This month I was invited to do a Google Zoom with a group of excellent DoDD teachers from Kaiserslautern, Germany. What a blast! My host, Terri, made the most delicious Dark Chocolate Keto Cookies dipped in chocolate ganache and sprinkled with nuts or coconut. They make the perfect Valentine treat or, actually, anytime that chocolate craving hits you! I got to cook up one of my favorite recipes, Tuscany Spiced Chicken, along with all the viewers. I want to hand it to you all, Lynn Archambault, Clare Schmits, Julie Wittenberg, Kitty Rutherford, and her husband (yes, he did all the cleaning!), and Anne Hubbard and her little assistant chef, Aubry, all did an amazing job at keeping up with me! It came out so creamy and was spiced to perfection with four garlic cloves and more savory spices….seriously, how can you go wrong with garlic and red pepper flakes, right!
You can make this chicken recipe dairy-free as well. Instead of using 1/2 cup of cream, you can use coconut cream milk. Not coconut milk but full-fat coconut cream milk. You can usually find this in the grocery store in a can but be careful, make sure it has NO SUGAR. The Asian markets carry this as well in all different size cartons. If you’re avoiding cheese, this “Brazil Nut Parmesan Cheese” recipe can be made and used as a substitute for real Parmesan Cheese:
BRAZIL NUT “PARMESAN”
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup diced toasted Brazil nuts
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer mixture to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
It’s a delicious meal and cooks up in 30 minutes! Serve it over zucchini noodles, gluten-free pasta, regular pasta, or your choice of rice or potatoes. It’s also delicious just by itself! You might want to double the recipe because leftovers are just as yummy!
Tuscany Spiced Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs of skinned, boned thighs or chicken breast cut in half
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 TSP of ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil
- 1 small white onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic diced
- 1 cup chicken or veggie broth
- 1/2 cup cream or full-fat coconut cream milk
- 1 tsp stone-ground mustard
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp of finely diced rosemary leaves
- 1 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch (cornstarch works as well if your eating grains)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup Brazil Nut Parmesan
- 2/3 cup sliced of sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup shredded spinach
- 2 Tbsp Karpen or green olives (optional)
- 1/4 cup diced fresh basil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Wash and pat dry your chicken. If using breast, cut in half, you have 2 pieces about 2 inches by 3 inches each cut piece. In a small jar place the 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Shake the jar and then rub each piece of chicken with the rub. Set them aside.
- Step 2 Heat your frying pan on medium with 1 Tbsp of ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Fry the chicken pieces on all sides to seal. You’ll be simmering them in a sauce shortly! After you’ve seared and sealed each piece of chicken, place them on a plate to the side.
- Step 3 In the same pan, you just seared your chicken in add the diced onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent. You might need to add a bit more ghee or oil. While the onions and garlic are cooking, make the sauce. See next step!
- Step 4 In a 2 cup jar or plastic container with a lid, add the following and shake vigorously: 1 cup chicken or veggie broth, 1/2 cup cream or full-fat coconut cream milk, 1 tsp stone-ground mustard, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp of finely diced rosemary leaves, 1 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch.
- Step 5 Slowly pour the sauce from the jar or the plastic container into the pan with the onions and garlic. Turn the heat down once it starts to simmer. Add the 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese or the 1/4 cup of Brazil Nut Parmesan Cheese, stirring continuously. Place the seared chicken pieces and the juices in the pan with the sauce and onions, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Step 6 10 minutes before serving, add the sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, olives, or Karpen, and give it a toss. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over your favorite noodles, rice, and then top it off with more cheese of choice and the diced fresh basil.
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.