This version of Butter Chicken turned out tasting delicious and was super easy to prepare! The recipe does have a long list of ingredients, but you should be familiar with almost everything and half of the ingredeients are just spices. If you want to lighten this up some, use a light coconut milk or skip out on the coconut cream. To be honest though, this recipe made so much extra sauce that I only ened up using about half of it anyways. The recipe also includes a really simple cauliflower rice recipe to pair with this, which is perfect since there was so much sauce from the chicken. So much flavor and spice packed into this meal! Definitley an easy slow-cooker recipe worth trying.

Indian (No) Butter Slow-Cooker Chicken
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2½ tablespoons minced ginger
• 2½ pounds boneless, skinless, organic, free-range chicken breast (cut into 2-inch pieces)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons curry powder or red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 cup coconut cream
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 (6-ounce) can organic tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (toasted) (I did not use these)

​For Cauliflower Rice:

• 2 garlic cloves (pressed)
• 3–4 cups cauliflower florets (1 large head of cauliflower)
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ yellow onion (diced)
• Dash each of sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. In the bottom of 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, place coconut oil, onion, garlic and ginger. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper; place over vegetables in slow cooker.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together garam masala, turmeric, cumin, curry and chili powder with coconut milk and coconut cream, chicken broth, tomato paste and diced tomatoes until well combined. Pour sauce over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6–8 hours. Just before serving, add lemon juice and stir well.
3. Serve over cauliflower rice, and garnish with cilantro and cumin seeds.

Cauliflower Rice

1. Press garlic cloves and set aside for 10 minutes. While garlic is resting, add half of the cauliflower florets to a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Pulse florets until they have a rice-like texture. Remove from blender and set aside. Pulse the remaining florets but be careful not to overprocess, as the cauliflower will become mush if it’s overprocessed.
2. In a pot, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic and onion in pot until onion is translucent.
3. Add cauliflower rice and ¼ cup water to pot; stir. Cover and steam cauliflower rice for 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a wooden spoon.

Original recipe found here

This meal looks pretty similar to the One Pan Cranberry Balsamic Roasted Chicken I made last week, but it is a totally different taste! This meal was really refreshing after a week of Thanksgiving type meals and also this weeks flavorful Butter Chicken meal I made for lunches. I ended up throwing in some broccoli florets to be roasted with the sweet potatoes and used chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. Also, the original recipe calls for adding butter on top of the chicken, but I took that out of the recipe because I never use butter. I think the chicken turned out tasting great without it, but check out the original recipe link below if you are a fan of butter. Anyways, this meal was simple with a warm-spice taste just like the name says. I will definitely be making this one again! 

Warm-Spiced Roast Chicken over Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces by your butcher
• 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for coating sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp curry powder, mild
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4-6 whole sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into strips
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley for garnishing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Add diced sweet potatoes, sliced onions, garlic, and thyme to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat all of the potatoes, tossing with your hands to combine. Spread the potato mixture evenly on the pan, making sure that it is in a single layer for even baking.
3. Lay each piece of chicken directly on top of the sweet potato mixture.
4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic powder, salt, paprika, curry powder and cumin. Whisk until uniform. Brush the sauce liberally onto the chicken pieces. It will run down into the potatoes. No worries - this is a good thing!
5. Move the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest part of the meat.
6. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Original recipe found here

Yes, I am having Thanksgiving food all week, and probably next week too. I know chicken is not your typical Thanksgiving day food, but this meal is a must-try at some point over the holiday or fall. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and honey instead of the maple syrup, and thought the chicken still turned out full of flavor and delicious. I paired this chicken with a roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels recipe (also below), which turned out amazing together. I will admit that this meal was a little more time consuming to put together, but that is because both recipes use the oven and I doubled the sweet potatoes and Brussels recipe. That detail aside, I highly suggest these recipes paired together, but they are just as delicious on their own. Let me know if you give either of them a try!

​One Pan Cranberry Balsamic Roasted Chicken 
Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs chicken thighs or breasts with skin on (around 4 to 6 chicken thighs or breast)
• fresh thyme
• a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs (optional)
• 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (or previously frozen)
• 1 tbsp each maple syrup (I used honey) and balsamic vinegar mixed together to coat chicken during roasting

For the Marinade

• 1/3 cup cranberries
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tamari sauce or gluten free soy sauce
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (I used honey)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black peppers
• 2 garlic cloves (or 1 tsp minced)

Directions:

