Paleo Pad Thai

With a slogan like "Paleo Diet Recipes that don't look or taste like dog food", I was intrigued.  This recipe from Health-Bent is a winner.
Don't forget to read the Notes and Details at the bottom of the page!!

Paleo Pad Thai

Ingredients

1/4 cup fat
2-3 zucchinis
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce
2 Tbs fish sauce
the juice from 1 lime
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs cilantro, whole leaves or coarsly chopped (optional)

Directions

Slice the zucchinis lengthwise with a mandoline (see notes below).

In a saute pan over medium heat, melt the fat of your choice.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until they are just starting to get soft (about 2 minutes).  Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro and whisk together until well mixed.  Add to the sauce mixture to the pan when the onions are just starting to get soft.  Stir to combine.

Add the zucchini to the pan and mix them around so that they are evenly covered with sauce.  Saute until the zucchini is hot and is just starting to soften up; about 10 minutes.

When the zucchini is done, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cilantro and serve!

Notes and Details

A 1/4 cup of fat does seem like a lot at first; but trust me, it is the proper amount.  I used a mixture of fats to make up 1/4 cup: about 1/3 of that was the rendered pasture-raised local pork fat we get from our friends at Old Havana and I filled the rest of the 1/4 cup with coconut oil.

We don't own a mandoline, but the cheese slicer portion of our multi cheese grater fit the bill beautifully!  Plan C was to try and press hard with a peeler, because I have no confidence in my ability to make thin, uniform zucchini slices with a knife.  I only had 2 zucchinis and so I subbed in a summer squash that didn't change the flavor of the dish at all and just made more of it.  Goody!!  No worries about there being enough sauce either, with the 3 veggies there was plenty of sauce to go around.

If you are doing the Whole30 or Paleo challenge or other jump-starting program, you need to be cautious with the ingredients in your sauces.  Sugar and soy sauce are common ingredients in items such as chili garlic sauce.  Try making your own chili garlic sauce if you are having trouble finding a store-bought one.

My hubby suggests adding some color to this dish with addition veggies such as asparagus or peppers.  Get creative!

The folks at Health-Bent suggest pairing this dish with any kind of grilled or pan seared meat or seafood, and we agree!  Needing to go grocery shopping, we were lacking in the meat department tonight, and so we discovered that this dish tastes excellent even on its own.

Enjoy!!

Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Sauteed Fennel and Oranges

This recipe for a delicious meal comes to us courtesy of the Crankin' Kitchen.  Which I guess was also adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Sauteed Fennel and Oranges

Ingredients

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used 6 boneless, skinless thighs because that's what I had)
sea salt and freshly groung pepper* (see notes below)
1 Tbs olive oil or other paleo fat
1 fennel bulb, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced thinly crosswise
1 orange, sliced into 8 wedges
2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.*

Heat the olive oil or fat in a cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin side down if they have skin, and cook for about 7 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and put in the oven to finish for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken thighs.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove the skillet from the oven, place the chicken thighs on a plate, and pour off all but about 2 Tbs of the fat left in the pan before returning the skillet to burner on medium heat.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the fennel just becomes soft and the balsamic has thickened and coated everything.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Serve the chicken on top of a bed of fennel and extract some of the remaining juice in the orange wedges by squeezing them out over the chicken.

Notes and Details

*The original recipe says to "coat" the raw chicken thighs with salt & pepper; however, in my unexperienced hands, this led to inedible, salty chicken.  To season the chicken prior to cooking them, just a light sprinkling will do.  Chicken thighs are full of flavor naturally so not much seasoning is needed here.

Hope you and your loved ones enjoy!

Thanks!