A pan of coconut rice simmers on top of my stove. The dishwasher, having just finished the rinse cycle, hums at me from the kitchen. In the back room I can hear the frantic whirl of the washing machine. It’s just another typical Saturday evening for this foodie.
So sorry to have not been updating here recently. Life kinda takes over and you have to take a step back from some things. Haven’t stopped cooking, though, nor have I stopped collecting recipes. The only difference is I’ve decided to tweak my diet a bit.
No potatoes. No delicious fried things. No processed foods. Limited dairy (as in yogurt and butter only). No grains. No bread.
You can call it “paleo” if you’d like. That’s what I based it off of. I’m keeping rice in the mix, though. That’s just too hard for me to let go of. Yogurt is another. I only eat non-fat Greek yogurt with honey, but I cannot give up that sweet stuff.
I found a lot of recipes from Pinterest, recipe booklets, and this awesome book called “Everyday Paleo” by Sarah Fragoso. I’ve tweaked everything to my liking so I’m not losing out on flavor or quality, all the while maintaining a tight budget. I absolutely cannot afford to eat all-natural, hormone-free meat. Not gonna happen. I do find, however, that just taking grains and processed foods out of your diet makes you feel a whole hell of a lot better. My energy is up, my mood is better, etc. No more neon orange cheese gel over pasta tubes.
I found this recipe that I’m about to share with you in a Taste of Home booklet. If you want to make it a full, by-the-book paleo meal, don’t eat it with barley. Voila! A healthy twist on an Asian dish.
Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry
-1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
-2 zucchini squash, chopped
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 TBS. Olive oil
-1 tsp. oregano
-1/2 tsp. basil
-salt & pepper
-2 plum tomatoes, diced
-1 cup kalamata olives, drained
-2 cups water
-1 cup barley
1. In small saucepan, bring water and barley to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes until water is gone and barley is tender.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet or wok, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter.
3. In remaining oil from chicken, cook onions for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and zucchini. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Turn heat off and add veggie mix to chicken on platter. Top with diced plum tomatoes & olives. Serve over barley.
leencuisine.com 