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Meat Dishes

Almond Fried Chicken Strips or Bites
Image by Mae Mu
RECIPE
No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna
Image by Caroline Attwood
RECIPE
Pork Chops in Garbanzo Bean Flour
Image by Alex Munsell
RECIPE
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Image by Mae Mu

Almond Fried Chicken Strips or Bites

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken strips

  • 2 cups almond flour

  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil

  • 1 Tbsp seasoned salt (optional)

  • 1 Tbsp pepper (optional)
     

Directions

  1. Put coconut oil in a pan, ready to put on low heat.

  2. Put almond flower on a saucer. 

  3. Put season salt and pepper on to the almond flour and mix throughout the flour.

  4. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.

  5. Coat each chicken strip or bite, pressing the chicken into the flour coating both sides.

  6. Heat coconut oil until liquid and place chicken in coconut oil and fry until each side is golden brown. (5 to 10 minutes, turning when half way cooked).

  7. Place on a plate with paper towel. Blot meat with an additional paper towel.

  8. Serve immediately.

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Health Benefits:

Chicken – Excellent source of protein, niacin, phosphorous, B6, B12, Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc. Almond flour – Gluten free and nutritionally dense, Omega-3 fatty acids to can reduce risk of heart disease, improve blood sugar control, and good for brain health

Coconut oil (SEE Superfoods: Super Fruits)

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Image by Alex Munsell

Pork Chops in Garbanzo Bean Flour

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork chops, or thin cut pork loin chops

  • 2 cups garbanzo bean flour

  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil

  • 1 Tbsp seasoned salt (optional)

  • 1 Tbsp pepper (optional)
     

Directions

  1. Put coconut in a pan and put on low heat.

  2. Put garbanzo bean flour on saucer.

  3. Pat pork chops dry.

  4. Put season salt and pepper on to the garbanzo bean flour and mix throughout the flour.

  5. Coat each pork chop, pressing the pork into the flour and coating both sides.

  6. Place in coconut and fry until each side is golden brown.

  7. Place on plate with paper towel. Blot meat with an additional paper towel.

  8. Serve immediately.

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Health Benefits:

Pork chops – Pork is known as the “other white meat” and is a healthier alternative to red meat if eaten sparingly.  It is relatively lean, but is not as low-fat as chicken or fish.

Garbanzo bean flour -Packed with fiber, affects blood sugar less that typical flour, higher in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, may reduce the formation of harmful compounds in processed foods.

Coconut oil – (SEE Superfoods: Super Fruits)

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Image by Caroline Attwood

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

I double this recipe and put ½ of it in the freezer.

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Ingredients

           

  • 2 large zucchini (sliced lengthwise into very thin slices, set aside to drain, pat dry)

  • 1 pound grass fed ground beef or ground turkey

  • 1 Tbsp salt (optional)

  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground pepper

  • 1 small green, yellow, or red pepper, diced

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 can tomato paste

  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

  • ¼ cup red wine (optional)

  • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil, oregano, and parsley

  • 1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese

  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced or chopped

  • 1 (16 ounce) frozen spinach defrosted and drained with paper towels

  • 10 to 12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

  • 1 egg or 4 ounces canned pumpkin

  • ½ cup of hot water or more as needed

  • Season salt and pepper to taste

  • 9” x 9” pan

 

Directions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. If preparing without meat:  Add 1 tsp oil to skillet.  Add in peppers, onions and cook until caramelized.  Stir in tomatoes, paste, wine, basil, onion, oregano, adding a ¼ to ½ cup hot water as needed to keep sauce from getting too thick.  (Skip to # 4)
    If preparing meat sauce: Add ground beef or turkey and pepper in a large skillet over high for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain fat.  Add in season salt and pepper to taste. Add in peppers, onions and cook until meat is cooked.  Stir in tomato sauce, paste, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a half cup of hot water (or more) as needed to keep sauce from getting too thick.

  3. Simmer for 20 minutes.

  4. Stir ricotta and parsley in a small bowl.

  5. To assemble lasagna, spread ½ the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then layer ½ the zucchini slices. ½ ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by the mushrooms, then ½ the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat the layering with the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella cheese.

  6. Cover with aluminum foil.

  7. Bake for 45 minutes.

  8. Remove aluminum foil and cook for 15 minutes.

  9. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Health benefits:

Zucchini and squash – Full of vitamin C, good for weight and diabetic management, reduces arthritis pain and hypertension and good for the nervous system. 

Yellow and red peppers – Full of vitamin C, a good source of carotenoids and lycopene. 

Tomato – High in vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants. 

Basil – Reduces inflammation and said to have anti-aging and anti-bacterial properties. 

Oregano (See Superfoods: Super Herbs and Spices)

Parsley – Bone health, regulates blood sugar and renal function, reduces anemia and fatigue and strengthens the immune system. 

Ricotta Cheese – While there is saturated fat, the mono and polyunsaturated and omega 3 profiles, is high in Vitamin A and B2, and is an excellent source of calcium, selenium, phosphorus and rich in protein. 

Mushrooms - (SEE Superfoods: Super Vegetables and Legumes)

Onion – May benefit heart health, control blood sugar, boost bone density, loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds.

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