Well Fed's "Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat"
Melissa Joulwan wrote a fantastic Whole30 cookbook called Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat. It's probably the first cookbook I've ever owned and consistently used. Everything I've made from it has been tasty and it's formatted for real life. This chicken is a star and you should really just buy the book.
Brining, guys. BRINING. That's the ticket. After eating this, I declared I would never not brine chicken breasts.
Well Fed's "Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat"
adapted from The Clothes Make The Girl recipe with some slight adjustments; paleo and whole30-approved
1. Grab a Ziploc bag and fill it with these things:
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 8 cups water
- 3 T salt
- 1/2 T coconut aminos
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
2. Brine.
Seal up the bag. Stick it in the fridge for two hours in a big bowl standing up, for safe-keeping. (DO NOT OVER-BRINE. It's not a marinade and it will not taste better if you leave it longer.) Rinse. Dry. Set aside until you're ready to cook.
3. Rub.
Rub-a-dub-dub those breasts with this pre-made spice rub (if you measure right, you'll have just enough for all the chicken with non wasted):
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 T curry powder
- 1 T chili powder
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 T black pepper
4. Cook.
The original recipe is for grilling, but I did mine in my new giant stainless pan on the stove. Heat a bunch of olive oil on medium high heat. Then cook the poultry until... well, until it's cooked. The chicken I used was hefty, so it took longer than what yours might. At any rate, make sure it's cooked, but not overcooked. THEN EAT IT UP and wonder why you didn't make tons more.
Garlicky Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Paleo and Whole30-approved
I made these without cookbook help, using one of my favorite easy ingredients—frozen French green beans from TJ's. Even pre-paleo, I'd sub these for pasta often. Two big handfuls is probably enough for two people, but I ate it all myself tonight like an animal.Trader Joe's Frozen French Green Beans
- 2 garlic cloves
- Silvered or sliced toasted almonds (toast them in a non-stick pan quickly without oil before starting the green beans and then set them aside until the end)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Heat some oil in a pan on medium heat, add garlic and throw in the beans. Sauté uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon or three of water and cover the pan to steam for another 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper and almonds. EAT.
Happy eating!
