Diana McKenzie

Insurance Liason

Healthy Chicken Fingers

These grain- and gluten-free chicken tenders have the crispness your kids craze, without the nasty trans fats of fast food tenders.

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Ingredients:

1 lb. organic chicken tenders or chicken breasts, pounded thin.

1/2 cup grapeseed oil Vegenaise. (This brand is readily available and has a purple top. There are other versions that use canola oil, which we do NOT recommend.)

1 cup almond flour.

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Instructions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Dredge in Vegenaise and then in almond flour.

Place in a glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 – 40 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.

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Orange Chicken

*Serves 4

This is a simple dish with great flavor.

4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Butter

¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt

½ c. White Wine or substitute Chicken Stock

¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper

½ c. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice from about 2 Oranges

1/3 c. Coconut Flour, or Almond Flour

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Place each chicken breast half between pieces of waxed or parchment paper. Pound each piece into ½ inch thickness using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt and pepper; dredge chicken in flour. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook for 1 minute or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken, slice thinly, and keep warm. Add wine(or chicken stock as substitute) and orange juice to pan; cook until reduced and alcohol is burned off to ½ cup (about 4 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken.

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Buffalo Chicken Rolls

*Serves 4)

A good alternative to chicken wings which are usually fried in bad oils.  This is also much fancier a dish.

4 boneless chicken breasts

5 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup hot pepper sauce (check ingredients)

Romaine lettuce

Celery and celery leaves

Place chicken breasts between sheet of waxed or parchment paper.  Pound the chicken breasts down to a ¼ inch thickness.  In a large glass bowl, make the marinade by mixing together the butter and hot pepper sauce.  Add the chicken into the marinade, turning to coat; cover and refrigerate 15-30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and spoon 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese onto the center of each chicken breast.  Fold in the sides, rolling the chicken around the blue cheese.  Secure with wooden picks.

Place the chicken rolls in a baking pan.  Bake in 400 F oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.  Set the temperature control at broil or 450 F.  Arrange the oven rack so the chicken is about 8 inches from the heat.  Broil the chicken for about 5 minutes or until brown.  Remove the wooden picks from the chicken.  Arrange chicken and lettuce on a platter.  Garnish with celery and celery leaves and remaining blue cheese.

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Chicken Asparagus Marsala                                                     

*Serves 4

4 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned                                   

½ pound mushrooms

10 ounces asparagus spears, cut                                                    

¼ cup Marsala wine

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon coconut or grapeseed oil

½ tsp salt

¼ cup water

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

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Pound the chicken into pieces to `/4 inch thickness. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium/high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning, for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is brown. Remove chicken and set aside. To the drippings remaining in the fry pan, add asparagus and mushrooms and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, add Marsala wine, water, salt, pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes to reduce the liquid. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are tender. Arrange chicken on a serving platter. Spoon the vegetable sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. 

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Chicken Fajita

4-6 Chicken Breasts (boneless) - bake in oven on 350 degrees until cooked 

In sauté pan:

2 large bell peppers (red, yellow, orange or green)

2 large onions (slices not chopped)

1 package of mushrooms (if you desire)

2 tomatoes

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Cook ingredients in coconut oil, grape seed oil or butter until soft and well blended. Add garlic, salt, cayenne or roasted red peppers for spice as needed/desired. 

Cut up baked chicken into strips and add to veggie mix. Turn mixture on high heat for 2-4 minutes. 

Serve on lettuce leaf and add sour cream, avocado and salsa as needed. 

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Chicken Salad Casserole  

Servings: 4
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped
½-1/3 cup mayo (home made or Vegenaise)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Choose your favorites:
Shredded carrots
Chopped apples
Chopped grapes
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Curry powder
Chopped celery
Chopped pickles
Raw pecans, chopped
Raw walnuts, chopped
Raw almonds, sliced or slivers.

Mix any of the above ingredients with the chicken, mayo and lemon juice

Out all ingredients in a glass baking dish, sprinkle with finely chopped nuts and heat in a 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes.

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Cuban Style Chicken Breasts   

Servings: 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  

1 tbsp. balsamic or apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped  

1 tsp dried oregano
3 limes, juiced       

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp salt                

2 tbsp. coconut oil

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Slice the chicken breasts evenly in half. Cover with wax paper and use mallet to pound them on both sides, until they are approximately ¼ inch thin. Place in a glass bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients, and refrigerate for at least one hour (longer will be even better. )
When ready to cook, place an equal amount of olive oil and coconut oil in a pan, just enough to coat the bottom. Sauté the chicken at low to medium heat on each side until golden and cooked through. (about 5 minutes each side, it might need longer if thicker).

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Caribbean Chicken  

Servings: 4
2 tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup coconut milk
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pinch ground cinnamon
4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons curry powder
Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring until golden brown. Add tomatoes, chicken, and sprinkle curry powder; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened and chicken is cooked through 15-25 minutes. Add coconut milk and stir until well combined; cook 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Garnish with cilantro.

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Chicken Sausage Soup   

Servings: 4-6
1 quart organic chicken broth
1 quart water
6-8 chicken or turkey sausage links
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 heads escarole or spinach
1 can cannelloni (white) beans, drained
Fresh parsley
Lemon zest

Brown the onion and garlic in a small amount of oil in a medium sized stock pot. Add chicken stock and water along with salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer. In the meantime, brown chicken sausages in a separate pan and cut into chunks. Set aside. Add chopped escarole, or spinach and cannelloni beans to the stock mixture. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the sausage back in right before serving. Top with parsley and lemon zest. 

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Chicken Savoy      

Servings: 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/8 cup EVOO

2/3 cup water with 1 tbsp. sea salt

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2-2 tsp dried oregano or basil

1/4 cup grated Italian Romano cheese

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 or other shallow baking dish. cover the chicken with a mixture made with the water, salt and olive oil. Grate or mince the garlic and sprinkle it on the chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Sprinkle the Romano cheese over the chicken. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the dish from the oven, and pour off the excess fluid, leaving the chicken in the baking dish. drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

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Chicken Satay

This is a great speedy dinner. Kids love them because they can eat them right off the sticks.

2 tbsp. almond or cashew butter

1/2 cup tamari or organic soy sauce

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

2 tbsp. curry powder

6 Skinless Boneless Organic Chicken breast, cubed

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (check ingredients or optional)

2 clove chopped garlic or put through a press

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Combine nut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, curry, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Place the chicken beasts in the marinade and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat a grill to high, weave the chicken onto wooden skewers (soak them first to prevent them catching on fire) and grill for approximately 5 min on each side.