Coconut Creamed Tomato Basil Smothered Chicken

Last night I posted an Instagram pic of a plate of one of my favorite dinner meals as of late and received requests for the "recipe."  Well, in my savory cooking, I never have a recipe, but I tried to piece one together for you.  In Layman's terms, this dish is basically sauteed chicken and mushrooms smothered in simple Italian based red sauce creamed up with coconut milk.  So, run with it as you want; modify it to your likes/dislikes/preferences...I don't care.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs (could certainly use breasts, but thighs are best!!!  Dark meat > white meat)
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 2- cloves minced fresh garlic
• 1- cup chicken stock (for deglazing pan; could certainly use red wine here, too/instead)
• 1- can fire roasted diced tomatoes roughly blended in a blender/ food processor/hand immersion blender)  
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or ~ 2 tsp-1 Tbs. of dried basil
• ~2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1/2 can full fat coconut milk
• salt/pepper/onion & garlic powder to taste

In a large cast iron skillet/saute/sauce pan on med/high heat, brown salted/peppered chicken pieces on both sides.  They don't have to be completely cooked through at this point.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add additional olive/coconut oil to pan, and saute mushrooms, onion, and garlic until slightly browned and caramelized (salt this mixture).  At this point, your pan should have quite a bit of caramelization on the bottom.  With heat still on med-high, add the chicken stock/red wine/mix of both to deglaze the pan scraping up all those brown bits and juices.  That liquid should reduce fairly quick.

Add blended can of tomatoes, parsley, basil, honey.  Stir to combine with mushroom mixture and return chicken to the pan.  Chicken should be mostly smothered with mixture.  You'll probably need to add additional water to the mixture in order for sauce to almost cover chicken.  Don't fret; it will eventually cook out.  Cover and simmer on low to cook chicken and tenderize for about 15-30 minutes (depending on how long you have; chicken thighs don't need much time to cook or tenderize).

Then, uncover and continue to simmer in order to reduce the sauce quite a bit.  Once sauce has reduced to a pretty thick consistency, add 1/2 can of coconut milk.  Stir to incorporate, and turn off heat.  Season to taste (will need to add salt again most likely).  Let cool a bit, and serve!


I suck at writing savory recipes.  In a nut shell:

• saute and season everything, deglaze pan, add tomaters and herbs, cook and reduce, add coconut milk...done!  

If you want tasty food, then SALT IT!  The difference between "edible" food and "amazing" food is salt.

Blog Challenge: Day 12

What are you most looking forward to in the next six months?

1. My 30th birthday!  Aug. 10!  I love birthdays...but, I still have no plans.  Hmmmm?
2. My sister and co. are coming to visit late September!  I don't get to see them enough, and I hope my nephew still remembers who I am.
3. My beau has some exciting changes and possibilities on his plate right now, and I'm super pumped for him and how these changes will play a part in his life and our relationship the next months to come.
4. I love Fall...all the holidays...the change of climate...leaves falling...festivals...those first real cold fronts...after work bike rides...
5. Pleasurably drinking beer with the beau at Phoenix again ;-)
6. My girl, O, finishes school out in silly Florida come early December!  I don't know if her future career will bring her back to SA/ATX area, but I selfishly hope it does.
7. I'm hoping to make a trip out to California in the near future to see my dear friend, E's, new home in Long Beach!  I don't get out of TX much unless it's on route to Colorado, so this is a big deal for me.
8. Hank is coming into the world!  I can't wait to see HMK as a mama ;-)
9. Finding out if I will be an aunt to another little girl or boy!
10. And I'm most looking forward to all the cool people I have yet to met, new places I have yet to greet, things I have yet to learn, and experiences I have yet to embrace.

Blog Challenge: Day 11

What's the one thing you would never change about yourself?

