Stuffed and Crusted Chicken Fillets, with Roast Veggies and Sweet Potato Cubes

Today I made Paleo Stuffed and Crusted Chicken with Chunky BBQ Sauce

I was recently asked by a good friend of mine to do a healthy all homemade dinner with no use of packages or jars or anything. I never like to use jars so I was thrilled to take on this challenge. I got fascinated with the ins and outs of the "Paleo Diet" recently and did a lot of research on what you are allowed and not allowed to eat. The Paleo Diet is also referred to as the "Caveman Diet" This diet is based mainly on the concept that you eat all fresh including lean cuts of Meat, Fruit, Vegetables Nuts, Pulses, Seeds and a select amount of oils with an emphasis on Nut Oils and Coconut Oils. This dish consists purely of lean Meats, tonnes of Veggies, Sweet Potatoes and a yummy homemade BBQ Sauce. 

Chicken is one of the leanest meats you can choose while still being super tasty and really moist. All around a perfect meat in my eyes. This chicken is stuffed with a mixture I made for stuffing chicken or using as a sausage substitute. It's made from very lean Pork mince, Wild Mushrooms and Herbs all blitzed together - a great way to up the protein levels of the dish. The crust is made from breadcrumbs - I make a Paleo Friendly bread using Almond Flour and Coconut oil but you can use Gluten Free Bread to make your breadcrumbs. I mix the Breadcrumbs with Cracked Black Pepper, Paprika, Basil, Sesame Seeds and Shredded Coconut. 

This dish is served with yummy Roast Vegetables, Sweet Potato Cubes and the best BBQ Sauce ever. The fact it's Paleo and super healthy is just a brilliant bonus. There is very little fat in this dish as there is only a tiny amount of Walnut oil used. The sauce came about by accident one day. I was just making a normal tomato sauce and then I realised I had the ingredients to make a BBQ Sauce so I thought I'd give it a go. Then when I had it made, along with tasting amazing and undoubtedly BBQ-y I realised it just happened to be Paleo. I leave this sauce a little chunky so it adds a great texture to the dish. The Sauce has a great sheen to it and a tangy, sweet and zingy flavour.

Ingredients:

For the Crusted Chicken:

• 3 Chicken Fillets
• 60g Sausage Meat - Homemade
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika
• 1 Slice of Gluten Free bread, breadcrumb-ed - Homemade Paleo Bread
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Nuts
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Shredded Coconut

For the Roast Vegetables:

• 4 Large Carrots
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• Large Handful of Mange Tout
• Large Handful of Baby Sweetcorn
• Half a lemon

For the Sweet Potato Cubes:

• 3 Large Sweet Potatoes
• Tablespoon of Walnut Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika

For the BBQ Sauce:

• 1 Large Onion
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 300g Cooked and Crushed Tomatoes 
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika 
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses 
• 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
• 2 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar 

Instructions: 

1. Butterfly the three chicken fillets. Place the homemade Sausage Meat into the pocket in the Chicken Fillet and close over the side again and press secure. 

2. In a bowl mix together the Breadcrumbs, Paprika, Sesame Seeds, Chopped Mixed Nuts, Shredded Coconut and Cracked Black Pepper. In another bowl whisk the egg. Dip each Chicken Fillet first in the egg and then into your crust mix. Make sure you cover the chicken fillets fully with crust and then place on a baking tray.

3. For the Roast Vegetables: Dice your carrots on the diagonal - to make them look pretty, try keep them all roughly the same size and place them in a baking tray. Dice up the Red and Yellow Pepper and add to the carrots, finally add in the Mange Tout and Baby Sweetcorn. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and season.

4. For the Sweet Potatoes Cubes: Cut up the Sweet Potatoes into cubes and place in a baking tray - I like to leave the skins on for the extra fiber (nothing to do with the fact I'm lazy). Drizzle with a small amount of Walnut Oil and then sprinkle with the Paprika. 

5. Place the Chicken fillets, Vegetables and Sweet Potatoes into the oven at 200°C for 20-25 minutes. While they are in the oven you can make the sauce.

6. Fry the finely diced Onion and crushed Garlic in a frying pan until soft - you don't need any colour on them. Add in the Cooked and Crushed Tomatoes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in the Paprika, Lemon Juice, Molasses, Honey and Cider Vinegar and simmer for a further 8-10 minutes. The sauce will start to thicken as it starts to reduce leaving a thick, glossy, tangy and sweet healthy BBQ sauce. 

