Tag: main course

hearty chicken barley soup

Amanja2 Comments

Hearty Chicken Barley Soup

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This hearty chicken barley soup will keep you full with high fiber barley and lots of big chicken chunks. It has a homestyle feel that will warm up any winter day and even make the pickiest eaters feel nostalgic. 

Once you’ve successfully added wheat and barley products back into your diet this soup will be a nice addition to any meal plan. Barley does contain gluten but is also acceptable for those with a wheat allergy, not a gluten intolerance. It’s also beneficial that every other ingredient is still from phase one so there are no other variables to worry about. If you’re comfortable adding more wheat this soup pairs great with whole wheat bread or crackers. As always, mind the ingredients for any hidden soy or corn.

I love playing with soups. They’re so versatile. This one comes together quickly with pre-cooked chicken and quick barley if that’s what you choose to use. It only takes 10 minutes to cook! Likewise the veggies should only take about 10 minutes to saute and shouldn’t require any extra cooking time past that. Many soups can take 4 or more hours to really get right. So this is a hearty chicken barley soup that you can easily make in under an hour total. Suitable for any quick dinner.

It freezes well and can be stored for future use as well. Sometimes I just throw togther a soup like this to put straight into the freezer. It’s always a good idea to have backups on days when you didn’t have time to meal prep.

What is quick barley?

Simple, quick barley is just pearl barley that was steamed before packaging. This makes it much quicker to cook at home. It’s the same concept as instant rice. It allows the consumer to save a ton of time in the kitchen. Also, it happens to be the only kind of barley my local grocery store carries anymore so it’s what I use by default.

Quick barley and instant rice aren’t any less “natural” than the slow cooking alternatives. They’ve just had most of the work done already. This does make them a bit more expensive but if you are short on time it’s worth it.

Ingredients

  • 2 large cooked chicken breasts chopped into ½ inch dice
  • 8 oz asparagus (half a bundle) chopped in 1 inch sections
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup uncooked barley
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Instructions

  1. heat pot over medium low and drizzle with olive oil
  2. saute onions, carrots, and celery until the onions sweat, about 10 minutes
  3. add the asparagus and zucchini
  4. add all seasonings and garlic, saute for about 2 minutes
  5. add broth and bring to a boil
  6. add the uncooked barley, lower temp to a simmer and cook the appropriate amount of time, if quick barley about ten minutes, if pearled barley about an hour
  7. add cooked chicken, remove bay leaf, and serve hot 
hearty chicken barley soup

Hearty Chicken and Barley Soup

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large cooked chicken breasts chopped into ½ inch dice
  • 8 oz asparagus half a bundle chopped in 1 inch sections
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini chopped
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup uncooked barley
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Instructions
 

  • heat pot over medium low and drizzle with olive oil
  • saute onions, carrots, and celery until the onions sweat, about 10 minutes
  • add the asparagus and zucchini
  • add all seasonings and garlic, saute for about 2 minutes
  • add broth and bring to a boil
  • add the uncooked barley, lower temp to a simmer and cook the appropriate amount of time, if quick barley about ten minutes, if pearled barley about an hour
  • add cooked chicken, remove bay leaf, and serve hot
Keyword corn free, dairy free, nightshade free recipes
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braised peach pork tenderloin

Amanja2 Comments

Braised Peach Pork Tenderloin

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This braised peach pork tenderloin goes really well with these honey mustard glazed carrots, make it a full meal by adding your favorite rice or other starch! I have also made it with mashed turnips, a nightshade free way to replace mashed potatoes.

I originally tried this recipe as a slow cooker recipe but my boyfriend said that it was boring. He was right. The slow cooker isn’t able to caramelize as well as braising is and that’s what the peaches need. Otherwise it’s just kind of sweet pork. So I revamed this elimination diet recipe to become braised peach pork tenderloin instead.

I’m honestly new to the braising side of cooking but if you have a little patience and time to do it it’s really worth the end results. You’re going to need either a large cast iron skillet or a dutch oven. Something that is both stovetop and oven safe and large enough to accomodate a whole pork tenderloin. Check out these options:

15 inch cast iron
it doesn’t have to be a red one

I promise that once you invest a small amount into one of these options you’ll find yourself using it constantly! I abandoned pretty much every other pan I own once I got the cast iron.

Is pork tenderloin healthy?

Short answer, yes! As with any of these questions about food it gets a little more complicated than a simple yes or no. But if you include meat in your diet the pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork you can find. In fact it’s as lean as a chicken breast, so go ahead, mix up your meats!

