Spinach Chicken Roulade with Sweet Pumpkin Sauce

Spinach Chicken Roulade with Sweet Pumpkin Sauce

(serving 2)

-1 whole chicken breast (no bones)

-2 slices of bacon

-8 oz frozen spinach (thawed)

-8 oz or so of sweet pumpkin
-few sprigs of asapragus

-vegetable stock

-heavy cream

-minced garlic

-salt and pepper

1)      Cut the sweet pumpkin in wedges. Be careful while cutting. Very tough cutting through the pumpkin. You may cook the whole thing and just snack on the rest. We only need about 8 oz for this recipe. Put the wedges in a microwave safe bowl. Add ¼ cup of water. Cover and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes. Check with a fork. When cooked, remove and set aside.

2)      Squeeze spinach dry of access liquid and stir fry in medium heat. Season with garlic, salt and pepper. Let it rest until room temperature.

3)      Filet the chicken in half. Put one filet between clear plastic wrap and pound flat. You may use rolling pin, meat tenderizer, mallet… etc.. ¼ inch thin.

4)      Removed one flat filet from the plastic wrap and lay down flat. Salt and pepper the chicken. Squeeze out excess liquid from the cooked spinach again and add half evenly on top of the filet. Roll from one end to the other, tucking in the sides to an even roll. Wrap around the bacon. Repeat with second piece.

5)      Pre-heat the oven at 375F.

6)      Puree about 8 oz of the pumpkin skin removed. Add vegetable stock to thin it down. Hold aside.

7)      Add oil to a high heat pan. Place both rolled chicken pieces with bacon ends down first. Roll to get even golden bacon color on all ends. Remove from pan and place in an oven safe pan and into the oven it goes. It will take approx. 15-20 minutes.

8)      In that same pan add the pumpkin and vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream to thicken the sauce and Whisk away!! Run it through a strainer and set aside. Sauce is ready!

9)      Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cut the asparagus in spears. Add salt to the boiling water and cook the asparagus. 3-4 minutes.

10)  Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with foil. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Place sauce on the bottom of the plate and place the roulades on top using asparagus as a side garnish.

11)  Enjoy!

Paleo friendly-Citrus Poached Salmon

Paleo friendly Citrus Poached Salmon

*Please note: this recipe does NOT include salt for the purpose of Paleo diet

(Serving 2)

-6-8 Asparagus pieces

-6 oz Broccoli Rod

-1 oz Shredded Carrots

-4- 3oz portions of skin removed salmon

-Poaching liquid (1gal water, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 4 garlic cloves, black pepper corns, small Spanish onion)

-1 clove garlic minced, black pepper, teaspoon canola oil

1)      Bring poaching liquid to a boil. (Use a micro plane and save a little of the lemon and the orange zest. Put aside) Slice both the lemon and the orange in half. Squeeze its juices into the pot and add the halves. Add the garlic cloves, black pepper corns and peeled whole Spanish onion. Bring the liquid to a boil.

2)      Trim the asparagus by holding the middle of the Asparagus snapping off the root bottoms. You may throw the bottoms into the poaching liquid. Trim the bottom with a knife if desired. Cook the asparagus in the poaching liquid first. It will take about 3-4 minutes. During that time prepare a bowl of ice water to shock the asparagus cold when removed from the poaching liquid.

3)      Once the asparagus is moved, bring the poaching liquid back to a boil. Slowly drop in the salmon pieces one at a time. Once the liquid starts to show boiling bubbles, turn off heat and put a lid on the pot. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO OPEN THE POT. Let the salmon pieces take a nice steam bath in the liquid for about 12-15 minutes. In the mean time let’s prepare the broccoli rod!

4)      Peel the skin around the broccoli rod with a potato peeler. You can use the florets in another dish later. Shred the peeled broccoli rod along with the carrot. Bring a frying pan up to medium heat with a teaspoon of canola oil. Stir fry the broccoli rod and the carrots. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic and black pepper. Add in the asparagus to heat it up on the side. Remove from heat and toss in the saved zest from step 1.

5)      Serve the salmon along side with the veggies. Salmon should be perfect pink tone without any protein coagulation. (the white stringy stuff)

6)      Enjoy!!!

My first post!

I just want to take my first post to thank everyone who reads this. Everyone from various walks of my life will be invited to view my first blog. First, my Paleo clients of Crossfit Pasadena... You guys inspire me to learn things I never knew and make impossible possible. I learned so much with the opportunity have prepared meals for you and I look forward to our paths crossing again. My catering and private event clients... You guys keep the spunk in my life. Always throwing at me crazy ideas for cakes and parties. I am also so lucky to have such imaginative clients! My facebook 'food porn' viewers, Yes... this will mean less pictures I post there but here I will be posting recipes so you can make them on your own! I thank you for all the 'likes'. I hope you continue viewing my blog and show my blog lots of love! To all my friends and family... You know you guys all rock!! I will continue the recipe researches and random middle of the night phone calls to come pick up excess food at my house. =)