In the morning we leave for Mexico! I know I should be sleeping right now but the thought of traveling + the plane ride makes me very anxious. So I rather not sleep but instead keep myself awake and make myself very delirious, so that tomorrow when I go to get on the plane I am so exhausted and I could care less that I am boarding a plane that I will be stuck on for 4 1/2 hours. 

Since I leave to Mexico in the morning how very appropriate it is that I leave you with a taco recipe before I go. Tacos have got to be one of the greatest meals. This recipe is simple, just swap out your tortilla for a piece of lettuce and you got yourself a paleo taco.

Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. warm water
• 1 tsp. olive oil

1. Combine all of these ingredients in a small bowl, whisk and set aside.

Chicken Tacos

• 4 chicken breast thinly sliced
• Taco seasoning
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 head of butter lettuce

1. Pour the taco marinade over the chicken along with salt, pepper and lemon juice. 
2. Mix well and let the chicken marinade for at least 15 minutes.
3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. coconut oil. Place the chicken in the pan in a single layer. (I had to do 2 batches)
4. Cook chicken for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes of cooking, flip the chicken over using a spatula.
5. Once the chicken is cooked remove from heat and store in dish covered with foil to keep warm.

Optional toppings

• Avocado or guacamole
• Pico de gallo
• Finely diced onions
• Chopped cilantro
• Sautéed bell peppers and onion (so you turn it into a fajita)
• A wedge of lime to squeeze on top of your tacos

Well I guess its time to go to bed. See you in a week!

I first had this dish a few years ago at a Peruvian restaurant close by home. It was served on a bed of French fries and a side of rice. The ajI sauce was already on the table to use as a condiment for all our meals.  The flavors in this single meal are truly amazing! The crunch and sweetness of the onion and juicy tartness of the tomatoes is so mesmerizing, and the aji sauce takes it over the top.
In the original recipe I used to use soy sauce, but to make it paleo I now use coconut aminos and add red and green bell peppers just to up our veggie intake.

You can serve this dish on top of zoodles, cauliflower rice, or by itself would be just fine too. I also like to serve it with a side of fried plantains.


Pollo Saltado With Aji Sauce
Yields: 5 servings

Aji Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 jalapeno or serano peppers - stem and seeds taken off (if you like it spicy you can leave the seeds in)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 3 green onions
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss all your ingredients into the blender. Blend until smooth. 
2. Store in the fridge until ready for use.

For the aji sauce you can play around with the ingredients, add more jalapenos if you like more heat, or add more garlic if you want more of a kick. I have even substituted the mayonnaise for coconut milk or avocado, just depends on whatever I have on hand. If you take out the mayonnaise it will of course change the flavor, but I have had good results regardless.

Breakfast

• A banana
• A few almonds
• An avocado with black pepper
• Sweet potato fries

I was obviously very hungry this morning.

Lunch

• Dill salmon from paleomg
• Zucchini sautéed with aji sauce
• Roasted sweet potato
• An orange

The salmon recipe was from paleomg, and it was really tasty. Don't make the same mistake as me of cooking the fish on broil, it will leave you with a really burnt top. Haha.

Dinner

• Chicken curry salad with spinach, wrapped in a paleo wrap

I made chicken curry salad for the first time last week using leftover roasted chicken breast, and I was in L.O.V.E. Everything about this salad is amazing, starting with the crunch from the celery and pecans, along with the burst of sweetness from the apples and raisins, down to the kick from the cayenne pepper. I recommend making the salad a day in advance, that way all the ingredients get a chance to mingle.

Chicken Curry Salad
Yields: 2 servings

• 1 cooked chicken breast- diced
• 1 1/2 stalks celery diced
• 1/2 small apple diced
• 1/4 cup pecans or slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp. fresh minced cilantro
• 1 green onion diced
• 1 tbsp. raisins

Dressing

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. 
4. Place the salad in the fridge and let it sit overnight and enjoy the following day. You can try it in a paleo wrap, a lettuce wrap or just by it is delicious too!

I found the paleo wraps at whole foods, and was really excited to try them. The coconut flavor from the wrap compliments the curry salad nicely. But you can easily enjoy eating the salad all by itself.

After months of no rain, we finally had our first few days of showers. Thank goodness we did because I was starting to get worried. I was so happy that it finally started to rain that I decided to whip out my stockpot and finally make a soup. This soup can get pretty spicy depending on how much cayenne pepper you decide to use, so if you cant handle the heat I recommend just leaving it out.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (sans the tortilla)


For The Stock

• 6 chicken legs (or you can also use the carcass of a chicken)
• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 carrots chopped
• 4 celery chopped
• 1/2 onion diced
• 10 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped

I prefer to make my own broth, but you can most likely use 2-3 boxes chicken broth and yield the same results

1. Fill a stockpot with water a little over halfway. (I didn’t measure how many cups, sorry!)
2. Throw in all your stock ingredients (Except for your 2 chicken breasts) and bring to a boil.
3. Once the water comes to a boil, turn it down to low and simmer.
4. After two hours of cooking throw in your 2 chicken breasts.
5. After a total of  3 hours turn off the heat and remove the chicken legs and breasts with tongs and place on a plate. (Once the chicken has cooled, shred it using your hands or two forks)
6. Pour the stock through a mesh sieve so that all you are left with is a clear broth. Discard all the vegetables.

For The Soup

• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 onion diced
• 8 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 poblano chili diced
• 1 roasted red pepper diced
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chili’s
• 1/2 jalapeno minced
• 2 tbsp. chili
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 green onion chopped

1. Heat a stockpot over medium heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Next add the bell pepper, and poblano chili, sauté for 3 minutes. 
3. Add the zucchini next and sauté another 3 minutes.
4. Throw the rest of the ingredients into the pot and mix. (Let everything heat up so that when you pour the stock in it wont take forever to come to a boil)
5. Once the ingredients inside the pot are hot and sizzling pour in your stock and shredded chicken in and let it come to a boil.
6. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Possible toppings

• Shredded cabbage
• Diced avocado
• Lime juice
• Plantain chips

I love this soup, it’s got the perfect amount of heat. I recommend not skimping on the toppings because it takes the soup to another level.