Additionally, due to changes in how pigs are raised for pork it is no longer necessary to overcook the heck out of it. It is safe to serve pork tenderloin at medium rare, 145 F. This may not be what you remember from your childhood but it is going to provide a much juicier cut of pork and a very pleasant dining experience. Try serving this braised peach pork tenderloing medium or medium rare and let me know in the comments how you liked it.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
  • 1 15oz can peaches in juice (not syrup!)
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced thin
  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F
  2. heat an oven safe skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat, drizzle with olive oil
  3. brown pork tenderloin on all sides, 1-2 minutes a side
  4. set pork tenderloin aside
  5. reduce heat to medium low, add onion and celery to the pan and saute for 10-12 minutes, until the onions take on the brown of the pork drippings
  6. add the can of peaches complete with juice, scrape off any pork bits on the bottom
  7. add the remaining ingredients and return the pork to the pan
  8. move the pan to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 F
  9. serve warm with your favorite sides
braised peach pork tenderloin

Braised Peach Pork Tenderloin

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 lb pork tenderloin trimmed
  • 1 15 oz can peaches in juice not syrup!
  • 1 stalk celery sliced thin
  • 2 medium yellow onions sliced thin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 F
  • heat an oven safe skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat, drizzle with olive oil
  • brown pork tenderloin on all sides, 1-2 minutes a side
  • set pork tenderloin aside
  • reduce heat to medium low, add onion and celery to the pan and saute for 10-12 minutes, until the onions take on the brown of the pork drippings
  • add the can of peaches complete with juice, scrape off any pork bits on the bottom
  • add the remaining ingredients and return the pork to the pan
  • move the pan to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 F
  • serve warm with your favorite sides
Keyword egg free, gluten free, nightshade free recipes
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gluten free walnut crusted chicken

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Gluten Free Walnut Crusted Chicken

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This walnut crusted chicken uses rolled oats instead of flour to make up the breading. This makes it a great gluten free, wheat free option for flavorful crusted chicken breasts. It also uses the marinade as the binder so no eggs are involved either!

I also have provided options for the marinade for those who may be abstaining from alcohol. White wine can be used but if you don’t want to buy a bottle to also drink you can use white wine vinegar. If you don’t want any alcohol at all simply make up a little chicken broth and add some white vinegar to achieve that same mix of umami and tanginess. 

If for any reason you are not using honey in your diet, which I don’t recommend because buying honey is great for bees! But if you’re not you can use maple syrup. Maple syrup and mustard go just as good together and honey and mustard. In some cases, maybe even better. Maple syrup also compliments walnuts and oats so feel free to make the exchange if that’s what you’d prefer!

Gluten free walnut crusted chicken goes great with any plenty of side dishes. The walnuts add some good for you fats to this recipe so you won’t be craving anything as heavy. I served it with these sweet and tangy roasted vegetables.

Health benefits of walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of vitamin E, melatonin, and Omega-3s. Walnuts are calorically dense but the good fats in them aid in everything from lowering your bad (HDL) cholesterol to managing brain function over time. If you are able to eat tree nuts walnuts are a great option to add some variety into your diet. This gluten free walnut crusted chicken is a great way to add walnuts without also adding other common food alllergens.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast, or 2 huge ones cut in half lengthwise
  • ¼ cup olive oil 
  • ¼ spicy brown mustard
  • ¼ cup dry white wine, white wine vinegar, or chicken broth plus 2 tbsp of white vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

For the Crust

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the Glaze

  • 3 tbsp spicy brown mustard
  • ⅓ cup honey

Instructions

  1. place the chicken, olive oil, mustard, white wine or vinegar, garlic, and thyme in a large zip bag. make sure the chicken is well coated and refrigerate for at least four hours (no more than 24)
  2. preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  3. combine the walnuts, oats, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until the walnuts are a small dice
  4. place this mixture in a large flat container such as a deep plate or a baking pan
  5. dip the marinated chicken in the walnut mix, make sure all sides are well coated
  6. heat an oven safe skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil
  7. add the coated chicken and sear each side for 3-4 minutes
  8. loosely cover the skillet with foil (this keeps the nuts from burning)
  9. transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches and internal temperature of 165 F
  10. whisk together glaze ingredients and serve with the warm chicken
gluten free walnut crusted chicken

