The inspiration for this recipe came, once again, from a new paleo site I recently discovered. The original recipe touted that it was a "cheesy casserole." My experience was that this was NOT cheesy, and the original recipe as written was fairly bland. Normally I would have added some liquid smoke and maybe some Worcestershire sauce. I'm trying to make things as paleo as I can for a while, just to see what happens. Oh, and I'm a little miffed - I commented on the post with the changes I made and how much I loved it - and the moderator deleted it! I guess that's why there's only a handful of reviews on each and all are glowing.
Side note: Have you ever heard of the Carb Flu? Apparently it's not all that uncommon when switching to a paleo diet. Basically when your body isn't getting the carbs it is used to (notice I said "used to," not "needs"). You can feel irritable, anxious, sluggish and all sorts of other not-fun things. My paelo hero - Steph from Stupid But Easy Paleo helped explain this to me. I contacted her because every time I'd try to eat paleo, I'd start having these symptoms within about 18 hours of eliminating oats, beans, etc. Whole 30 advocates call this the "Kill All The Things" phase, which I thinks speaks for itself.
At this point, I'm not advocating a strict paleo diet, because frankly I feel like the jury is still out. I think there's a lot of benefit to eating oats, beans, etc. Then again, there are people who absolutely swear by the paleo way of eating. I'm struggling to re-lose these last 10 pounds or so, and I thought giving paleo a try might be the way to go.
Anyway, I emailed Steph and she got right back to me (what an awesome chick!). She said what I was describing sounded like the carb flu, though I have no idea why it would set it so quickly for me when under a Whole 30 it generally sets in around day 7. She suggested I get some extra carbs - sweet potatoes or fruit - and see if that helped lessen the symptoms.
Outside of a piece of dark chocolate yesterday and my daily coffee fix, my meals have been 100% paleo for two days now. I'm excited to weigh in this weekend and see how I'm doing. My next mission is to find a recipe for a homemade coffee creamer so that I can get off the commercial stuff for good. I've found a few prospects, all of which call for coconut milk. I once tried putting coconut milk in my coffee because it's rich and creamy - epic fail! There's so much fat in it that I got those little grease bubbles floating on top. Grody! I fully anticipate some trial and error in this little venture.
This recipe is an example of "don't overdo it just because it's paleo." It was really yummy, but had a whole can of coconut milk (which is VERY high in calories). I haven't calculated the macros on the recipe, primarly because I'm trying to completely reinvent the way I look at food, but I know it was heavy. I was s.t.a.r.v.i.n.g last night by the time I had dinner fixed and ended up having a second portion (which I rarely do) and had a blueberry cobbler from the night before. I was so stuffed by the time I was done eating. Interestingly, though, I didn't get that bloated, want-to-do-nothing-but-sleep feeling after eating too much. That, to me, was a very compelling argument toward paleoism.
On to the recipe. I was planning on both of my children eating dinner at home so I made a big batch. Naturally neither of them did, so there are TONS of leftovers. I served this over cauliflower rice. Feel free to halve the recipe, unless you're cooking for a large family.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
4 chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
Sea salt & ground black pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini, shredded with a cheese grater
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place whole squash (not cut or seeded) on the baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes or until just starting to soften. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
But chicken in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then toss with tongs. Let stand while preparing squash.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut squash in half cross-wise just above the bulb and slice off the top and bottom. Stand squash on its end and use a sharp knife to cut off the skin. Remove seeds from the bulb and cut into one inch cubes. Boil squash for 15 to 20 minutes or until very soft.
While squash is boiling, bring a large skillet with tight-fitting lid on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and turn pan to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer, cover, and cook 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, turning pieces over occasionally. Transfer to a mixing bowl (preferably one that has a flat bottom) and shred with two forks.
When squash is soft, drain water and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher. While squash is still hot, add coconut oil, coconut milk, vinegar, oregano, thyme, chili powder, onion powder, sea salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Combine chicken, squash mix and zucchini in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until heated through. If mixture is too thick, add a little hot water.
Serve over cauliflower rice.
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