Tag: chicken

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Slow-Cooker Pulled Chicken

We live in a busy world and my clients are always listing time, convenience, and budget as their biggest constraints on healthy eating. When cooking is the last thing you want to think about, the amazing slow-cooker is your best friend. First introduced to the world in 1950 and mass-marketed in the 1970s, this piece of kitchen equipment has stood the test of time and is a staple in many a household. In most cases, you truly can dump ingredients in the large ceramic vessel, cover, and forget about it for the day – coming home to a homemade meal, house that smells divine, and still have time to spend with your family and friends.

 

This pulled chicken recipe is so easy. The only prep you have to do is mince the garlic and adobo pepper and thinly slice the scallions. If you’re feeling extra lazy, buy minced garlic in a jar. Serve it with a couple corn tortillas, cabbage slaw with a vinegar base, fresh avocado slices, and cilantro leaves for a healthy and easy dinner perfect for staying in or entertaining a crowd (chicken thighs keep the cost down!).

Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas

SLOW-COOKER PULLED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced using green and white parts
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

  1. Add the chicken, wine, scallions, garlic, chipotles, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and salt to the basin of a large slow cooker.  Mix with a large wooden spoon to coat chicken in sauce and spices.
  2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with two forks.
  3. Serve immediately with tortillas or atop brown rice and greens in a bowl.
  4. You can refrigerate this recipe in an air-tight for up to 5 days, or freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 3 months (be sure to label it!).

 

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Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken with Avocado, Grapefruit & Mint Salad

Those of you that have been reading this blog for the last couple of years know that I tend to share vegan and/or gluten-free recipes, featuring organic, local and nutrient-dense “superfoods” as much as possible. While this is a healthy, earth-friendly and local-business bolstering approach to nourishment, it’s not necessarily affordable or realistic for large swaths of the population.

With that in mind, I am incredibly grateful that I am able to eat the way I do and am passionate about making healthy eating as universally doable as possible. For those who can afford organic and/or local ingredients and can supplement their diets with emerging superfoods (chia seeds, coconut oil, maca powder, etc), the work is in creating recipes that are easy to follow and still taste delicious after weaving in all those extra nutrients and swapping out empty ingredients. For the rest, who still want and ought to have strategies and guidance for feeding themselves and their families without having to sacrifice other basic needs, the job is admittedly a lot tougher. I’m currently working on food education and nutrition workshops for my new studio, Yoga Heights, that will tackle this tough task and will ultimately help me and YHDC co-owner, Jess Pierno, further our mission of offering yoga, pilates and nutrition to create balanced wellness for every body, at every level and every budget.

Two strategies I often suggest for people trying to eat healthy on a budget is to pay attention to the cuts of meat they purchase and to use spices to add bold flavors to basic meals. Apart from my decision and ability to use organic chicken instead of generic, this recipe fits the bill. Chicken thighs are a much more affordable cut than breast meat, especially when you buy them bone-in, skin-on—or better yet, get the whole chicken and butcher it yourself. For health purposes, I’d suggest you skip the skin except for special occasions. Harissa is a North African spice blend featuring a variety of flavors ranging from hot chile to caraway. I picked some up the last time I was in Ethiopia and love using it on meat and fish.

Harissa Sauce_MOARfit

While it takes some investment up front to stock your pantry with spices, oils and special ingredients, it pays off in the long run. Just think of all the ways I’ve already used pomegranate molasses!

This dish is great for a summer dinner party with friends. The cooling Avocado, Grapefruit and Mint salad is a nice complement to the spicy Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken. It’s a feast for the senses—nose, eyes and mouth delight!

Harissa Chicken_MOARfit

Inspired by a recipe I saw in Women’s Health (May 2014). Unfortunately there’s no online link!

Harissa Pomegranate Roasted Chicken with Avocado, Grapefruit & Mint Salad

{makes 4 servings}

What You’ll Need:

  • 4 organic, bone-in chicken thighs (skinless)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbs pomegranate molasses
  • 1/3 cup harissa
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large grapefruits, sectioned
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • 1/2 cup gently chopped or torn mint leaves

How to Make It:

  1. Combine oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, harissa and salt & pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Place chicken thighs in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Cover chicken in harissa-pomegranate sauce, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (optimally overnight).
  3. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  4. Remove chicken from refrigerator. Bake, covered, for 20-25 min. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 min before serving (seals all the yummy juices inside).
  5. When ready to serve, divide avocados, grapefruit and mint equally between 4 plates. Place one chicken thigh on top of each salad and drizzle with sauce run-off.

