What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it.

~Alexander Graham Bell

I read this quote the other day and it describes where I am right now (and where I was all last year).  I am so determined to make it 30 days without the junk I’ve been filling my body with over this past year.  I just hope I don’t throw it all away once the 30-days are over.  My hopes are to incorporate this lifestyle along with entering in a few carbs and goodies, but within moderation.  Some brown rice here and there, maybe some gluten free brownies.

Here are two recipe I made last night for dinner.  Both were REALLY good! Eating something like this (normally) would give me heart burn and make my stomach feel so heavy.  Not eating these the way they were made (Paleo style).  Not once did I feel regret for eating such (normal) high fat foods.  They settled very well (as if I were eating a piece of fruit).  I will definitely be making these again.  Both very easy to make.

FRIED CHICKEN

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

1 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
2 pounds chicken (thighs, drums, breasts)

1. Heat oil in large frying pan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk eggs in medium sized bowl.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
4. Dip chicken in whisked eggs.
5. Coat/cover chicken with dry mixture and place in hot oil.  Allow both sides to brown (about 2 minutes on each side).
6. Place drying rack on sheet pan and assemble chicken on the rack so there is space between all the pieces.
7. Place in 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and get ready for some good eating.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

6 large egg whites
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or coconut oil
Dash of salt (optional)

1. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are very frothy.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the two flours and baking powder, and then with a knife or fork, cut the cold butter (or coconut oil) and add salt if using.  You want to make a crumbly mixture.  Let this sit in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F ( 205 degrees C).
4. Remove flour/butter mixture from the refrigerator, and gently fold in the egg whites, stirring to combine.
5. Spoon the biscuit batter onto a greased sheet pan or into muffin tins.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons raw organic honey (optional)
1 cup pecans, crushed
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey.
2. Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Pour the chopped pecans into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of the chicken breasts.
4. Taking one chicken breast at a time, roll the chicken in the mustard-honey mixture and coat on both sides.
5. Transfer the coated chicken into the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.
6. Place the crusted chicken into a greased glass baking dish and sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt if desired. Bake 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

First off…all I have to say is…YUM!  I found this recipe while surfing Pink Parsley’s website.

I made these the other night (the full fat version because you have to try them that way first, right?).  My husband and I both LOVED them!  He’s even requested that I make them again…and VERY SOON!  They were so easy to make and so full of flavor!  There are several ingredients that can be changed to a low-fat version to make this more healthy.  I will be trying that version in the next week.  The recipe is below with my comments in bold.

Photo taken from Pink Parsley’s website

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup salsa verde
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbs chopped scallions
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken *
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
• 8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt.  Fold in the chicken and cheeses.  Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.  (30 seconds was too long for my microwave and 15 seconds worked just fine.)

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto each tortilla, and roll tightly.  Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining tortillas until filling is gone.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown.  Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.  (I wouldn’t sprinkle with salt again…it was too much for me.  We used salsa and sour cream to top our taquitos before eating.)

*This is how I prepare my chicken if I don’t have leftover chicken to use:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spread a piece of aluminum foil across a baking sheet, and arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in the center.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and season as you wish.  Fold the aluminum foil over the chicken breasts, and enclose them to form a “packet.”  Bake the chicken (on the baking sheet) 35-45 minutes, or until it is cooked through.  My idea is to put a ton of chicken in the crock pot, cover with water and let cook on low all day so it’s ready to be shredded when you get home.  I actually used a Micro Cooker from Pampered Chef and cooked the chicken (covered by water) in the microwave for 4 minutes…perfection!

**To freeze, prepare the taquitos, but before baking, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the taquitos are completely cold.  Wrap each taquito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze.  To bake, unwrap the taquitos and cook  in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes (no need to thaw first).

Tonight I made one of the best tasting pizzas I’ve ever had (and it was “clean”).  It took a little while to get everything prepped and cooked, but it was well worth it.  I’m not a big meat lover when it comes to pizza, but the meats chosen for this pizza complimented the veggies very well.  I would definitely make this again.  I thought it was better than any supreme pizza I’ve gotten at a local pizza chain (no grease either).

We opted to use the pre-made Boboli whole-wheat pizza crust (saving time).  I did put the garlic powder on it before adding the sauce and the rest of the ingredients.  I had the turkey sausage on hand, but opted not to use it for this recipe (instead I’ll save it for another recipe).  I did use the ground beef and turkey pepperoni.  Yum!  We also opted to forgo the mushrooms (as we’re not fans…bleh).  I also added a red pepper to the veggie mix.

Once all of the ingredients were cooked, it was very simple to make and then you just pop it in the oven for a very short time (10-15 minutes) and it’s ready to go.  It tasted outstanding!  Definitely worth trying.  What’s great is that you can modify the ingredients to your liking. Enjoy!

A SMARTER SLICE
Serves 4 (2 slices each)

Olive oil spray
1 cup sweet onion strips
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
3/4 cup green bell pepper strips
4oz. 96% lean ground beef
2.5oz. fresh turkey or chicken Italian sausage, sliced
16oz. fresh or frozen whole-wheat pizza dough, defrosted, if necessary
Garlic powder, to taste
1/4 cup low-fat pizza sauce from a jar
3oz. (about 3.5 cups) finely shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
8 slices turkey pepperoni
2 tbsp kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
Oregano and crushed red pepper flakes , to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium heat and lightly mist with cooking spray. Add onions, mushrooms and peppers. Cook about 6-8 minutes, until veggies are tender and just barely starting to brown. Remove pan contents into another dish.

Turn heat to medium-high and return pan to heat. When hot, add ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, breaking beef into hearty chunks until just barely pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and turn off heat.

If you choose to make your own crust (forgo this next step if you’re using a Boboli crust):
In a 12- or 14-inch nonstick pizza pan, using a rolling pin, flour, gently press dough to 12-inch diameter, being careful not to create any holes (crust will be crispier if pan is dark gray or black). If dough tears, patch it. Then, using fork, poke dough about 20 times, evenly spreading out the holes. Sprinkle dough with garlic powder. Bake for 4 minutes.

Spoon sauce in center of dough, then spread evenly to cover all but the outer inch. Sprinkle cheese evenly over sauce. Then top evenly with pepperoni, sausage mixture, veggie mixture, then olives. Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper flakes. bake an additional 12-15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned (but before the cheese browns). Remove. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then transfer to cutting board and slice into 8 slices.

I think I may have found a new favorite for dessert. I made the fastest dessert ever (unless you take into account that they need to be refrigerated for a few hours). This was so quick to throw together. They taste amazing too and very filling. I will be making these again soon (because I know they’re not going to last long). Good thing they’re made of ingredients I normally have on hand.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used a healthy one with Flax seed added)
2 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder

Mix all ingredients. Make small little balls and refrigerate for a few hours.