It’s no big secret that I am a southern girl who was born and raised in Texas. In the South we fry EVERYTHING! Seriously… have you heard of our famous state fair deep friend Oreos or deep-fried margaritas. Yes, that is a thing. Anyway, I digress. What I was really wanting was some good, southern fried chicken. Other Paleo fried chicken recipes with nut flours just weren’t cutting. They ended up soggy or had a strange texture. I wanted a good, crunchy, slightly salty, juicy, fried chicken. I was at the store buying our weekly 15 bags (they are tiny) of plantain chips and I had an epiphany. Plantain chip crusted fried chicken! We buy the Inka Chips brand that come in a green bag from Natural Grocers. I do not recommend the dehydrated plantain or banana chips. I have never had a good experience with them!

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I already had the boneless , skinless chicken thighs at the house so I rushed home, ground up the plantain chips (as my kids watched in horror as I crushed their favorite snack in the food processor), add some spices, coated and pan-fried the chicken. What happened next was a surprise to the whole family.  The paleo fried chicken was so good!! Like down home, southern fried chicken!  This is a MUST try!!

Now, I used four different types of oil on these to see which one crisped up the best and allowed the chicken to cook thoroughly without burning and I must say that animal fats take the cake for this recipe. I had a ton of bacon grease and it most definitely worked the best. I also tried avocado oil, grape seed oil and coconut oil. If I absolutely could not use animals fats I would go with coconut oil. It has a higher smoke point and can be used to fry with.

Ingredients: 
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can use breast)
2 cups ground plantain chips
4 eggs
1/2 TSP paprika
1/2 TSP garlic POWDER
1/2 TSP Herbs de Provence (found in spice aisle at most grocery stores)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil (animal fat preferred)

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Instructions: 
Pour oil into skillet (about 1/8 inch deep) and heat on low-medium heat.
Using a food processor grind the plantain chips until they resemble flour. Set aside.
Mix spices into the plantain flour. Set aside.
Crack eggs into a separate bowl, whisk and set aside.
Dip thighs into egg and then into the plantain mixture.
Pan fry on medium to low heat until coating is darker golden brown and chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Lay out on a napkin or on a cooling rack with a paper towel under it to catch extra grease.
Serve right away with salad, in a wrap or as part of a spaghetti dinner. Can also simply be eaten with a side of vegetables!

The post Paleo Fried Chicken appeared first on That Savage Life.

Paleo Meal Plan Week 1

Breakfasts:
Eggs
Sausage
Bacon
Veggies
Ham
Fruit (Limit to two a day)

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Snacks: 
Avocados
Almonds
Cashews
Boiled Eggs
Grapefruit
Guacamole
Nut butters (Almond or cashew)
Veggies (celery, carrot, cucumber, jicama, sweet peppers, bell peppers)

Lunches:
Chicken Legs
Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Vegetables (Canned, fresh, frozen)
Canned Salmon
Pepperoni (Applegate Farms)
Lunchmeat (Applegate Farms)

Dinners: 
Monday- Wild Caught Cod (baked) with super veggie salad and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Tuesday- Buffalo chicken lettuce wrap with tomatoes and bell peppers.
Wednesday- Steak, mushrooms, and onions with mashed butternut squash.
Thursday- Zucchini noodle spaghetti with red sauce marinara and chicken sausage.
Friday- Chicken Legs and green beans.
Saturday- Mexican Cauli-Rice with diced chicken and avocado.
Sunday- Grass-fed beef bun-less burgers with asparagus.

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What are YOU eating this week?

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This recipe is super simple and the kids and husband loved it! We DO buy canned goods, but we make sure that there is ONLY the vegetable and water. In this case we actually found Great Value green beans to have ONLY green beans and water! It is a very tasty meal on a budget for those trying to save money!

Simple ham and green beans ingredients:

Two cans French Green Beans
1 tsp Crushed Garlic
1/2 lb Ham (cubed)

Recipe:

Open cans and empty 3/4 of the juice out.
Dump green beans into the skillet.
Add Ham and Garlic
Cook until warm and liquid is gone.
Serve.

The post Simple Ham and Green Beans appeared first on That Savage Life.

My husband (a bomb technician, hence the name) was really wanting chili so I came up with this recipe to fit with Paleo! This was by far some of the best chili (Paleo or not) that I have ever had and my husband agreed! My 7 year old ate four bowls because he loved it! You do not even taste the vegetables in it so it is a great way to get the veggies in the kids (and the husband) without a fuss!

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The Bomb Paleo Chili Ingredients: 

Two pounds of ground meat. We used turkey and pork.

2 cans tomato paste (JUST tomato pulp)

1 can diced tomato (JUST tomato, water and salt)

4 cups Broth (we used bone broth, but beef or chicken broth will work fine!)

– celery

– zucchini

– carrot

– onion

– crushed garlic

1 tbs of dark cocoa powder. Just trust me on this… it gives your chili and amazing smokey flavor!

1/4 cup Chili powder (this is NOT cayenne and should not be spicy!)

Chipotle powder or cayenne pepper to taste. Remember as it sits it will get hotter.

Salt/pepper to taste.

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Instructions:

– Brown ground meat, set aside.

– Add all the veggies with the broth and boil until veggies are tender.

– Add ALL ingredients to the crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours.

The best way to get a thick and hearty chili is to boil the excess liquid out of it! I boil mine until it has very little liquid left! This recipe easy to cook thanks to my Ninja 3 in 1 Cooking System! I was able to brown the meat, boil the vegetables and slow-cook the chili all in one pot! If you don’t have one you should check them out!!

