Almond Cashew Baked Chicken Tenders with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

Lately I have been having cravings for chicken strips! Most all chicken strips you buy at the store or order when eating out consist of thick breading, fried in grease with little meat. For my Paleo chicken strips, I use crunchy Almonds and Cashews as the "breading" and then bake the strips in the oven to savory perfection. Sweet and spicy dipping sauce made of raw honey and Sriracha is the perfect dip to pair with these meaty treats!

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of fresh chicken breast (cut into strips and chunks)
1 large omega-3 egg
1 cup raw cashews (finely crushed using a food processor)
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the crushed cashews, almonds, coconut flour, and seasonings. In a medium sized bowl, add egg and whisk.
2.) Working in small batches, first dip chicken into egg and then roll in nut mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Once all the chicken is coated in the nut mixture, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Flip chicken once half-way through baking. Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered honey. Add in 1 teaspoon of garlic and chili Sriracha (more or less to your liking). Add in 1/8 teaspoon wheat free Tamri (optional). Mix together and serve.

*Shown with Paleo raw honey mustard sauce

Asian Cashew Chicken Wraps with Spicy Mushroom Egg Drop Soup

Typical Asian chicken wraps are made with a rich peanut sauce and served in lettuce cups. My Paleo version uses savory cashew butter as the sauce base and crunchy Napa cabbage for the wrap. Topped with toasted cashews and served alongside an egg drop soup, this is a quick and satisfying weeknight meal.

Asian Cashew Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh ground chicken breast
3 green onions (diced up to 2 inches of green)
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup raw cashew butter (if cold, warm up)
1 tablespoon Tamri
1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon chicken stock
1 head Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons raw cashews toasted

Method:
1.) In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EV Coconut oil over medium high heat. Add in garlic, ginger, ground chicken, carrots, and green onions. Cook until chicken in brown (about 10 minutes).
2.) Meanwhile, mix together cashew butter, Tamri, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, and chicken stock in a small bowl. Add mixture to cooked chicken, mix well and remove from heat.
3.) Serve chicken in Napa cabbage leaves and top with toasted cashews.

Spice Mushroom Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:
1 carton organic gluten free chicken stock
1 egg whisked in small bowl
3 green onions diced (up to 2 inches of green) *Reserve a few onions to garnish on top
1 cup mixed mushrooms (Shiitake, Oyster, Cantrell) thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon Tamri
Red pepper flakes to taste

Method:
1.) Combine onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and mushrooms in a medium sized pot with 1 teaspoon of EVOO. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until garlic is tender.
2.) Add in chicken stock and Tamri and bring to a slow boil.
3.) Reduce soup to a simmer. With a spoon, slowly stir the soup and pour in the eggs. The eggs should form into "noodle" like shapes.
4.) Remove from heat and garnish with fresh green onion.

Justin's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce and Vegetable Medley

This is a recipe Justin created that is amazingly delicious, easy and inexpensive to make. It also satisfies any pizza or Italian food craving you might have. Spicy chicken sausage pairs well with garlic and fire roasted tomatoes. Zucchini, mushrooms and kale are the perfect vegetables to soak up the bold sauce. Soon you will be craving this on a regular basis!


Ingredients:
1 pound fresh spicy Italian chicken sausage (removed from casing)
1 small bunch fresh kale (stems removed and torn into small pieces)
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
1 can organic preservative free petite diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 small sweet onion sliced
3 small cloves fresh garlic minced
1 medium zucchini diced
1 small can no salt added tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Place 1 tablespoon EVOO in a large cast iron skillet. Add onions and garlic. Sauté over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until onions start to carmelize.
2.) Add in sausage, mushrooms, basil, oregano, sea salt and pepper to skillet. Continue cooking until sausage is no longer pink (about 10 min).
3.) Mix together in skillet zucchini, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and kale. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
4.) Remove from heat and serve.

Primal Spicy Italian Chicken Arrabbiata

Arrabbiata means angry in Italian, which perfectly describes the spicy heat of the chili peppers used to flavor this sauce. My Primal version is a spin off traditional Arrabbiata, and uses a mix of sweet peppers, sundried tomatoes, and capers. The addition of rich all natural sour cream creates a rich and satisfying finish that makes a perfect sauce for the chicken.

Ingredients:
1.5-2 pounds fresh skinless chicken breast (pressed to same thickness)
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1/4 cup preservative free sundried tomatoes (Trader Joe's)
1 can (8oz) all natural tomato sauce
1/4 cup roasted sweet peppers (diced)
3 tablespoon dry white wine
1/2 cup all natural full fat sour cream (Daisy brand)
2 tablespoons preservative free capers
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon KAME (fish sauce)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Arrabbiata Sauce- In a small skillet, saute garlic and sun dried tomatoes with 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium heat until garlic starts to brown. Add in white wine and continue cooking 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.) In a food processor, add sweet peppers, garlic and sundried tomato mixture. Blend for 30 seconds. Add in sour cream, basil, oregano, and tomato sauce. Blend for 1 minute or until creamy smooth.
3.) Pour contents in food processor into small sauce pan. Season with KAME, sea salt. and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to low, cover and stir occasionally until hot. (About 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat.
4.) Meanwhile, season chicken breast with basil, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and sea salt to taste.
5.) Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once skillet is hot, add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side (or until chicken is golden brown).
6.) Remove chicken from heat. Top chicken with Arrabbiata sauce and garnish with capers and additional sundried tomatoes if desired.
*For Paleo recipe, leave out sour cream. Add in chicken stock and a some tomato paste to thicken the sauce.