Gluten Free Walnut Crusted Chicken

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken

  • 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast or 2 huge ones cut in half lengthwise
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ spicy brown mustard
  • ¼ cup dry white wine white wine vinegar, or chicken broth plus 2 tbsp of white vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

For the Crust

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the Glaze

  • 3 tbsp spicy brown mustard
  • ⅓ cup honey

Instructions
 

  • place the chicken, olive oil, mustard, white wine or vinegar, garlic, and thyme in a large zip bag make sure the chicken is well coated
  • refrigerate for at least four hours (no more than 24)
  • preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  • combine the walnuts, oats, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until the walnuts are a small dice
  • place this mixture in a large flat container such as a deep plate or a baking pan
  • dip the marinated chicken in the walnut mix, make sure all sides are well coated
  • heat an oven safe skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil
  • add the coated chicken and sear each side for 3-4 minutes
  • loosely cover the skillet with foil (this keeps the nuts from burning)
  • transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches and internal temperature of 165 F
  • whisk together glaze ingredients and serve with the warm chicken
Keyword chicken dinner, egg free, gluten free
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Sweet and Savory Chicken Stir Fry

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There is absolutely no limit to how many different stir fries you can make. And with an elimination diet that has chicken and rice as the base of most recipes you’ll want to master them quickly. You can use pretty much any vegetable that you have lying around and you can easily mix up the sauces every time.

This sweet and savory chicken stir fry is designed to fit into phase one of an elimination diet. There is no soy sauce and not a pepper in sight. The key to livening up a stir fry with limited ingredients is fat. Chicken thighs are going to be your friend to help you through what could otherwise be an extremely boring diet. Use the chicken fat after the thighs are cooked, instead of olive oil, to stir fry the veggies to flavorful perfection.

Additionally, take a step outside your comfort zone with trying new veggies. I use bok choy in a lot of my stir fries to give it a higher flavor. Think of it like peppery celery. Also adding to a perception of heat is fresh ginger. Ginger is one of the few spicy things you can have in phase one, pretty much at all until nightshades are introduced. This sweet and savory chicken stir fry shies away from the heat to focus of the other two flavor profiles.

Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, get real maple syrup. Yes, it is more expensive, but it is so worth it. Also, you can’t have any form of corn yet on the elimination diet so stay away from the corn syrup imposters! The maple syrup tastes so good with the coconut milk you’ll want to just drink it before you add any of the other ingredients! And you know what, treat yo’self.

Health benefits of Bok Choy

Bok Choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage. Unlike American cabbages bok choy has a texture similar to celery. It is a cruciferous green vegetable and therefore has some great health benefits.

Bok choy is an anit-inflammatory vegetable high in fiber, vitamins C, E, K, and selenium.

Ingredients

For the Stir Fry

  • 5 bone in chicken thighs
  • 1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 stalks bok choy, white parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 8 ounces of your favorite mushroom, sliced
  • ¼ head of cabbage (about 2 cups), chopped
  • salt, pepper, and olive oil
  • 4 cups cooked brown, basmatti, or jasmine rice

For the Sauce

  • ¼ cup coconut milk (full fat preferred)
  • ¼ real maple syrup (no corn syrup!!)
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger (powdered okay just lower to 1 tsp)
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • splash of rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. preheat oven to 450 degrees F
  2. heat cast iron skillet on stove top at medium low, just make sure the pan is hot!
  3. rub olive oil onto skins of chicken thighs and liberally season with salt and pepper
  4. place chicken thighs skin side down in heated cast iron (it should sizzle!)
  5. cook thighs skin side down for about 7-10 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy
  6. flip thighs over and place whole skillet into the oven for 20-25 minutes until the thighs reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F
  7. while thighs are cooking whisk together sauce ingredients (using a fork works too!)
  8. remove thighs from oven, place thighs skin up on a paper towel lined plate to rest
  9. return cast iron to stovetop at medium heat, leave all the fat in! (if you really want to you can drain half of it but more fat is more flavor)
  10. stir fry the chopped veggies in all the chicken fat for about 15-20 minutes until they reach the desired texture and the mushrooms sweat their liquid completely
  11. while the veggies are cooking eat some thigh skin, it’s delicious
  12. remove the thigh meat from the bones and toss with the veggies and sauce off of the heat
  13. serve on rice

Sweet and Savory Chicken Stir Fry

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Stir Fry

  • 5 bone in chicken thighs
  • 1 large carrot halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 stalks bok choy white parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 8 ounces of your favorite mushroom sliced
  • ¼ head of cabbage about 2 cups, chopped
  • salt pepper, and olive oil
  • 4 cups cooked brown basmatti, or jasmine rice

