Paleo Chicken Meatballs

If you want to wow your friends and family with a dish packed with intense flavor and free of allergens, then you have to try this!  It falls into our 30 minutes or less group, making it truly one of our favorite go-tos for a healthy, quick and super satisfying meal. We have replaced all flour, gluten and dairy with allergen-free ingredients, and use zucchini noodles in place of pasta, so this healthy dish is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and Paleo. Score!

If you haven’t cooked with zucchini noodles yet, the main thing to watch for is not over cooking the “noodles”, so we toss the ribbons in at the last 5 minutes with this recipe so they have just enough time to soften up, but won’t lose their coarse texture that’s reminiscent of pasta. The easiest way to prep the zucchini noodles is with a mandolin or spiralizer (both will link to the ones we bought on Amazon). The mandolin is simple to use, once you get used to it, but just be careful to avoid the sharp blade, and definitely don’t let your kiddos use this one! If you prefer a spiralizer, this is our favorite! Sometimes I can be a big baby about the mandolin and want to use something easy, without sharp edge to worry about cutting myself on.

I can’t wait to hear what you think about this recipe, so please share your comments below!

Gluten-free, Paleo Marsala Chicken Meatballs

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Marsala wine
  • 1 lb ground white meat chicken
  • 1/4 cup grated manchego, plus extra for serving
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond flour
  • 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 large zucchinis, cut into noodles

Instructions

  1. Preheat the broiler to high.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together 1/4 cup almond flour, coconut milk and 1 tablespoon marsala.
  3. Let soak for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken, manchego, egg, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
  5. With your hands, gently mix together the ingredients until just combined.
  6. Form into tablespoon-size balls and place on an oiled baking sheet.
  7. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are beginning to brown and are just barely cooked through.
  8. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  9. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
  10. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms are brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  11. Add the onions and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
  12. Lower heat to medium and stir in the remaining almond flour and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  13. Add 1/3 cup marsala wine and stir until smooth.
  14. Whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
  15. Add spiralized zucchini noodles to sauce and mix to coat.
  16. Add the meatballs and simmer for an additional 5 minutes to let the flavors blend.
  17. Serve hot, garnished with grated manchego.
http://inspiredeats.net/30-minute-meals-gluten-free-paleo-marsala-chicken-meatballs/

paleo curried shrimp

Curried shrimp and spinach

I ran across this recipe last year and it was a hit on the first try. I added some mushrooms in with the onions while sautéing (I’m a BIG fan of sautéed mushrooms) so when it came to the point of blending the onions and mushrooms mixture I left some in the pan to eat whole with the shrimp, and blended the other half as instructed. Either way, it was a delicious meal, and super easy and quick to make thanks to some frozen, de-veined shrimp.

Easy and delicious… two of my favorite things 🙂

paleo curried shrimp

Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 2 lbs shrimps, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free chicken stock
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tightly packed cups shredded spinach
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Heat a large skillet over a medium-low heat and cook the onion in the ghee, butter or coconut oil until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
  2. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir in the curry powder and continue cooking for a minute.
  3. Place mixture in a blender or a food processor, add the tomato paste as well as the chicken stock and coconut milk. Process or blend until smooth.
  4. Pour the mixture back in the skillet and bring to a simmer.
  5. Add the shrimps and spinach and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until the shrimps are just cooked.