Lemon Chicken with Penne Pasta

For quite sometime, I have been adhering to mostly an AIP (Auto Immune Protocol) diet in an attempt to calm my Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an Auto Immune Disease.  It has been beneficial
when I am strict and disciplined.  However, those of you who have followed my blog know what a difficult task this is for my foodie self who loves dinner parties.  So, I am rounding a corner now, and attempting to add in a few things to my diet and check for reactions.  I feel strongly that rice, especially brown rice,  has beneficial nutrients that our bodies need, so I am adding that in first.

I LOVE pasta! I MISS pasta! I am happy to report ....... I found a wonderful substitute to use in this recipe that I created!!  Brown Rice Penne Pasta by Delallo is by far my favorite gluten free pasta.

Delallo is a family company that began in Pennsylvania in 1950. They source over 200 products from Italy and The Mediterranean.  They have a wonderful website that I encurage you to check out if you love Italian food as much as I do.  (By the way, I purchase my Delallo pasta locally at Yokes).

Give this recipe a try! I think you will LOVE it.  Let me know what you think. Enjoy🙂

Lemon Chicken and Penne Pasta

Ingredients 

2 chicken breasts

1 medium onion

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

10 ounces Delallo Penne Brown Rice Pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 cup white wine

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Olive oil

Parmesan Cheese

Method

• Drizzle oil over the raw chicken breasts and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Rub the mixture into both sides and cover. Allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• While waiting for chicken to marinate, saute diced onion in olive oil until tender. 
• Remove from pan. This is a great time to cook the pasta as well.
• When chicken is done marinating, cut into bite size pieces and saute in olive oil until done. 
• Add the onions and sauté until caramelized (lightly browned) 
• Then add in the white wine and let simmer so that the mixture reduces by half. 
• Add in the remaining salt, garlic powder, lemon juice, parsley and capers. 
• Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Add in the cooked penne pasta, stir well. 
• Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled lightly over the top.

AIP Meatballs on the Traeger

It is much easier to eat AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) in the summer.  The weather is hot, the appetite is less and fresh fruits and veggies abound.  Now that fall is here my appetite is increasing.

One thing that I really miss in fall is a big juicy burger, fresh off the grill, slathered with barbecue sauce.  Since barbecue sauce is made with tomatoes, which are not on the AIP plan, I was desperate to find a replacement.

My rhubarb plant was still producing beautiful stalks of fruit until a couple of weeks ago, so I did a quick search online and found this recipe for AIP Paleo Rhubarb BBQ Sauce .  All I can say is thank you to Gabriella.  This sauce is amazing and I don't feel like I'm missing out anymore!  The sauce is really awesome over my AIP Meatballs that I make on my Traeger and totally delicious slathered over big juicy hamburgers. I'm a happy girl!

To make my meatballs I begin by chopping vegetables.  Carrots add moisture and pack a nutritional punch, so I dice them fine.  

No meatloaf is complete without diced onions. Mmmmmmm

Add the diced carrots, onions, smoked sea salt, onion powder and garlic powder to the hamburger. Mix well!  It is easiest to mix if you wash your hands and dive right in. 

I got this old ice cream scoop years ago and it is a perfect 2 tablespoon scoop. I use it to scoop my meatballs. 

Clean up is a whole lot easier if I line my 9X13 pan with foil. Place the meatballs in the pan. 

Put the pan of meatballs in the traeger or oven.  

After 25 minutes, slather your sauce over them all and bake another 10 minutes. 

I like to place the cooked meatballs over lettuce and slice red onion and green onion over the top. Seriously so delicious!  

AIP Traeger Meatballs

2 pounds of good quality grass-fed ground beef
1 large onion
1 cup of diced carrots
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Preheat oven or Traeger to 375 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Form meatballs with 2 tablespoons of mixture for each.
• Place meatballs in a 9X13 inch pan.
• Place on a preheated Traeger or oven and close door.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Spoon AIP Paleo Rhubarb BBQ Sauce over each meatball.
• Close door and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Entertaining While Living the AIP Life

Summer is on its way and my greatest joy is having people to our home, with long lingering visits over a table full of food and wine. In the summer we dine on the patio with candles flickering and little white hanging lights that envelope our time of fellowship with a warm ambiance. 

