Paleo Bacon Wrapped, Fig Stuffed Chicken - YUM!

Those of you who like the Working Paleo page on Facebook know that I bought some fresh figs at Whole Foods and was somewhat confused as to what I should do with them a few weeks back.  So I did some googling and some Pinterest searching and got lots and lots of results for desserts.  I wanted a main course, something savory and delicious.  And chicken breast was on sale (although I plan on trying a version of this with a pork tenderloin)..... So, bacon wrapped, fresh fig and mushroom stuffed chicken breasts it is!  After a few tries, I reached perfection.

Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 fresh figs
1 portabella mushroom cap
12 slices of bacon

-Prior to covering your cutting board in raw chicken juice, slice your figs and mushrooms into appropriate size and shape for rolling.  I love the shape of the fig so I just slice each whole one thinly.  The mushrooms I cut to about the size of sugar cubes.

-Set aside
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Slice each chicken breast horizontally creating 2-3 cross sections of breast (this is a confusing description but check out the pictures for clarity)

-Place each piece of chicken breast under a piece of saran wrap and pound thing with a meat tenderizing hammer thingie (so therapeutic!)

-Each roll consists of two pieces of bacon laid side by side, thin piece of chicken on top, figs and mushrooms spread evenly over one half of the chicken

-Roll the whole thing starting with the portion where the figs and shrooms are
-The bacon will likely be longer than the chicken breast but that is ok - it will help hold the whole thing together
-Place each roll in a glass baking dish with the seam on the bottom

-Space the rolls around 1/2 inch apart.  they will shrink as they cook so no need to get crazy spreading them apart
-Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the bacon looks well cooked

The first time I made this, I added diced red peppers to the mix too but hubby didn't like those.  I also made it with just the figs but it seemed tastier with the mushrooms.  I find the best fig to chicken ratio is one whole fig per piece of chicken.  Fresh figs are in season RIGHT NOW so head to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods immediately ;)

Enjoy!

I Hate Rotten Strawberries!

Over the last few years, I noticed that strawberries get rotten really quickly after I purchase them.  I don't know if it is because it takes them longer to get from the field to the store or what.  But, we seldom get to eat a whole container before they are no good.

A few tips and tricks to help your strawberries last longer:

(1) Set aside some time post grocery shopping to wash all of your fruit in a mixture of vinegar and water.  I do about one cup of vinegar to three cups of cool water.  It will save you time in the end because you won't have to wash again.  I fill up a big bowl and plop things in, swish them around and then rinse in the sink.

(2) After I wash my strawberries, I immediately sort through them.  Ones that are already inedible go right in the trash because they can get moldy and the mold and spread.

(3) After throwing out the completely bad ones, I cut up the rest.  As you know, some are borderline.  Those I cut and throw in a freezer bag and freeze for smoothies.  There are two ways to freeze strawberries.  (a) Throwing them in the freezer bag and putting them in the freezer; or (b) Placing each one on a baking sheet and freezing them there - once frozen, transfer to a bag or container.  The beauty of method (b) is that the berries don't clump together and you can more easily measure them if following a recipe.  It is completely a lifestyle choice.  Since I am not huge on measuring or time, I do (a).

(4) The remaining perfectly ripe berries go in an airtight container with a paper towel.  The paper towels helps absorb any excess moisture.  I try and keep them on a low shelf for the little guy to help himself.

Worth the Wait Chocolate Cake

So, I know it has been awhile since my last post.  Lots happening in WP world: quit one job, started another (getting settled has consumed the last month), end of school and birthday for the little man.  Whew, things are finally settling into a new routine.

But little man's bday and parents visiting was inspiring in the baking sense and it was a win.  Even my dad who is very resistant to all things Paleo gave this cake a thumbs up.  It is rich and chocolately and just amazing.  The cake recipe originated from these brownie bites by Slimpalate.  And then the frosting started with this recipe by crossfitpulse.  And then I started tweaking.  Because we all know I love to tweak recipes!

Voila, enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
(This recipe makes a one layer, 9" diameter cake - double it for two layers and let me know how it comes out!)

Cake

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I just discovered Hershey's has one that is 100% cacao and much cheaper)
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (in the summer, my coconut oil is pretty much melted from the jar but 10-15 seconds in the microwave should take care of it the rest of the year)
1/2 cup honey (the recipe as written calls for Stevia plus water but I am not sure how I feel about Stevia yet so better to go all natural right?)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (I have also done with recipe with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp orange extract - SUPER YUM)

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Using either coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's or some melted coconut oil, grease your cake pan liberally.
-Combine all dry ingredients.
-Combine all wet ingredients.
-Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir thoroughly.  If you don't feel like stirring a lot (because otherwise the almond flour clumps up), throw the whole mixture in the blender (I love my Ninja!) or food processor and zap for a minute or so.
-Pour into cake pan - no need to leave much room at the top as it doesn't expand much.
-Cook for approximately 35 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.  Ovens vary so use your judgment here.
 -Let cool in the pan and then flip it out onto a plate

If you don't feel like making the frosting below, you can also mix some almond butter with a bit of honey or maple syrup and spread on top.  Make sure to eat right away though because it doesn't hold up long and slides off!  Another variation is to add some Enjoy Life chocolate chunks.  I get mine at Whole Foods or Stop and Shop but they are apparently also available on Amazon.  S&S here has them for $4.69 a bag - YIKES!

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1 bag Enjoy Life chocolate chips or chunks
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 tbs vanilla extract (can add the orange or raspberry extract here too - just change to 1/4 tbs each)
2 heaping tbs of almond butter (I used a big ass kitchen spoon because I love the chocolate/almond butter flavor combo)

-In a shallow pan (I suppose you could use a double boiler but it wasn't necessary), combine the "chocolate" chips, coconut oil and almond butter over low low heat.
-Stir frequently until the entire mixture is melted and combined.
-Add the vanilla extract and continue stirring until combined well.
-Pour into a glass bowl and let cool a bit.
-Spread over your cake and then refrigerate the whole lot for about 30 minutes.

Ok, so here's the catch with the icing - it gets very hard if you refrigerate it too long.  But it melts back down pretty quickly if left on the counter or zapped in the microwave on LOW for 30 seconds or so.  You need to be careful about burning and separating the chocolate though so probably best to leave it right away.  When you are ready to serve the cake, take it out about 10 minutes before you need to cut it to return the frosting to a cuttable texture.

Questions?  Email me or leave me a message on the Working Paleo Facebook page (where you can also find a picture of this fab cake)!

Julie