Turmeric and Sesame Chicken Tenders

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It’s all about the crisp when it comes to perfect chicken tenders, which these deliver on. Coconut flour lends a nuttiness and the sesame seeds an additional crunch. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce, atop fresh mixed greens, or next to our Green Lentil and Squash Salad. They’ll please the kids and adults in your household. 

This recipe yields 6 chicken strips

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 680 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
  • 32 g coconut flour
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degrees Celsius.

  2. Place three flat glass baking dishes on the counter. In the first dish, spread the coconut flour. In the second, pour the olive oil. In the third dish, mix sesame seeds, turmeric, cayenne, sea salt and black pepper.

  3. Slice chicken thighs into long strips, about 3 per thigh. Take each strip and dip it in the coconut flour (shaking off excess), then in the olive oil, then in the sesame mixture, and place them evenly spaced on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

  4. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degrees Celsius on convection for fifteen minutes, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is crispy and cooked through.

  5. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

TIPS

**For dipping sauce, I recommend my tahini dressing. For a sweeter option, mix 1 part stone ground mustard with 1 part honey. 

 
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Maple Glazed Salmon

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Sweet and savory, this salmon dish is reminiscent of traditional teriyaki recipes (but without the added sugar and salt). Maple syrup is one of nature’s healthiest sweeteners, and gluten-free Tamari soy sauce brings the zing. I serve this dish on busy weeknights to elevate dinnertime without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. 

This recipe yields 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free Tamari soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound wild caught salmon filet
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free Tamari soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound wild caught salmon filet
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Mix maple syrup, garlic (or garlic-infused olive oil), soy sauce, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

  2. In a small glass baking dish, place salmon and pour syrup mixture on top. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit / 200 degrees Celsius.

  4. Remove fish from the refrigerator and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. 

TIP

**For SIBO and low-FODMAP protocols, replace: maple syrup with honey, garlic with 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil, and tamari with coconut aminos

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Sumac and Pomegranate Roasted Carrots

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I love cooking with the Middle Eastern spice sumac for its bright, lemony flavor and vibrant red hue. Pairing it with cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and tahini dressing enlivens roasted carrots in the most beautiful way. 

This recipe yields 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound carrots
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon duck fat or coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • PrimaFoodie Tahini Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • ⅛ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 450 g carrots
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon duck fat or coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • PrimaFoodie Tahini Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit / 220 degrees Celsius.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put carrots on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil, duck fat (or coconut oil), and sumac. Toss evenly and distribute carrots across the sheet, making sure they have plenty of room.
 
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes until tender.

4. Whip up PrimaFoodie tahini dressing.

5. When carrots are finished, remove from oven and transfer to a serving plate.

6. Drizzle with tahini dressing, chopped cilantro, and pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. 

7. Serve.  

Tips

**If you are not on a SIBO protocol, adding garlic to this roasted carrot dish is delicious. De-shell whole cloves and place them on the baking sheet with the carrots during the last 10-15 minutes of cook time. 

**If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can also top these carrots with fresh thyme or parsley.

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Honey-Sweetened Jellied Cranberries

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Cranberry sauce is such an essential part of a holiday dinner, but the additives and sugar from the store-bought versions of days past have no part on our table. Instead, I make my own, using only fruit, seasonings, honey for refined-sugar-free sweetness, and a healthy gelatin alternative.

This recipe yields 14 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 20 ounces frozen or fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 orange juiced and grated for zest
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 1-½ teaspoons Vital Proteins beef gelatin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander or cinnamon (optional)
  • 20 ounces frozen or fresh cranberries
  • 60 ml water
  • 1 orange juiced and grated for zest
  • 180 ml honey
  • 1-½ teaspoons Vital Proteins beef gelatin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander or cinnamon (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add berries, water, and orange zest to a pot. Cover and cook on medium until berries start to soften and release their water.

  2. Mash the mixture with a masher or fork.

  3. Add 1 tablespoon orange juice and ¾ cup / 180 ml of honey.

  4. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. 

  5. Add gelatin and stir into mixture. Continue cooking until it thickens.

  6. Once the mixture has thickened a fair amount, pour it into a blender. Add salt, vanilla, and coriander or cinnamon (if desired). Blend on high for about 30 seconds to pulverize the cranberry seeds. 

  7. Pour mixture back into pan and continue boiling, stirring frequently, especially as it gets closer to done. Keep an eye on it during this step because the sugar from the honey will start to foam and the liquid can boil over the sides very quickly. 

  8. Cook until you can run a spatula across the bottom of the pan and it takes a few seconds to go back into place.

  9. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof container. 

  10. Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. 

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Brazil Nut Milk

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I love homemade nut milk. It makes coffee, smoothies and even SIBO-approved pancakes better. My SIBO diet allows for all nuts except cashews and pistachios. Further, I am always mindful of rotating what goes into (and on) my body. This is so I don’t end up creating new food sensitivities and also to spread out and maximize the nutrients my body is getting. In my search for alternatives to almonds, which are all too easy to eat in excess if you’re gluten or especially grain-free, I discovered brazil nuts.

Turns out, brazil nut milk is creamier and more satisfying than regular almond milk. My secret is doubling the amount of nuts, adding a pinch of Himalayan pink salt and vanilla bean.

This recipe will yield about 40 ounces (over a liter) of milk, equaling eight 5-ounce servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups raw organic brazil nuts
  • 5 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  • 1-2 vanilla beans
  • 475 g raw organic brazil nuts
  • 1 liter water
  • ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  • 1-2 vanilla beans

Directions

  1. Soak Brazil nuts in water for 8 hours, at room temperature, covered with a flour sack towel or cheese cloth. (3-4 hours is fine - add a pinch of sea salt and a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to help activate faster). I use this glass pitcher because my nut bag fits over the sides and it’s easy to pour into the blender.

  2. Drain and rinse the nuts and add them to a 64 oz Vitamix or other blender, along with 5 cups / 1 liter of water.

  3. Arrange your nut milk bag in the glass pitcher you used to soak your nuts, trying to get the edges of the bag over the rim. I stick to organic cloth nut bags like this one.

  4. Blend nuts on medium working up to high until smooth and creamy, about 45-60 seconds.

  5. Pour liquid through nut bag back into glass pitcher and strain out the pulp. The pulp can be saved, even frozen, for baking and other uses that call for almond or other nut meal.

  6. Pour nut milk back into Vitamix and add salt and vanilla. Blend until smooth and well-mixed, about 10-15 seconds.

TIPS

**For a sweet nut milk, add maple syrup or chopped dates.
**Save in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
**A note about water quality. I have a whole house water filter, so even my soaking water is filtered. I also have an alkaline water maker built in under my sink and I use that one for the nut milk. Whatever your setup is, use as clean a water source as you can. If you live in the mountains and have delicious unpolluted alpine water, even better!
**Benefits of brazil nuts include this, as well as the trace mineral selenium, which also counteracts mercury toxicity.
**If your vanilla bean pods are grade B or dried out, soak them along with the nuts to soften them to more easily scrape out the paste.
**Vanilla beans can be replaced with vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
**If you don’t want to blend twice, you can skip the extra step and add your flavor ingredients before blending the nuts. It just seems wasteful to me to lose any of the precious vanilla beans to the filtering process so this is how I always do it.

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