paleo supper

I'm reading The Paleo Manifesto by John Durant, which is convincing me to change my diet a little from the low carb/clean way I have been eating for a few months. Sweet potatoes used to be an absolute staple in my diet until I started eating low carb and cut them out. So far, I've still felt great after re-introducing sweet potatoes. 

The salad includes organic spinach, cucumbers I grew, and tomatoes that friends grew. I bought the whole free range chicken and organic sweet potatoes from Trader Joe's. The potatoes are locally grown. 

I rinsed the chicken, patted it dry, and stuffed it with thyme from my garden and Kerrygold butter. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and baked at 425 for an hour and a half. 

The whole meal is what I would consider paleo, healthy, easy, and delicious! 

FIVE on Friday

I had a fabulous weekend with my friend Jessica, who visited from out of town last weekend. For this five on Friday, here are a few places we went and loved:

not one of my five, but walking around the Capitol is a must for me

ONE | Sushi Blues. One of my favorite sushi restaurants in town, it was the perfect place for us to enjoy sushi, catch up, and watch basketball.

TWO | Los Tres Vaqueros. I don't care what anyone says, this is my favorite Mexican place. Of course we had certain ones in college we frequented, but I always missed the food at Los Tres.

THREE | Lilly's pizza. The pizza was delicious, and we managed to get a table, thanks to nice ladies who shared with us. My favorite at Lilly's is the Hawaiian Punch, with pineapple, ham, mandarin oranges, cinnamon, and ricotta cheese.

FOUR | Foundation. I had read about this place and how you have to know where you are going to find it. It's true. The staff was friendly and helpful, and a portion of their menu came from a 1939 recipe book, right up my alley. I chose the South Side and was very pleased!

FIVE | Beasley's. I'd been putting this one off for a while, thinking there was no way it'd live up to the Southern Living hype. It was good!!! I prefer collards with vinegar and pepper rather than bechamel (I'm not that fancy), but I recommend the fried chicken and the Ashe County macaroni and cheese.

It looks like we attempted to eat our way through Raleigh last weekend. Thank you, Jessica and Allison, for going on these adventures with me!

What are your favorite places to eat in your hometown? Where would you take a friend who's visiting from out of town?

You can link up for Five on Friday, too, at any of these blogs:

The Good Life Blog

Carolina Charm

A.Liz Adventures

Hello! Happiness

Szechuan chicken

For a recent weeknight supper, I made Szechuan chicken for the first time.  I used this recipe because it was the easiest I could find that required me to buy the least ingredients.  B has been ordering Szechuan chicken frequently from a Chinese restaurant, so I set out to make it for much cheaper at home.  However, I had never tasted Szechuan chicken and only knew that I was aiming for a spicy flavor.  

The recipe suggests serving it over white rice, and I wanted vegetables to go along with it.  When B arrived, he told me that he eats it with the vegetables, chicken, and sauce all mixed together.  That worked out perfectly because I made the amount of sauce in the recipe and cooked a little less chicken than in the recipe.

I cooked a bag of snow peas, carrots, and broccoli, then added sliced mushrooms, canned water chestnuts (drained), and a sliced pepper that my dad's coworker had grown.

It came out tasting just like stir fry that my mom used to make.  The tiny bit of cayenne pepper didn't make it spicy enough, so we ate it with sriracha.  Then, B said, it tasted more like the Szechuan chicken he's used to.

Do you like Szechuan chicken?  Do you ever attempt to make Chinese food at home?  What's your favorite Chinese dish?

By the way, it was somewhat similar to the food I ate in Asia this summer (1, 2).  I LOVED it when we had plain white rice (instead of fried) at a meal there!

avocado chicken salad and late night cookies

I've had a great time cooking lately, but to be honest, B cooked the meal below.  

Before I left for Zumba fitness class, I helped him get set up a little bit, then I came home to this!  I sprayed a baking pan and placed on it four chicken thighs, seasoned only with salt, pepper, and some fresh thyme from my dad's friend.  I'm not sure how long or hot B baked them, but they turned out to be delicious!

I can only stand leftovers of certain things as is, but I enjoy turning leftovers into new dishes.  I had been curious about various avocado chicken salad pins I'd seen on Pinterest, so I set out to try it.  I shredded two leftover chicken thighs and mixed them with about half of a large avocado, mashed,  about a teaspoon of chopped cilantro, a generous dash of lime juice, and some salt and pepper.  I tasted and adjusted as needed.

I hate mayonnaise, so I have never chosen to eat chicken salad before, but this kind was irresistible!  I texted my mom to tell her that I was actually eating chicken salad, and she texted back, "you're grown up now."

I ate chicken salad sandwiches probably five times and did not get tired of it.  Maximizing those leftovers!

I took a page from mom's book and made some late night cookies last week.  This recipe for peanut butter cookies is simple and delicious.  

The only way my parents eat cookies: with a glass of milk.  [Hey E & C - we love your engagement party cups.]

How do you feel about chicken salad?  What's your favorite cookie recipe?