I can find an honest connection in almost every person I meet. And, it's a genuine connection.  It doesn't necessarily mean we're soul mates, or destined lovers, or future BFF.  It simply means we're human, and deep down, we're the same, vulnerable, caring human being.  I can "get" what you're going through...despite your job, race, sexual orientation, religious preference, age, etc.  And, if it's a situation I haven't experienced, I can put myself in a hypothetical situation and try to understand in a totally non-judgmental way what you're going through.  I think people feel I provide an emotional safe haven for them, which I hope is true.  That connection I find with people causes them to feel comfortable and honest.  People can "unload" on me and share their dark fears and illogical thoughts.  I feel truly fortunate to be trusted to bear their emotional weight because I completely understand what it's like to be suffocated by your own baggage.

Even when I'm trying to be a badass and say I don't, I do truly care..to a degree of fault, even.  I care about the comfort level of that unknown person left out at the party as much as I care about my best friend's battle with severe depression.  I want those people to know they're never alone.  I know I will continue to connect with people the rest of my life, and my friendships are so rich as a result.

Paleo/GF "One Minute Muffin"

I'm a bread freak.  Nothing makes me happier than a glass of red wine and some chewy, crusty, artisan bread.  Well, that becomes a problem when I'm eating trying to eat grain free.

Back during my first go around with Gluten Free, I hunted high and low for a GF bread, and I finally found one that was pretty good....but pretty void of good ingredients.  It wasn't grain free, either.  So, back to the interwebs I went in search for a healthy, grain free bread alternative, and I came across this magic "one minute muffin."  I gave the first recipe I came across a go, and was pleasantly surprised!  But, in usually CiCi fashion, I knew I could tweak it to make it just a little bit better.  This is by-far the closest "bread" recipe I've come across, and it just so happens to be ridiculously easy!

I love this "bread" option!  Here's why:

• it contains good wholesome ingredients
• it makes a single serving (which is good for this single gal)
• it's FAST
• it's EASY
• you don't waste ingredients testing out a full bread loaf recipe only to have it fail (expensive!)
• the taste is pretty darn good, and the texture is actually light and fluffy!

The one downside of this bread is only for those who are microwave haters.  For me, I don't sweat it.  I've got bigger worries...like how I can finally enjoy a freakin' sandwich again!!!  The microwave is actually key to this recipe because it creates an awesome steamy atmosphere.

CiCi's Paleo/GF "One Minute Muffin" Bread
(modified from this recipe, which is good, as well, but includes flax, which some prefer to avoid)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almond flour (finely ground!)
• 1 Tbs. Psyllium Husk powder (can be found at many grocery stores in fiber section and at Natural Foods stores)
• pinch of kosher/sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder (could probably reduce to a 1/4 tsp)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs. water
• 1 tsp. coconut oil/olive oil/ghee...a good fat!

Directions:

Lightly oil/spray a ramekin (preferably shallow and wide) or wide base bowl (see mine below).  Combine and thoroughly mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Whisk egg, water, and oil together in another small bowl.  Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients.  Mix until just incorporated; add to sprayed bowl/ramekin.

According to my microwave, microwave uncovered on HIGH for 1 min. 30 sec.  Your microwave may be stronger than mine and require less time.

Let cool for a minute in the bowl, then run a knife along the edge and invert onto cooling rack.  After cooling for a bit, I take a sharp knife and split mine.  I always toast mine before eating, but you certainly don't have to.

(base of bowl is about 4in. in diameter)

Blog Challenge: Day 9

Describe the best day of your life to date

These kind of topics always make me gag a bit.  Look, I'm not married nor have I birthed a child; therefore, I have no single monumental "best" day of my life.  I've had MANY awesome moments and days, but "best" is a hard order to fill!  And, to choose just one day out of my whole life?!  Ain't gonna happen.

Next!

Paleo/GF/Refined Sugar Free...Coconut Flour Banana Muffins

As an avid baker, I'll be the first to admit that gluten free/grain free baked goods will never beat the texture of its "traditional" wheat predecessor.  BUT, that doesn't mean GF baked goods have to be horrible; it just means I have to work extra hard in finding those "diamond in the rough" recipes for you...you're welcome. ;-)

I've been playing around with the Paleo food lifestyle for the past week or so, and so far so good.  I'm not going to go in to any Paleo dogma right now as 1) I'm still not well versed in it, and 2) I'm soooo over debating ANYTHING right now, but I did come across this wholesome and easy recipe the other day I felt needed sharing.