7. When the Chicken Fillets are golden brown and the Vegetables and Sweet Potatoes have softened slightly you can take up your yummy healthy meal and slather with your yummy BBQ Sauce.

"Following the Paleo Diet has become much easier with the news the earliest known Winery was in a Cave "

Apple Crumble Muffins

Today I made Apple Crumble Muffins


One of my favourite ever Autumn desserts has to be the majestic Crumble. There's something so comforting about the combination of the warm, sweet and tangy Apples and the crunchy Crumble topping. I always tend to bake more with Apples during the Autumn months. There's nothing like a nice warm Apple or Rhubarb Crumble for dessert or afternoon tea on a cold wet day. I'm also certain there's nothing comparable to a homemade muffin to start the day, it's a bonus if they're healthy. It's impossible to find a healthy muffin out there so I normally just make my own. Not to mention the fact they make my house smell like bakery. I just wish I could bottle that smell and spray it round the house when people come over.

These Homemade Low Fat muffins are super soft and fluffy with a crumbly, nutty, sweet top  and are packed full of healthy ingredients like rolled oats, fresh apples and crunchy nuts. Instead of Butter or Oil I use Apple Sauce to give the muffins their moisture. I also use as little sugar as possible to keep the fat and sugar levels as low as possible. The key to getting the muffins so high is a nice thick batter, filling the mixture right up to the top, not over- working the mixture and the cooking temperature - You want to start with a nice high temperature for the first five minute to get the lift then a slightly lower temperature for the rest of the bake.  

Ingredients:

For The Muffins

• 384g Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 240mls Skim Milk - Can use whole milk or Almond Milk
• 120g Golden Sugar
• 150g Apple Sauce
• 50g Caster Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 3 1/2  Tablespoons Baking Powder
• Pinch of Baking Soda
• 2 Large Apples - Cored, Peeled and Diced

For the Crumble Topping:

• 60g Golden Sugar
• 2 Heaped Tablespoons  Plain Flour
• 4 Teaspoons Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 40g Chopped Nuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Oil your muffin tin and put aside.

2. To Prepare the Crumble Topping: Place the Sugar, Flour, Chopped Nuts, Rolled Oats, Cinnamon and Butter into and bowl and mix together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Set Aside.

3. To Prepare the muffins: In a large bowl mix the Flour, Nutmeg and Cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk the Milk, Apple Sauce, Sugars, Eggs, Baking Soda and Baking Powder until fully combined. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry. Stirring until just combined, making sure not to over mix. Gently fold in the apple. 

4. Using an Ice cream scoop, fill up the muffin tins right up to the very top. Generously sprinkle the Crumble all over the top of each muffin.

5. Bake for 5 minutes at 200°C , then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15 minutes. To check if they are done use a cake tester or toothpick and insert it in to the center of a muffin and if it comes out clean they're baked. 

6. Cool on a wire wrack. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee or a cold glass of milk.

"This still counts as one of my five a day, right?"

Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Wedges

Today I made Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

Nothing beats a good burger. Now  I'm not taking about the fast food joint burgers where the meat is wafer thin and the source is questionable. I'm talking proper homemade, meaty, sky scraper burgers the kind you struggle to get your mouth around. Once you've made your own burgers you'll never choose shop bought ever again. Not only do they taste miles better in flavour and texture but you actually know what goes in to them. You can play around with the ingredients and can make them as healthy or naughty as you like. This option uses lean Turkey mince which contains half the fat and calories of normal beef mince. Also Sweet Potato contains less Carbohydrates than regular potatoes and play a major part in the Paleo Diet.    


                                                                                                                                         

                                                                          Some people have the perception that Turkey meat can be quite bland and dry but these burgers are juicy and packed with flavour. I infuse the meat with a variety of different herbs and spices which really brings the flavour of the meat to a whole new level..The sweetcorn really adds little bursts of flavour and moisture to the burgers. The flour sprinkled on the surface of each patty results in the burger being crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The Chutney I use for the Burger is by "Tastefully Yours", a handmade preserves company based in Waterford and stocked in Ardkeen Quality Food Store. I honestly can't go past this Irish company for any of my preserve needs. 

The herbs and spices I use are Fresh Rosemary, Dried Basil, Paprika, OHCo Cajun Spice, Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. This mix of spices creates an almost addictive taste and really lifts the burgers. Rosemary works really well in this recipe as it gives a great taste and the bits that are on the outside get really crispy during the frying. The OHCo Cajun Spice really delivers a sweet and spicy punch. I use these same herbs and spices on the Sweet Potato Wedges along with lemon juice and crushed garlic. You can feel free to add any herbs or spices to the wedges as you like, sometimes I like to add some chili flakes for an extra kick of heat. The Wedges are a great accompaniment to the Turkey Burger along with a fresh Rocket Salad.