I hope you like this one as much as I did! It’s a little spicy, bold and bright. Mmm mmm.

 

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Pecan & Flaxseed Crusted Oven “Fried” Chicken

All-natural, free-range organic chicken is a great source of lean protein for athletes and non-athletes alike. And yes, I had to throw all those caveat adjectives in there because as a conscious consumer poultry can be one nasty business. If you haven’t read the December 2013 Rolling Stone article called “In the Belly of the Beast” on animal cruelty in the meat industry, it’s worth your while but, caution, it’s hard to stomach.

While I love the idea of chicken for its nutrition quality, it’s pretty boring on its own. Unfortunately, fried chicken or heavily sauced chicken wings just plain aren’t good for you and should only be had on rare occasions–i.e. the SuperBowl or when you’re on a road trip and find a hidden gem. One way to get the same flavor satisfaction of fried chicken while cutting several hundred calories is to bake it instead.

My Pecan & Flaxseed Crusted Oven “Fried” Chicken takes this one healthy step farther by removing any gluten from the batter and adding in superfood flaxseeds. Flaxseeds are loaded with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids and are also a good source of dietary fiber. Combined with the heart-healthy fats found in pecans, ground flaxseeds significantly amplify the nutrient density of this easy recipe. Serve it over a big green salad with loads of vegetables, a little lemon and olive oil and you’ve got a tasty packed lunch for work or a simple weeknight supper.

Pecan & Flaxseed Crusted Oven “Fried” Chicken

Pecan and Flaxseed Crusted Oven "Fried" Chicken

{makes 4 servings, 3 chicken tenders per person/meal}

What You’ll Need:

  • 12-oz of free-range, hormone-free chicken breast (approximately 2 at 6-oz a piece), cut into 12 one-inch strips [save time: buy pre-cut chicken “tenders” or “strips”]
  • 1/3 cup roasted, unsalted pecan pieces, crushed
  • 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour of choice (oat is best but spelt, garbanzo bean and others would work)
  • 1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
  • Sea salt & pepper to taste

How to Make It:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Rinse chicken in water and pat dry with paper towels. Place gluten-free flour in one small bowl, egg mixture in another and crushed pecan pieces with the ground flaxseed and salt and pepper in a third. Create an assembly line by dipping each piece of chicken in flour, egg then pecans and finally laying the prepped poultry to rest on an greased cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet. Make sure to give each piece a little room to breathe–you don’t want them over-lapping.
  3. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (give or take a few depending on the thickness of your chicken and the heat of your oven). Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

My Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup is not only gluten-free, it’s easily made vegan (by swapping chicken for tofu), soul-warming comfort food and, perhaps best of all, pink! The antioxidant-rich red cabbage added toward the end of the recipe gives a soft blush hue to the finished product making it an ideal Valentine’s day treat for you and your sweetheart.

In addition to its high antioxidant potency, red cabbage is loaded with vitamins A, C and K. Not to be outdone, the final ingredient that seals the flavor profile of this dish has a pretty impressive nutrient CV of its own. Cilantro, a plant native to southwest Asia and North Africa, is rich in antioxidants and a potent digestive aid. This like-it-or-leave-it herb has even been linked to reduced incidence of urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties.

If you’re looking for a low-key night in, this easy three-step recipe is a no-brainer. Speaking from experience, it’s best paired with a feel good romcom, a nice bottle of vino (light bodied unless you’re adding spice) and your favorite company.

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup 

What You’ll Need:

  • 8 oz thin rice noodles
  • 2 32-oz cartons of chicken broth
  • 3″ piece peeled ginger, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice from 3 limes (save two halves)
  • 3 Tbs fish sauce
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 2 stalks dried lemongrass
  • 4-5 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 cups unsweetened full fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup red cabbage (about 1/4 of a full head), thinly sliced
  • 2 8-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups shittake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

How to Make It:

  1. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, lime juice, two limes halves, fish sauce, salt and lemongrass. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 min. Add the coconut milk and scallions and return to a simmer. Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink (about 4 min). Add the mushrooms, cabbage and cilantro and cook another 4-5 min.
  3. Remove from heat and serve in deep bowls, creating a bed of noodles then spoon on liquid, veggies and chicken. Serve with additional cilantro and/or scallions, if desired.

Note: unlike many MOARfit recipes there is no heat in this dish. If your a spice fiend, kick it up by adding some diced jalapeno or red chili. And if you’re reading this tip after the fact, just do as we did and give it a generous hit of rooster sauce (aka sriracha).

{Adapted from Weekly Greens}