Just so all of the Paleo Police know…there are a few “gray” areas in this recipe.

But this has got to be one of the best dishes I’ve cooked in a while!

Loads of flavors, very hearty and filling.  Warms up great as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free chicken stock
• 1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
• 6 tbsp almond butter
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 tsp honey
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsp safflower oil, divided
• 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium red bell pepper
• 1 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 8 green onions, optional (I hate green onions, so I left them out)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk broth with soy sauce, almond butter, ginger, honey and dry mustard.  Set aside.
2. In a large nonstick wok or skillet heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat.  Add chicken and garlic and cook until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl; heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in wok.  Add pepper, cashews and edamame and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Return chicken to wok.  Add onions (optional) and sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
4. Serve, eat and enjoy.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add any vegetables you like to the mix.  Cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus would all be great additions.  Or you could serve this stir-fry over roasted cauliflower (mimics rice).

I’m mad that I did not get a picture of the completed dish.  It’s not only delicious, but it is a beautiful dish as well.

Hope you enjoy!

My husband loves Scallops and this was my first attempt at cooking them.

I think it went rather well and my husband agreed!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 18 large sea scallops (about 2 lbs)
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup gluten free chicken stock (I use Kitchen Basics)
• 2 tsp organic, pastured butter (Paleo Purists…read this article)
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley, optional

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil on medium-high.  Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Working in 2 or 3 batches, sear scallops until cooked through, flipping only once, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
2. Add shallot to pan and saute until softened, about 1 minute.  Add juice and broth. Deglaze pan by scraping brown bits from bottom with a wooden spoon.  Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and quickly whisk in butter.  Add zest and parsley, if desired.
4. Finish scallops with shallot-juice reduction.

Tips:

Avoid crowding the pan when you sear scallops.  Scallops release moisture as they cook so too many in a pan at once will cause them to steam instead of sear.  To achieve a caramelized crust, you may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your pan.

I cut this recipe in half and only cooked 8 scallops.  I like sauce so the next time I make this dish I will not cut the recipe for the sauce in half.  Felt like there was not quite enough sauce.

Another side note:  The orange zest was a little too bold for me.  Next time I will either cut the ratio in half or leave it out altogether.

I served this with a sweet potato mash and broccoli salad from Urban Cookhouse.