1. Clean your chicken then place in a roasting or baking dish. Set aside.
2. Next prepare your marinade.
3. Blend all the ingredients listed in the Marinade in a food processor or blender until liquefied and smooth.
4. Pour this over the chicken thighs, coating evenly.
5. Cover and place in fridge to marinade for 30 minutes or up to 24 hrs.
6. Once marinaded, preheat oven to 375F.
7. Remove chicken from fridge.
8. Add your extra 1/3 to 1/2 cup cranberries, thyme, and Italian herbs to the dish. Spread it out evenly on and around the chicken.
9. Bake skin side down first for 22 minutes.
10. Remove and turn skin side up. Then brush each chicken skin with the maple syrup (or honey)/balsamic vinegar combo.
11. Add more seasoning (like dried herbs, salt, pepper) to the top if desired.
12. Broil for about 5 minutes or until skin is crispy and chicken is cooked evenly inside.
13. Remove from oven.
14. Spoon the sauce from the pan onto each chicken thigh/breast and a pinch of black pepper or cracked pepper.
15. Serve with the roasted cranberries on top and any extra fresh herbs desired.

Notes:
If you use skinless chicken, the cooking time will be 20-25 minutes or so. No broiling needed.

Original recipe found here


Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts​
Ingredients:

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1 large sweet potato (1 pound)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• fresh thyme, to garnish

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim your Brussels by cutting off the little brown end. If there are any yellow leaves, pull them off. Cut any large ones in half. Add to a large bowl.
• Peel your sweet potato and chop into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to the large bowl.
• Smash 2 cloves of garlic and add it to the bowl.
• Pour 1/3 cup olive oil over the vegetables.
• Add cumin, garlic salt, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir to coat.
• (Line a large sheet pan with foil if you want super easy cleanup)
• Drizzle a little olive oil onto the sheet pan and rub it all over the pan (or foil) with your hand. Or you could spray it really well with nonstick spray.
• Pour the veggies onto the pan.
• Roast at 400 for about 40-45 minutes. The veggies are done when they are brown and a fork slides into them easily.
• Place the veggies in a serving bowl and toss with 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme if you want. Eat hot!

Original recipe found here 

It's Thanksgiving week!! This stuffing was amazing and could easily be a Thanksgiving side dish or breakfast. I added 1 lb of lean ground beef to this recipe to make it more into a meal for the week. I also did not add the dried cranberries, but I think that would only make this meal taste even more yummy and fall-like. I did add the egg to try and make everything stick together, but I think adding an extra pound of beef means I should have used two eggs. Other then those alterations, I made the recipe as is and will definitely be making this again for family and friends to try too. This was absolutely delicious!

Paleo Butternut Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
Ingredients:

• 5 cups butternut squash cubes (1/2 inch)
• 2 tbsp fat of choice for roasting
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cooking fat such as ghee, coconut oil, or lard
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 lb mild sweet ground sausage, casings removed
• 1 large apple (or 2 small) cored and chopped
• ¼-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• 1 egg, whisked (optional)
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. First prepare to roast the butternut squash cubes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubes with your fat of choice and ¼ tsp salt, and spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring or turning once for even browning. Squash should be soft and toasty brown before removing.
4. While the squash is roasting get your other ingredients chopped and ready.
5. Heat a large skillet (cast iron/ovenproof is ideal) over med to med-hi heat and add the cooking fat of choice. Once the fat is heated, add the chopped onion and celery and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened.
6. Add the ground sausage to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to break up lumps and stir as it cooks. Cook the sausage with the onions and celery until browned.
7. Add the chopped apples and cook for a couple of minutes until just softened. Now add the salt and poultry seasoning. Lower the heat and stir to combine all flavors. Simmer for 2 more minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
8. Once the butternut squash is roasted (it should be light brown and crisp on the outside) add it to the sausage mixture along with the dried cranberries and toss to combine. Now add the whisked egg* to the mixture and toss/mix to incorporate.
9. Lower the oven heat to 375 degrees. If you used an ovenproof skillet, you can bake right in the skillet. If your skillet is not ovenproof, transfer the entire mixture to a 2-3 qt baking dish and spread out evenly.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until toasty and set. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!!

Notes:
*Adding the egg will make the stuffing stick together as it sets in the oven. It's an optional step depending on your preference.

Original recipe found here

Just another great version of the barbecue chicken stuffed sweet potato! I was out of town all weekend, so this was a simple meal to put together when I got home. I had an extra bottle of Tessemae's BBQ sauce and Steve's PaleoChef Peach BBQ that I bought from Whole Foods and decided to go with the PaleoChef Peach BBQ for this meal. I've tried making my own paleo BBQ sauce before, but ever since finding these two delicious paleo options at Whole Foods I just opt for those instead. Anyways, I absolutely love stuffed sweet potatoes, so I thought this meal turned out amazing. I also really liked the red onion as a garnish on this one! I usually top with crumbled bacon, which is still one of the best toppings for anything, but the red onion was really good with this. Definitely give this recipe a try!

Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
For The Barbecue Chicken:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 cup water or chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups Paleo Barbecue Sauce 

For the Sweet Potatoes:

• 5-6 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams

For the Garnish (optional):

• Chopped red onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Avocado

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Scrub your sweet potatoes and pierce the skin a few times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until they’re easily pierced with a fork.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, let’s make the chicken! Place the chicken in your slow cooker with 1 cup of water/broth, and then the salt & pepper. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. Place the cooked chicken into a medium sized bowl and shred with 2 forks. Mix in the barbecue sauce.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven once they’re cooked through, cut open in the middle, and stuff with the barbecue chicken. These are extra delicious topped with chopped onion, cilantro & avocado, or even my ranch dressing!

​Original recipe found here

This is the best paleo cashew chicken I have ever tried! I also loved that it was a one-pot meal and super easy to make because I did not have a lot of time for meal prep this weekend. Besides having only one red pepper and one cup of cashews, I made this recipe as-is and have no suggestions for altering or changing anything. If you enjoy the classic cashew chicken meal, then you need to give this healthy version a try! It still has that sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy taste of the classic cashew chicken meal you would order at the restaurant and is just as delicious. I paired this with roasted cauliflower rice, which is also linked below. Let me know if you give this one a try!

​Paleo Cashew Chicken 
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/3 cups raw whole cashews
• 1 large bunch scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons arrow root powder (instead of cornstarch)
• 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

For the Sauce:

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup coconut vinegar (instead of rice vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons raw honey (instead of sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat a large deep skillet to medium high. Add the coconut oil and once melted, add the red bell pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes to softened. Then scoop out the bell pepper.
2. Sprinkle the arrow root powder and salt over the cut chicken pieces and toss to coat. Add the chicken to the skillet. Stir and saute for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through and seared on the outside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the sauce to the skillet and stir. Add the red bell peppers and cashew to the skillet. Once the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer another 3-5 minutes to thicken.
4. If the sauce tightens up too much, add a little water to loosen it. Turn the heat off and add the chopped scallions. Serve warm with Roasted Cauliflower Rice.

Original recipe found here

This was the most simple meal ever to put together and it turned out delicious! The roast beef took about 3 1/2 hours on low in my crockpot to reach 150 degrees and be done. While I waited on that, I shredded 2lbs of brussels through the food processor and greased down my baking pan with bacon fat. I roasted the brussels at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then took them out to mix around and roasted again for another 5 minutes. I then took the pan out and placed 5 strips of cut bacon on top of the brussels and put the pan back in the over until the bacon looked crispy and done. I actually left mine in for a little too long and the brussels were extremely roasted, so definitely need to keep a close eye on them! Anyways, the beef turned out tasting amazing and brussels with bacon never dissapoints. If you are looking for an easy meal with few ingredients, this is it.

​CrockPot Roast Beef
Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb beef roast, I used a top sirloin roast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, adjust to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat in the hot skillet, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the meat has browned. Sear the sides as well as the top and bottom of the roast. Remove from the skillet and place in the crock-pot. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the center of the roast and place the lid on the crockpot.
2. Cook the roast on LOW until the temperature reaches 140 degrees. This took just 90 MINUTES for my roast. Depending on the temperature of your house and how hot your slow cooker cooks, it might take twice as long for yours. I set the alarm on my meat thermometer and couldn't believe it when it beeped so quickly!
3. Using meat forks or sturdy tongs, remove the roast to a cutting board and tent it (or cover it with a large mixing bowl turned upside down). Let the meat rest 20 minutes before slicing it as thinly as possible against the grain of the meat. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here

This was a one pot meal that was super easy to make and turned out tasting amazing! I guess I should confess that I roasted my sweet potatoes separately, so this technically was not a one pot meal for me, but it was still simple and quick to make. The only other change I made to the original recipe was using chicken breasts instead of thighs, using two cups of tomato sauce instead of three, and I pulsed the cauliflower in a food processor to get rice. All of those changes were just personal preference though. If you are a fan of curry dishes, then you will really enjoy this meal! I topped with green onions, but next time will probably try topping with crushed cashews. Let me know what you think of this recipe if you try it out!

Paleo Chicken Curry with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• Pinch each of salt and pepper
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 ½ tsp. curry powder
• 1 ½ tsp cumin
• 1 ½ tsp dried coriander
• Pinch cayenne
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
• 1 x 400 ml can of lite coconut milk
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ½ cup frozen peas
• Cilantro, if desired as garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add in one teaspoon of oil. Season the chicken with a pinch each of salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Once golden brown, transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Return the pan to medium heat and add in the additional teaspoon of oil. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, curry, coriander, cumin and cayenne and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Next, add in the tomato sauce and the sweet potatoes, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the sweet potato pieces begin to soften.
4. Pour in the coconut milk, and then nestle in the chicken thighs and cauliflower. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cauliflower and sweet potato softens, and the chicken thighs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165- 175 F, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach and peas. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy.

Original recipe found here