If you're following a gluten free (GF) or Paleo lifestyle, give these banana muffins a go.  They are STUPID EASY, tasty, very moist, wholesome, refined sugar free, and grain free.  The recipe below is almost an exact replicate of this recipe, except I've halved it (yields 6 muffins), omitted the nutmeg suggestion as I thought it did NOT compliment the flavor, and added a touch of honey as I needed them a little sweeter.  Did I mention those are stupid easy?!?!?!  Here we go...

GF/Paleo Banana Muffins
(yields 6 or 7 muffins)

(mine were a little darker than this picture portrays)

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas*
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup natural nut butter (almond, peanut, macademia, cashew...whatevs)
• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 Tbs. raw honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• good pinch of kosher or sea salt (about an 1/8 tsp.)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour* 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional- add to flour mixture)

* with the addition of the honey and depending on banana size, you may find you want to add another teaspoon or two of coconut flour due to the extra moisture.  Coconut flour is a dense, lumpy flour, so all of our measurements will be slightly different, and your 1/4 cup measurement may already have the extra teaspoon mine may have lacked.  Just play with it if you feel your muffins need more structure.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Sift together coconut flour, baking soda and powder.

Add the remaining ingredients (first 7 in list above) in a blender.  Blend until it's completely homogeneous and looks like smoothie consistency.  While blender is still running (go to a lower setting), gradually add the flour mixture.  It will need some help blending as it thickens fast; use a spoon or flat spatula to help it along).  It should look like this:

Pour mixture evenly into 6, possibly 7, paper lined muffin cups.  Bake for appx. 20 min at 350F.  Cool for a bit in the pan, and then move muffins to a cooling rack.  They will contract some as most GF baked goods do.

Blog Challenge: Day 8

Describe "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of yourself.

I'm listing my "good" as the last one on purpose...

2.  The Bad:  I'm a bossy know-it-all.  It seems like I've talked about this so often lately, but it's the truth.  The reason I'm a know-it-all is because I'm a natural researcher, prideful, and completely obsessive compulsive.  As soon as I come across something on which I'm naive or ignorant, I'm researching it as fast as I can.  I love learning...my Leo personality has just taken it to the next level of annoyance.

On the positive side, I think I've humbled through the years to where I'm able to somewhat subdue this annoying "back seat driver" trait of mine.  You see, I am my folks' spawn...and they're know-it-alls, too, so, it comes naturally to me.  You should see us all in the kitchen together!  It's a beautiful, chaotic, egotistical mess!  No lie!  We're not faux know-it-alls, either! <--- I'm pretty sure that was me justifying my "bad" as a "good."  See?!  Prideful, prideful, prideful....tisk, tisk, tisk.  I swear, I'm working on it.

3.  The Ugly:  I am a coward fueled by low self-esteem.  Yep, you heard me right.  Only my closest friends probably know about this side of me as I appear to have a very high self-esteem.  That's how it works, though.  Sure, I'm very confident in a few areas, but I'm also very fragile in many others.  One small, quick phrase with no ill intentions meant can be read falsely by me causing me to be shattered and shut down.  Some of the routine self-critical thoughts that go through my head are:

• I'm not worthy of being occupationally successful because it's known I'm a flake.
• I'll never be able to hold down a man because I'm not conventionally feminine or sexy enough; it's just a matter of time before they leave me seeking out those attributes in another woman.
• I shouldn't aspire to change career paths because I'd never be able to commit to it.
• I can't be a mother because I'll automatically turn into a neurotic, control-freak bitch both my husband and kids will hate.
• So-and-so didn't text/call me back, or said that to me, because they hate me.  Why did I ever think they be interested in hanging out with me?
• I can't trust any of my impulses because they must be fueled by my history with Pure-O OCD.
• I could never make a big out-of-state move because everyone knows I'll just come crawling back with my tail between my legs.
• I'll never be pretty enough, smart enough, adult enough, fun enough, cool enough, sexy enough, and so on.  Whatever the situation yields...