One of the hardest things for me while eating an AIP (Auto Immune Protocol) diet, has been figuring out how to plan a menu for dinner parties. A menu that satisfies my guests and doesn't cause me inflammation.  

A couple of weeks ago, I made it over this hurdle by planning a menu that is delicious enough to serve at a dinner party while sticking to my eating plan.  

I made my Barbecue Drumsticks with a few changes. 

• Instead of soy sauce, use Coconut Aminos. 
• Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar.  
• Add barbecue sauce at the end to only half of the drumsticks. (AIP does not allow tomato products) 

For the side dish I made Sweet Potato Soufflé with 4 simple AIP approved ingredients:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Coconut Milk
• Bacon
• Salt

Pure deliciousness!! (The recipe is at the bottom of this page)

For the salad I tore romaine lettuce into a bowl and added: 

• Sliced mushrooms
• Kalamata olives
• Olive oil and white wine vinegar drizzled over the salad
• A couple of turns of the Himalayan Sea Salt grinder over the top

Simple perfection!

I have come to realize that grilling meat, roasting veggies and tossing a salad are all AIP and guest approved. Add a nice bottle of wine on the patio and let the summer entertaining begin.

*As a side note, wine is not AIP approved. I have been on the plan long enough that I know what I can and cannot eat and drink. There are a few wines that actually calm my inflammation instead of cause inflammation. Strange......but true :)  

This is how easy it is to make the Sweet Potato Souffle:

Wash, peel and dice your sweet potatoes 

Place the sweet potatoes in hot water and boil

When done, use an immersion blender to mash the potatoes.  Add a can of full fat coconut milk and mix with the blender again.

Add salt and bacon and stir with a spoon until well blended.  Scoop into a souffle dish.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.  

Sweet Potato Souffle

4 lbs sweet potatoes 
1 13.5 oz can of full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1 tsp sea salt

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes.
Place into a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
Boil the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes or until soft.
Drain.
Mash the sweet potatoes or use an immersion blender until smooth.
Add the can of coconut milk and salt.
Whip until creamy.
Stir in bacon.
Place in 2 quart casserole dish or soufflé dish.
Bake at 425 for 25 minutes. 

Oodles of Zoodles During Zucchini Season

Spiralizer's are all the rage right now and I am a fan.  I have recently purchased one and it has truly saved me.  

Why?  

Well, let me tell you.  I love pasta!  I miss pasta!  I crave pasta dishes! Since I have had to stop eating gluten, I have been trying other options.  The gluten-free versions of pasta just don't cut it for me.  However, zoodles are cutting it!  A zoodle is a spiralized zucchini noodle.  It's actually very cool how these work.  If you have never seen one, insert the word "spiralizer" into your search engine and many cool images will appear.

 My spiralizer is a pencil sharpener style.

You insert the zucchini in one end and turn as if sharpening a pencil.  Spirals of zucchini noodles come out the other end.  It is truly genius!  

 Then you take the zoodles and blanch them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds.  I do 30 seconds because I prefer al dente.  

Today my neighbor, Rachel, brought me over oodles of zoodles and I adore her for doing so and am putting them to good use :)

Here is a super easy idea for creating a delicious meal with your zoodles: 

First, heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Then, add a heaping teaspoon of garlic and sauté for just a couple of seconds.

Add about a tablespoon of bacon crumbles and sauté until caramelized. 

Add a teaspoon of capers and a large handful of blanched zoodles.  Stir quickly just until warm so that you don't make the zoodles mushy.  

Serve warm and if so inclined, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.  It is delicious without the cheese also. Even though I am trying to maintain a Paleo diet, I enjoy a little Parmesan occasionally.  

Next, I am going to try spiralizing sweet potatoes.  I wonder if they are called spoodles :)  I would love your feedback on your spiralizing experiences.  For now though, enjoy zucchini season my friends!