The post The BOMB Paleo Chili! appeared first on That Savage Life.

Zucchini Noodle and Sausage Spaghetti: 

What’s in it: 

Zucchini (Sliced using mandolin and knife)

Chicken Sausage

Garlic cloves sliced

Coconut oil (refined)

How it’s made: 

Cook sausage in about a tsp of coconut oil, remove from pan, slice.

Toss zucchini and garlic slices in pan and cook together, pouring off excess water from zucchini as you cook it.

Toss everything back in pan. Heat sufficiently. Enjoy.

Linked on LittleHouseLiving

The post Paleo Zucchini Noodle and Sausage Spaghetti! appeared first on That Savage Life.

This chicken tetrazzini recipe came from a long time friend of mine. I made it and my husband and kids ate it and had second (and third) helpings so I thought I would share it with you!

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti
1 1/2 teaspoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each condensed cream of chicken soup)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon of seasoned salt
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded American cheese
4 cups diced cooked chicken (I buy the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons pimento

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Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding salt and oil to water. Drain.
3. In large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter (if you use the onions and garlic) add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.  Add soup, broth, seasoned salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Cook and stir until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Add spaghetti and chicken. Mix well. Transfer to 2-quart baking dish. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
5. Remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Continue baking 2 minutes or until cheese melts.  Sprinkle with parsley and bell pepper if desired.

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My family loved this crockpot chili! I made it for my husband’s coworkers and it didn’t last long.

The best chili recipe for the crockpot Ingredients:

1.5 pounds ground beef chuck (not lean)

1 pound  HOT breakfast sausage 1 pound  regular breakfast sausage

2 ( 15 ounces) cans mild chili beans with juice

2 (15 ounces) cans dark red kidney beans with juice

2 cans (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped and seeded

1 red bell pepper, chopped and seeded

2 small cans mild green chilies

2 tablespoon Beef Better than bouillon

3 strips bacon fried crispy and chopped

1/2 cup DARK beer

2 tsp Special Dark Cocoa powder

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (tabasco)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (More to taste)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder1 teaspoon white sugar

Instructions:

In a large stock pan cook bacon until crispy. Take out and set aside.

Cook celery, peppers, onion, chili peppers, garlic until tender using the bacon grease.

+ Add beef and sausage. Cook until done. Drain off grease. Move to a large crockpot. I use a crockpot liner for easy clean up!

+Add diced tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, chili beans with sauce, kidney beans with sauce.

+ Add chopped bacon pieces, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder (both), Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, papri

ka, cocoa, and sugar. Stir and allow to cook in a crockpot for about 2 hours. Test. This would be a good time to add more cayenne, salt or pepper if you desire.

Allow to cook the full 8 hours.

**(Don’t be nervous about the cocoa powder. A friend at Counting zzzz’s  told me about it. It adds a dark color to your chili and it gives it a wonderful smokey flavor!!!) This chili is best when it is cooked for 8 hours, cooled for the day or night, then ladle off any standing grease while the chili is cold and then allow it to cook in the crockpot for another 6-8 hours on low. This makes for a nice thick, melded chili. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, Fritos and cheese… or anything that you like to add!   Come back and tell me what you think!

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Easy Sushi at Home!

It really is easy… if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Spicy Crab Roll

Ingredients:

Crab (imitation or real)

Nori (Roasted seaweed papers)

Cucumber (Julienned)

Avocado (Sliced thin)

Carrot (Julienned)

Cream Cheese (Softened)

Panko Crumbs

Rice vinegar

Jasmine rice

Coconut water

Parchment paper

Mayonnaise

Sriracha Sauce (We used Louisiana hot sauce)

Instructions:

• Use a mesh strainer or other small hole strainer and rinse two cups of jasmine rise under cold water until the water runs clear.
• Cook rice as directed… instead of water we used 2 cups of coconut water and 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar (For two cups of uncooked rice). The reason for this is it gives the rice an amazing flavor and it made it sticky without being overly sticky.

This is what I thought would be the tricky part… but it ended up working beautifully:

• Lay out a sheet of Parchment paper
• Cut a piece of Nori in half and lay the shiny, slick side face down.
• Take about a baseball sized ball of rice out of the cooker and put in a glass bowl. Allow it to cool. (If you put hot rice on the Nori it will become extremely chewy!)
• Once cool take either a wooden spoon or something similar and spread the rice on the rough side of the Nori paper by mashing it to the edges. (what worked best for me is to spread it with my hands… wet or damp hands work best so the rice sticks to the nori and not your hands!)
• Take the Nori paper with the mashed rice on it and flip it over on the parchment paper so the rice is facing down.
• On approximately 1/4 of the nori spread the filling lengthwise (include a small amount of sticky rice here too). (recipe for filling at the end)
• Add vegetables and cream cheese.
• Using your fingers and the parchment paper start to roll the sushi inward using your fingers to keep the ingredients in the middle. Pull it tightly so that there are not any air pockets. Continue to roll and squeeze.
• Once your roll is complete you may put Panko crumbs along the top side of the roll.
• To cut it use a serrated knife. If your knife sticks dip in water and continue cutting.

Recipe for Spicy Crab mixture:

1/4 cup Hellmans Mayonnaise, Sriracha or Louisiana hot sauce to taste and crab meat.

Don’t let the long ingredient list or detailed instructions scare you away from trying this! It really was super easy and this was my very first time to make sushi! (And I made it in the kitchen of an RV)

If you have any questions… use the comment form and I will be HAPPY to try to answer them! 

**As always feel free to visit us at Happily Uprooted to follow our travels around the country in our RV!**

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