As a result, I often feel inadequate, stunted, trapped, and not taken seriously, which causes me to shut down and be a coward.  I absolutely know these bogus feelings and reactions are false, which leads me to...  

1.  The Good:  I'm very honest with myself and self-reflective which helps conceal and control "the bad" and "the ugly."  I know I can be annoying and overbearing as a know-it-all, and I know all these crazy negative thoughts running through my head are unjustified and self-induced.  I'm constantly working on subduing my instinctual reaction to fly in and take over a situation as a know-it-all would.  I'm working on being a better conversationalist so that I listen as much as I contribute.  I'm working on accepting someone's differing approach to a situation as not being inadequate to my approach since I think I know "the best" approach.  I know all those bulleted statements above are a bunch of shit and should not define my life.  I'm working on accepting MY life and whatever it may entail as opposed to the "expected" life I'm supposed to live.  I'm getting better at knowing when I'm assessing a reaction or situation through the lenses of an unjustifiably scared, unconfident woman and kicking my own ass for doing so.  I'm learning to accept my female "conventional inadequacies" as a being a standard for some, but definitely not all.  I'm learning it's ok to go with my gut, now; it's probably not the OCD talking.  I'm learning to not give a shit what people think or expect of me.  I'm learning it's ok to be happy in the life I'm choosing to create.

You know, it's a process, but as long as we're open to putting our pride aside and being honest with ourselves through a little introspection, it's amazing the well-rounded, healthy human beings we can become.  

Blog Challenge: Day 7

Recommend a book for us to read.  Why do you think it's important?

The most mind-blowing and influential class I took in college was Philosophy of Religion.  It changed my life.  I had never thought about these heavy topics in such a dissected, educated, and rational way.  Most people would think a Philosophy of Religion course's purpose would be to debunk all religious theory, the notion of a god, blatantly support Atheism, and so on, but that was not the case.  This book/class actually helped bring me a lot of peace to all those troubling, and often contradictory, religious subjects and theories that are liberally tossed around so carelessly in both casual conversation and heavy debate.  Check out the Table of Contents I included...

I think everyone should read this book so they don't appear so damn ignorant when arguing these heavy religious topics...HAHAHA!

Blow your mind.  Find peace.  Educate yourself by researching both sides of the coin.  Question.  Put on your critical thinking hat.  Be humbled.  Challenge yourself.  Discover where you feel comfortable.

(I added my feet in there for dramatic effect) 

Blog Challenge: Day 6

What's something you've always wanted to do but have not?  

And, why?

1.  Move to Colorado or New Mexico.  Why not?  Well, I'm sure fear plays a major part in this.  That's a big move!  I also don't think I'm unhappy enough here to make the move out there.  I like my life, I like my town, I like my job, I like my friends, and I love being in close distance to my family where weekend trips are possible.  It's a lot to gamble for the exchange of beautiful scenery.  I guess I'm too lazy, too.  Moving is a lot of work!

2.  Start my own business.  Why not?  I'm scared!  I'm not a risk taker.  Honestly, I don't think anyone in my family is.  Just a big puss running around the "what if"s my whole life.

3.  Travel abroad.  Why not?  Money.  To this day, I still do not understand how so many of my peers have afforded to travel, and I have not.  Is everyone putting this stuff on credit cards, or what?!

4.  Get a breast reduction!!!!!!!!!!!!  HAHAHAHA!  No, but really....

Blog Challenge: Day 5

If you could have dinner with any five people, who would they be?

I really don't get into questions like this.  I'm not the kind of person who desires to meet celebrities or public figures, but here's my best shot.  Oh, surprise, they're almost all musicians.

1. Jeff Tweedy:  Simply put, I think he's a musical genius.  He's probably a cool ass dude, too. 
2. Ryan Adams: (leave Mandy at home):  Another musician I want to have babies with.  I mostly admire his lyrical talent.
3. Brad Pitt:  So I could witness the tangible definition of flawless physical beauty.  I have a feeling he's a cool dude, too.
4. Gillian Welch:  My main female musician inspiration.
5. Neil Young:  The best...

That was boring.  Next!