Paleo Continues: The Best Chicken Ever

My first day of being Paleo was a few weeks ago, and overall it's been a great experience.  So far I've dedicated the weekdays to being Paleo and allowed myself to be more relaxed on the weekends - like indulging in a small piece of dairy-free chocolate cake!  Aside from ensuring I am aware of consuming adequate carbohydrates during the week (see my previous post), I have found the Paleo diet to be one of the cleanest ways of eating that I have discovered to date, and I feel fantastic!

Today, I just have to share with you simply the best chicken recipe ever, which I've adapted from the book Delicious Detox by Carol Morley, ND.  It relies on heart-healthy almonds for its base, which are known to lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol, increase HDL ('good') cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease.  Almonds are also an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, as well as being rich in vitamin E, magnesium, fibre, protein, and monounsaturated fats (the same health-promoting fats as in olive oil).  This chicken is easy to make, incredibly flavourful, lightly 'breaded' yet moist, and superbly healthy.  If that combination sounds good to you, you're in for a real treat!

Rosemary Almond Chicken with steamed broccoli and carrots

Rosemary Almond Chicken

1/2 cup almonds

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 chicken breasts

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 360°F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with olive oil.

Grind the almonds and spices in a blender or Magic Bullet until they have reached a crumbly consistency, similar to that of breadcrumbs.

Ingredients for almond mixture, clockwise: Almonds, salt, pepper, parsley, 

rosemary, basil, oregano.  Final almond mixture in centre.

Generously coat chicken breasts with almond mixture on both sides, and drizzle with olive oil.  Save leftover almond mixture in a glass container in the fridge.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Flip chicken breasts, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and bake for 15 more minutes, or until cooked through.  Enjoy with steamed vegetables of your choice, and use any of the baked almond mixture left on the baking sheet as a sauce for the vegetables!

Bon Appétit!

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Sources:

http://www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20#nutritionalprofile