What Would Hil Eat: Dinner + Mug Cake

After a weekend of not-much-cooking, I had a cooking marathon yesterday. I made Paleo Mayo, roasted some sweet potatoes, browned ground pork, made pumpkin bars, then made dinner. Sauteed kale, roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, and chicken with leeks.

Starting with kale, wash the leaves and cut off the big stems, then roughly chop the leaves (not your fingers...I've learned the hard way).

In a large skillet on medium high, melt some coconut oil, then pile in your kale. It might look like it won't fit, but trust me, it will cook way down.

Here is where you can get creative: add some garlic, seasonings, a little balsamic (if that floats your boat), maybe a little chicken broth or water to help the kale soften. Don't add too much liquid or it will get soggy. My favorite lately has been a little garlic, some chicken broth and a splash of balsamic, salt and pepper, then some honey (good idea, Mel!) toward the end to make a bit of a glaze. Let it simmer for a while, using tongs to flip and stir occasionally. At this point, I usually test a piece of kale to see if it's cooked--I like it a little crunchy. Turn the heat off.

My mom has recently recommended leeks (who knew?) sauteed with chicken, so I decided to try it. I used chicken tenders (aka chicken breasts cut into smaller pieces, thank you Sprouts).

Leeks can be misleading. They're huge when you buy them, but you only end up using maybe half of the whole stalk. But fear not, there are so many layers in a leek, you'll still end up with plenty. I only used one medium/large leek for this and it was enough.

Cut off the root and the top (the thick green leaves won't be good to eat), leaving the white/lighter green part. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice pretty thin. It's easiest to wash them now because there are so many layers...rinse in a colander and let dry a bit.

We'll pretend I remembered to wash them...

In a large skillet over medium high, melt coconut oil, then toss in the leeks. I think I added a little bit of water here to help them cook. Let them simmer and soften for a while, then add your chicken. As the chicken is cooking, season the pieces, then flip and repeat. The leeks will keep cooking with the chicken, and the whole pan will brown, so have some oil/broth ready to keep it from burning or drying out. Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken, so use your best judgement and don't overcook it!

Peel and chop some whole carrots. Rinse and chop Brussels sprouts (halves or quarters depending on the size).  Toss in olive oil and salt/pepper/whatever you want.  Put in the oven at 425 for approximately 15-20 minutes, but keep an eye on it, they might cook faster, or might take longer than that.

The way I cook, nothing is ready at the same time, so I just plate it then microwave the whole thing.

MUG. CAKE.
2 eggs
1/2 ripe banana
1 tbsp warmed coconut oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp cocoa
dash of cinnamon
dash of salt
Get creative, add what you want!

Either in a bowl or the food processor, mix eggs and banana until combined, add coconut oil, then the dry ingredients and keep mixing. Pour into a mug and microwave for 2.5 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. I only ate half, topped with chocolate chips and a little almond butter.