For the Sauce

  • ¼ cup coconut milk full fat preferred
  • ¼ real maple syrup no corn syrup!!
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger powdered okay just lower to 1 tsp
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • splash of rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • preheat oven to 450 degrees F
  • heat cast iron skillet on stove top at medium low, just make sure the pan is hot!
  • rub olive oil onto skins of chicken thighs and liberally season with salt and pepper
  • place chicken thighs skin side down in heated cast iron (it should sizzle!)
  • cook thighs skin side down for about 7-10 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy
  • flip thighs over and place whole skillet into the oven for 20-25 minutes until the thighs reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F
  • while thighs are cooking whisk together sauce ingredients (using a fork works too!)
  • remove thighs from oven, place thighs skin up on a paper towel lined plate to rest
  • return cast iron to stovetop at medium heat, leave all the fat in! (if you really want to you can drain half of it but more fat is more flavor)
  • stir fry the chopped veggies in all the chicken fat for about 15-20 minutes until they reach the desired texture and the mushrooms sweat their liquid completely
  • while the veggies are cooking eat some thigh skin, it’s delicious
  • remove the thigh meat from the bones and toss with the veggies and sauce off of the heat
  • serve on rice
Keyword nightshade free recipes, soy free recipes, stir fry
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green chili sweet potato stew

Amanja2 Comments

Green Chili and Sweet Potato Stew

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I love chili. Before doing this elimination diet chili was a huge part of my diet. It’s versatile, can be made as health food or comfort food, and is super easy to throw together. At the beginning of the elimination diet chili is basically off limits. Nightshades and beans are in almost every chili recipe you can find. Beans might be optional but you literally can’t have chili without chilis. This green chili and sweet potato stew uses poblano peppers or hatch chilis, depending on what you can get fresh.

Unfortunately, after performing the whole elimination diet I discovered I have a tomato allergy. This makes a lot of traditional chili recipes off limits to me! So I had to get a little creative. This green chili and sweet potato stew is one of the recipes I came up with to feed my chili cravings. The sweet potatoes and rice make it a filling meal without any sides like corn bread or tortillas. 

I strongly recommend you purchase spanish smoked paprika for your spice rack. The smokey flavor really elevates these dishes and takes it to a whole new level. Regular paprika is simply not going to cut it when you’re trying to replicate a chili dish. 

I use poblano peppers here. I consider them a mild chili but if you’re looking for something even more tame you can use Anaheim chilis. If you happen to live in or near New Mexico, always use Hatch chilis. They’re the best, hands down. Don’t even try to mess around with other chilis if you have access to fresh hatch chilis!

How spicy are poblano peppers?

Poblano peppers are a relatively mild pepper. They have a Socille heat rating of about 1,500. For perspective habanero peppers weigh in at about 250,000. This is why you can use 3 of these large peppers in this green chili and sweet potato stew and not feel like your mouth is on fire.

As with all peppers you are going to feel less heat by removing the membranes and seeds. For a spicier chili leave the jalapenos full with membranes and seeds attached. If one isn’t hot enough for you then add two! But! If you’ve been on an elimination diet and haven’t had nightshades at all recently I’ll warn you that your taste buds have changed. Spice is going to punch you right in the tongue way harder than it used to. Believe me!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 3 poblano peppers, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced, seeded for less heat
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
  • cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. brown the pork in a soup pot over medium low heat
  2. remove pork and set aside
  3. saute the onions and poblanos in pork fat for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent
  4. saute the jalapeno and spices with the mixture for 1-2 minutes more
  5. add the pork, sweet potato, beans, and broth, bring to a boil
  6. reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes
  7. serve with rice and cilantro (optional)
green chili sweet potato stew

Green Chili Sweet Potato Stew

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 3 poblano peppers diced
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 jalapeno diced, seeded for less heat
  • 1 large sweet potato chopped
  • 1 can pinto beans drained
  • 1 can garbanzo beans drained
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice optional
  • cilantro for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • brown the pork in a soup pot over medium low heat
  • remove pork and set aside
  • saute the onions and poblanos in pork fat for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent
  • saute the jalapeno and spices with the mixture for 1-2 minutes more
  • add the pork, sweet potato, beans, and broth, bring to a boil
  • reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes
  • serve with rice and cilantro (optional)
Keyword chili, tomato free recipes
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