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Paleo Lemon Artichoke Pesto Chicken “Pasta” with Spinach too!

artichokesWow, was this good! It tastes almost creamy but there is really nothing bad at all in this dish. No dairy or cheese, but almost feels like it should have some in it. Super healthy and has to be one of the top dishes I have made. This is a repeater for sure. I used ribbons of zucchini as my spaghetti but you can also use spaghetti squash or any type of stringy squash.

Indredients:
* 1 lb chicken cut up into little pieces
* 2 large zucchini’s. I used a curly peeler that makes them look like spaghetti
* 1 jar of artichoke hearts.
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1/2 cup Italian parsley
* 1/2 cup fresh basil
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
* 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
* 4-5 tablespoons of vegetable broth
* 1/2 lemon juice
* 4 large handfuls of baby spinach
* salt/pepper

1. First thing I did was sprial cut the zucchini. Get a pot of water going and have that start to boil. Set aside for a while. You DO NOT want to overcook your spaghetti “noodles”. If you do, they will become mush. So this is the last thing you do.

2. In a saucepan add some olive oil, or butter. Melt down and then add one of your diced garlic pieces. When that just starts to become fragrant, add your artichoke hearts and cook these until they turn a tad brown or cooked well.

3. Add your walnuts, olive oil, clove of garlic, and vegetable broth in a food processor and puree until smooth. When the artichokes are done cooking, add them to the mixture and puree well.

4. Add your parsley, basil, and 1/2 juice of a lemon and mix until creamy smooth. If you like chunky artichokes in your sauce, then leave a few of those out and add at the very end, just chopping a little bit. Taste and if you like more of a lemon flavor, then add more lemon. Make sure to add a dash of salt and pepper to the mix as well!

5. Take your chicken and cut into small pieces. Add a little more olive oil or butter to your saucepan you cooked the artichokes in and cook your chicken until just brown on the sides. When your chicken is almost cooked, now is the time to drop your zucchini spaghetti into the water. Only leave in for a few minutes until soft. Think al dente, even though it isnt real pasta.

6. Add about 1/2 cup of the artichoke mixture to your chicken along with about 4 large handfuls of spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and become soft.

7. Add in your cooked ‘spaghetti’ and the remainder of the sauce to the saucepan. Mix well together until everything is combined.

8. Serve with a little fresh basil on top and one of the remaining artichoke hearts.

ENJOY!!

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Posted by on April 3, 2013 in Chicken, Dinner

 

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Paleo pesto zucchini spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms, and tomatoes

homemade-pestoI just got a new food toy, a julienne peeler so now I can make some great pasta out of zucchini’s! I love spaghetti squash but it just takes so long sometimes to make and this is quick and easy!

Just make whatever sauce you like and throw it on top and BAM spaghetti!

Ingredients:

•For the pesto, just throw in a food processor a ton of basil, some olive oil, pine nuts (or walnuts because pine nuts are ridiculously expensive!) garlic, and salt and pepper. Just taste and add more of anything till it fits how you like it to taste.

• Chicken- just cut up about 2 breasts into pieces and toss them into a pan with some olive oil and garlic.
• When chicken is almost done, add chopped mushrooms and the pesto you just made. Add cut up cherry tomatoes a minute or so before serving.

• Zucchini – just slice it up with your peeler and add to hot water for about 5 minutes. Strain and serve with the pesto chicken mixture on top.

Delish!

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Posted by on January 2, 2013 in Dinner

 

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Zucchini sausage pesto rolls

Day 11! Okay, we’ll I kind of cheated on the sugar detox yesterday but it was conscious decision and not a crazy craving. It was this magnificent piece of cheesecake which I only ate half, and I took the smallest little bites so it lasted like an hour. Yum. BUT, my stomach felt like shit and I got a sugar high right before I had to stand up and speak to about 40 people. I totally spazzed out and forgot what I was going to say and reverted to the scared of public speaking Kari from years ago. That sucked. I blame the cheesecake. But whatever, that’s after 11 days no sugar, no fruit.

Okay, on with today’s meal! I made this tonight for dinner and I either should have made a salad, side, or more. These should definitely be used for an appetizer. I saw this on paleOMG today and had to make it.

Ingredients:

  • Zucchini (about 2 or 3)
  • Italian sausages (I got the spicy chicken sausage from Whole Foods)
  • Fresh made pesto sauce

Cut the zucchini’s with a mandolin or about 1/4 inch thick. Spread on pan (or grill would be much better) and drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. I broiled them until they were tender and a little brown from broiling.

Put the sausages in a frying pan and cook them for about 10 minutes. Flip over when one side is brown and cook the other side.

Make your pesto sauce (basil, olive oil, garlic, a few walnuts)

Take your pesto and spread it on the zucchini strips. Take your sausage and cut it into 1 inch pieces and roll them up with the zucchini strips, pesto facing the sausage. You can put a toothpick in them or just set on the side that was last to be rolled. Enjoy!

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Seafood paleo pesto ‘pasta’

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This is a super easy, super healthy, delicious meal that everyone will love. I must advise, if you don’t have a food processor by now, get one! They make everything easier, quicker, and taste better. Okay, maybe not taste better but easy and quick!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 2 tbls. Olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • Bag o’ seafood from Trader Joes (in the frozen section. Has calamari rings,shrimp, and scallops)
  • 3 large zucchini’s
  • Salt/pepper
To make the pesto sauce just add the basil, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts into the food processor. Blend until creamy smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the seafood mixture in a little olive oil in frying pan. Add pesto sauce and complete cooking.
In the meantime cut your zucchini into thin slices or use a mandolin. (Target has them for like $5). Then cut into slices into smaller slices that resemble fettuccine. Boil these until tender, think al dente. Add to pesto seafood mixture and stir until pesto has coated everything.
Serve with cherry tomatoes and enjoy!

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Posted by on June 27, 2012 in Sauces, Seafood

 

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