Dinner

Protein Recipes

Blackened Chicken, Vegetable Slaw w/ Pineapple Vinaigrette, Black Beans

serves 4

 

Blackened Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast, divided into 4 pieces
• - 4 T blackening spice
• - Cooking oil

1.  Rub chicken breasts generously with seasoning

2.  Heat up a cast iron skillet, and add cooking oil

3.  Sear chicken until first side begins to darken

4.  Turn over and do the same to the other side

5.  Remove from pan, and set aside for 3 minutes before serving

 

Vegetable Slaw

 

• 2lbs of shredded/thinly sliced vegetables, the more colors and variety the better
• 1 pineapple, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 T coconut sugar (maple syrup or honey are good substitutes)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• pinch cumin
• 3 scallions, chopped

 

1.  In a mixing bowl, toss all the vegetables with the salt and set aside

2.  In a blender, puree pineapple, spices, oil, vinegar, sugar, and scallions till smooth

3.  Mix with vegetables, and let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

Black Beans

• 1 16 oz can of black beans
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

 

1.  Mix together and heat up to bring out the garlic and paprika

Spicy Sesame Salmon
This is any easy salmon dish that has a nice soft crunch due to the sesame seeds.  My kids like this salmon.  I usually serve it with asparagus, some sort of salad, and some form of starch like yams, plantains, corn.  It just depends on the what is in season. This serves 3-4 people depending on how much they eat.

Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

¼ cup sesame seeds (It’s cheaper to buy larger quantities in an Indian store)
¼ cup buckwheat flour (can use any flour you desire)
Salmon (I use the frozen wild caught salmon 3 packets).
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp red pepper (can skip or use less)
1.5 tbsp. garam masala (I use a store bought one from the Indian store.  I don’t like them from the grocery stores)
½ lemon
1 tsp salt or to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. oil (I use avocado oil)
Cilantro to garnish

Mix the sesame seeds and buckwheat flour.  Add other dry spices to it.  Remember, every time you use turmeric, add black pepper which helps activate all the benefits of turmeric inside your body.  Place the salmon in the mix and cover it on all sides. You can choose to cook with the skin on or off depending on your family’s preference.  Add oil to your frying pan.  Once warm, add the salmon now coated with sesame seed mix to cook.  Cook on both sides and at the end, squeeze the juice of the lemon over it.  Plate the salmon and garnish with cilantro. 
This recipe can be done with the elimination diet, low FODMAP diet, low histamine diet, whole 30 diet, Mediterranean diet as well as the paleo diet (just skip the flour and only use the sesame seeds). Salmon provides us protein and omega 3 fats.  Salmon skin provides collagen and vitamin D. 

Ground meat with peas (Kheema Matar)

Kheema is an easy, healthy protein to make. You can substitute different ground meats depending on your preferences.  Different parts of India have slightly different versions of it.  My version favors Northern Indian origin. 

Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 tbsp. oil (I use avocado oil or olive oil)
1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped (I just put this in the food processor)
6-7 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch cube of ginger minced
1 pound of meat (ground lamb, beef or turkey.  I have not tried chicken or bison)
1-2 green chilies (optional)
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1/8 to ¼ red pepper (add more or less depending on your preference)
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 tsp salt (can adjust depending on your preference)
½-3/4 cup water
1 tsp garam masala
Juice of half a lemon or 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
cilantro to garnish

Heat oil in medium pan over medium heat.  When hot, add onions, garlic and ginger.  Cook until slightly brown.  Add the meat and all the other spices EXCEPT for garam masala and lemon juice.  Mix well, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces.  Cook for about 5 minutes and add the water.  Bring the mix to boil and turn down the heat and let it cook for 5 minutes covered.  Add the peas, garam masala and lemon juice.  Cook for 10 more minutes.  Taste it and adjust spices if you need to.  There is some fat on the bottom so use a slotted spoon to help lift out some fat.  Serve on top of brown rice.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro if desired.  I serve with other vegetables such as asparagus, carrots or the cauliflower, peas and carrots subji.  

Lamb baked with spicy yogurt (Dum Gosht)

I grew up as a vegetarian and remained vegan/vegetarian until my 30’s, then I ate poultry.  When my youngest son was sick, he did not like chicken and he was allergic to beef and pork.  He was sick of turkey and fish, so I introduced lamb.  Children’s gut microbiome originates from their mother.  I am Indian so my people back in the day ate lamb, mutton, chicken, shrimp and fish as their main animal protein sources.  From my functional medicine training, I knew that I had to cook with the bone.  This not only softens the meat, adds flavor, but releases micronutrients from the bone marrow and helps heal the gut.  This is his favorite recipe to date!

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 1.5 hours

Ingredients

6-8 tbsp. of oil
2 lbs. lamb with bone (you can choose the type or change to beef, bison, venison.  I have not tried with the other meats but I am sure this will work)
1 ½ onion (red or yellow) minced
6-8 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp dry ginger or ½ tsp ginger minced
¼-1/2 tsp red pepper
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 cup yogurt (can be animal or plant based.  I used coconut yogurt)

If you own the Le Creuset pans, you will not need to bake this.  If you do not have this type of pan, I would bake this recipe.  If baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  The recipe is slightly different for each method of cooking

Heat oil in Le Creuset.  Add onions and garlic, turn to lower heat and cook until golden brown.  Add yogurt and all other spices.  Mix them well and lay your meat in the pan, coating the meat on both sides . Bring to boil  and slow the heat to simmer and cover it.  Stir occasionally, flipping the meat and coating it.  Cook for 1.5 hours.  Stir and cover the meat on both sides and serve.  

If baking, then do this.  Heat oil in wide pain.  Once warm, place the meat in sauce pan in a single layer and brown on both sides. Remove the meat and keep it to one side.  In the same pan, add the onions and garlic cooking until golden brown.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add about ½ cup water and mix.  Now place the browned meat in the pan and cover both sides with the sauce.  Transfer the meat and place in single layer in a casserole like baking pan.  Cover with aluminum foil and back for 1.5 hours.  The meat should be done, but if not, add ¼-1/2 cup water and back for another 20-30 minutes.  Stir gently and serve. Garnish with cilantro.

I serve with brown rice or chapatis (this is our gluten cheat for the week), dal (lentils), and an Indian vegetable dish.   I definitely use the extra sauce to pour over the dal, meat and rice.  Remember this will help heal your gut so don’t waste a drop!

Chickpea, tomato, colored peppers and cucumber salad

To be honest, I didn’t grow up eating salads and I don’t like to eat cold things during the winter months.  I like this salad because it’s easy to make, has lots of color to it and adds different vegetables to my plate.  The recipe below feeds two people.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
½ can chickpeas or can make from dry beans 1 cup
5-6 grape tomatoes
1 mini cucumber or 1/3 cucumber
1/3 orange or yellow pepper (helps add different colors to the salad)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes, cucumber and peppers.  Add the chickpeas and mix.  Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper. Mix and enjoy

This is fine for vegan/vegetarian diets, elimination diet, whole 30 diet, mito diet, detox diet, and core diet.  Tomatoes provide us fiber, lycopene, and other anti-oxidants.  Chickpeas are high in fiber, folate and serve as a plant protein.