Chicken Take-Out Fake-Out (WINTER IS OVER! sort of)

I got so excited this past week. We took the Cave Toddler to the park a few days in a row, went on walks, wore shorts and short sleeve shirts! It was incredible. Then it snowed yesterday. I reverted back to winter hibernation, oops. At least this gives me hope that it will be getting warmer and it will be soon. Warmer weather brings gardens and fresh produce which also means lots and lots of new recipes. Winter sucks all my inspiration but summer? Summer and I are good friends when it comes to cooking.

On one of the first warm days, I had an intense stir fry craving. This recipe was the result. The sauce didn't thicken as much as I wanted originally but the flavor, oh man, that flavor was amazing. If you eat white rice then this can be served over it. If you are totally grain free, serve it over cauli "rice."


Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients
2 2/3 c chicken stock, divided
1/3 c Sweet chili sauce
Juice from 2 oranges
1 tsp garlic powder
Sriracha to taste
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded (I used home canned)
2 tbsp cooking fat
4-5 c assorted veggies (I personally used green beans, onions, broccoli, and sliced carrots)

Combine 2 c chicken stock and juice from the oranges in a small sauce pan, simmer to reduce by about 2/3. You want maybe 1/2 - 3/4 c left.

While the stock is reducing, melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet. If using onions, add them diced first to saute until translucent. Add in remaining veggies and saute until softened but not cooked all the way. Add the chicken and garlic powder, stir to combine.

When the sauce is reduced sufficiently, add the 2/3 c chicken stock and sweet chili sauce and simmer to make sure everything combines well. Pour over chicken and veggie mixture. Add sriracha to desired spice level and simmer as low as it can go until the veggies are tender, you don't want to lose too much liquid. Serve over rice or cauli "rice."

Chicken Soup - The Ultimate Comfort Food

Chicken Soup

2 tblsp cooking fat

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

1-1 1/2 quart chicken stock/broth

2 c celery (about 4 stalks)

2 c carrots (about 3-4 carrots)

A few shakes of dried parsley (optional)

1-2 lbs chicken meat, cooked and shredded (sometimes we just chop and cook it)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat a large pot of medium head and add in the cooking fat. When hot, stir in garlic and onions and saute. When onions are slightly translucent add the stock, celery, carrots, parsley, and chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one good stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos

Cooking fat

2-3 lbs chicken meat, diced fairly small

Taco Seasoning

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 c cilantro, chopped

Coconut flour tortillas (as follows) or lettuce wraps

Brown chicken pieces in the cooking fat. Add taco seasoning and either prepare according to the package or, if using the homemade seasoning, add the seasoning and about 1/2-1 c water. Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the seasoning/water mixture has thickened. Serve in coconut tortillas topped with the tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Feel free to add whatever you love on tacos.

Slight variation: You could make a salad out of it by chopping up some lettuce and using guacamole/salsa as the dressing.

Coconut Flour Tortillas

1/4 c coconut flour

8 large eggs whites

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c water

Cooking fat (I suggest coconut oil)

Whish all ingredients together in a bowl, making sure no lumps remain. If you want thinner tortillas add 1-2 tsp more water. Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place about 1 tsp cooking fat in the pan. Swirl around to coat. Pour about 3 tblsp of the batter into the pan, tipping the pan from side to side while you pour the batter (to get a very thing tortilla). Do not attempt to flip the tortilla until you are sure the first side is golden brown. Otherwise, the tortilla will rip. Once golden brown, flip over and brown on opposite side. Remove to plate and repeat process. There should be about 8-10 medium-sized tortillas.

You can do these a day or two ahead and store in a ziplock bag. Just reheat when they are needed. Also, feel free to play around with them a bit. Add different spices for more flavor.

Best Damn Chicken

I accidentally made this recipe one night. I just wanted a garlic Sriracha roasted chicken recipe but the roasted garlic/Sriracha mixture wasn't enough for the blender to blend up. So I started throwing other things in that I thought were great. This is what happened. I will be completely and totally honest: if I had to eat one food for the rest of my life THIS would be That Food. It works great for whole chickens, chicken parts, and Cornish hens. It is so amazeballs. Cave Dad took leftovers in his lunch for work and got upset that there was no more chicken to dip in the fantastic glaze this makes.



We are hoping to one day amass enough bones and leftover glaze to make an amazing Asian style soup with cabbage and kelp noodles and all sorts of great things. That will be for another day.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients
1 head garlic
3 tbsp cooking fat
2 tbsp coconut aminos
3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp Sriracha (or 5 tbsp of my Homemade Sriracha because it isn't as spicy)
1 whole chicken, innards removed

Peel the garlic and coat in 1 tblsp melted cooking fat. Roast in 350° oven for about 20 minutes. Puree first five ingredients (everything but chicken). Coat the chicken with it. You can refrigerate for a couple hours or pop it right into the oven. Bake in a Dutch oven at 350° for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. While it is resting, get all the drippings and juices and pour in a small sauce pan. Boil until reduced by half. Devour chicken dipped in the glaze.