I chose not to use the conventional Seeded Burger Bun for this recipe. Instead I use a "Blaa" The Blaa is a soft bread roll dusted with flour, they can be soft and chewy or crispy and are exclusive to The Déise. The Blaa was introduced to Waterford by the French Hugeunots who settled in Waterford in 1693.

They brought the plain "Blanc" which was then adopted by the Waterfordians and after what only I can imagine as many poor attempts at French pronunciation we renamed this Holy Grail "The Blaa" And to this day it plays a huge part of all of our daily lives. Mostly eaten with butter or filled with bacon or ham but I decided to take this local staple one step further and discovered it really acts as a perfect burger bun.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

Sweet Potato Wedges

• 4 Large Sweet Potatoes - Skins on
• Half Lemon
• 2 Teaspoons Chopped Rosemary
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Teaspoon OHCo Cajun Spice
• 2 Teaspoon Basil
• 3 Crushed Garlic Cloves

Turkey Burgers

• 500g Lean Turkey Mince 
• 1 Egg
• Pinch of Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon OHCo Cajun Spice
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
• 100g Sweetcorn

Garnish

• 4 Teaspoon "Tastefully Yours" Chutney
• Cheese infused with Cranberry 
• 1 Bag Rocket Duo Salad
• 4 Large Blaa's
• 4 Teaspoons Mayonnaise 

Instructions:

Sweet Potato Wedges

1. Slice Sweet Potatoes length-ways into wedges, try to ensure you keep the wedges the same size so they cook at the same time. Place wedges onto a large baking tray.

2. Drizzle on the Olive Oil and sprinkle with the Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. Shake the tray to coat evenly. Add in the roughly chopped  Rosemary, Cajun Spice, Basil and crushed Garlic Cloves. With your hands move around the wedges so they get coated in all the seasoning - The oil will allow the herbs and spices to stick to the wedges.

3. Cut three or four slices off the half lemon and places these onto the tray with the wedges. Squeeze half the juice out of the lemon and shake one last time. Make sure the wedges are dispersed evenly on the tray. Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes at 180°C.

4. While the wedges are cooking you can make and cook the burgers. When the wedges are cooked, using a thongs to squeeze the garlic and lemon to get the last bit of flavour out of them.

5.  Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and shake the tray so the wedges are tossed in remaining infused oil.

Spicy Sweetcorn and Turkey Burgers

1. Put the Turkey Mince into a large bowl and break up with a wooden spoon. Firstly season with Salt and Pepper.

2. Roughly chop up the Fresh Rosemary and add to the mince, then add in the Cajun Spice, Basil and mix again. When all the spices are incorporated add in the Sweetcorn, it's at this point I like to switch to my hands to work in the Sweetcorn, I do this by squeezing the mixture.

3. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk slightly. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in half the egg. Work the egg into the mixture with your hands - the egg helps all the ingredients to bind together. You may or may not need the remainder of the egg.

4. Sprinkle in some of the flour as you don't want the mixture to be too wet. If you fry the burgers and they are too wet the mixture will fall apart and you will lose the all important patty shape. 

5. I like to chill the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes before I shape the burgers. Take up a quarter of the mixture into your hands and roll it around into a ball. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and place the ball onto the floured surface. Press down slightly to flatten the top and bottom of the patty. Form the other three patties in the same way. 

6. Fry the burgers in a little Olive Oil till golden brown on either side and crispy to touch, flipping them over every few minutes. While they are frying you can get everything else ready.

7. Cut the Blaa's in half, spread a teaspoon of Mayo on the bottom of each Blaa then put a small handful of Rocket Salad on each bottom bun - The Mayo helps the Rocket from falling out of the burger when you're eating it. Make up a small salad beside the bottom bun - I like to use some of the Rocket with quartered Cherry Tomatoes and a sprinkle of sweetcorn. But you can use any kind of salad you like. Spread some of the Tastefully Yours Chutney on the top bun.

8. When the burgers are cooked take them up and place a patty on each of the bottom buns. Break up some of the Cheese with Cranberry and put on top of the burger - The heat from the burger will start to melt the cheese - I like to use cheese infused with Cranberry as everybody knows how well Turkey and Cranberry goes together. 

9.Place the top of the Blaa's on each burger. Take up the Sweet Potato Wedges and place along side the burger and then run to the dinner table...

"Do you want Sweet Potatoes Wedges with That?"