Chicken Strips

These are so delicious and really easy to make.  I started making these specifically for Little Love and realized I really enjoy them too.  They are great on top of a salad, mixed into gluten free pasta, or simply as is with your favorite dipping sauce.  Little Love has never been a fan of sauces, but she loves to dip these in raw creamed clover honey.

Enjoy!

Baked Grain-Free Chicken Strips

Equipment: 2 Medium Size Bowls or 2 Large Plates, Unbleached Parchment Paper, Large Baking Sheet (I use a Stoneware Large Bar Pan), Cutting Board, Sharp Knife

·      3 pastured or organic chicken breasts – boneless, skinless

·      ½ coconut flour

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·      ¼ teaspoon cumin

·      ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

·      ¼ teaspoon coriander

·      ¼ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional, remove for no spice/heat

·      Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

·      1 pastured or organic egg

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare baking sheet - if you’re not using a Stoneware baking pan, line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.   In a medium size shallow bowl or large plate, combine coconut flour, sea salt, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, kelp granules, black pepper and optional cayenne pepper.  Mix ingredients with your hands, make sure all of the ingredients are combined.  Set aside.

3.   In a separate medium size bowl or large plate with raised sides, crack an egg, whisk with a fork.  Set aside.

Beautiful Orange Yolk from a local pastured egg.

4.   On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to cut chicken into strips.

5.    One at a time, coat chicken strips in the egg mixture first, then coat in the coconut flour mixture.  Place on baking sheet and repeat until all chicken strips are coated. 

6.   Bake for about 10 minutes, flip each chicken strip, continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. 

7.   Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Yield: Makes about 12-15 chicken strips

Note: If you are avoiding baking right now due to summer heat, you could easily cook these on the stovetop.  I have done this many times too.  In a large saucepan, melt about 1 tablespoon fat of choice (I use pasture butter) and cook over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned and cooked all the way through.  


This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods,  Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Whole Foods Wednesday @ This Chick Cooks, and Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry.

Oven-Baked Burgers

Little Love inspired these.  She loves burgers and I am always trying to come up with new versions so I don’t get bored eating them.  We call these the “everything” burgers because there is a little bit of everything in them.  They are so easy to put together quickly.  Baking them is great because all of the burgers are done at the same time.    

Oven-Baked Burgers

Equipment: Food Processor, Medium-Size Mixing Bowl, Large Baking Pan (I use a Stoneware Large Bar Pan)

·      1 pound grass-fed ground beef (See Resources)

·      2 large kale leaves, inner stem removed

·      2 carrots, scrubbed or peeled, cut into chunks

·      ½ cup cilantro, about 1 handful - stems are fine

·      6 ounces raw cheddar cheese, cut into chunks

·      2 tablespoons chili powder blend

·      1 teaspoon dried thyme

·      ½ - 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (I use Maine Coast)

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Wash and prep kale, carrots and cilantro.

3.   Fit food processor with steel blade, add kale, carrots and cilantro.  Pulse until everything is shredded and combined, there should not be any large chunks left.

4.   Add raw cheddar, chili powder, thyme, sea salt and kelp to the mixture.  Pulse until combined. 

5.    Place ground beef in a medium size bowl.  Add veggie mixture to the ground beef.  Use your hand to mix just until ingredients are combined.

6.   Get baking pan ready.  Grab a small portion of the meat, form into the shape of a patty, and place on baking sheet.  Repeat until meat is gone. 

7.   Place baking pan in preheated oven and bake burgers for 10-12 minutes.    

Burgers w/ a few added meatballs for Little Love.

8.   Remove from oven and serve hot or store burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later.   

Burgers w/ lots of Cilantro and Raspberry Kombucha

  

Yield: Varies, makes about 8-10 large patties, 15-18 small patties.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze for later use. 


This post is part of Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Make Your Own! Monday link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, These Chicks Cooked Recipe Swap @ This Chick Cooks, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers.