No-mato Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

Your new BBQ is here.

This recipe was inspired by a Hawaiian barbecue dish I was told about. It sounded delicious, so I looked into how it was made. Sadly, half of the ingredients were things I couldn't eat. Sound familiar? Tomatoes, garlic, onion, soy sauce, the list goes on. So, while I couldn't make an exact flavor replica, this sauce is still pretty darn good and I love the unexpected pineapple hints.

Whenever I make a tomato-free recipe, pureed pumpkin is my go-to replacement. Just add some vinegar to give it the same bite as tomato. Maple syrup didn't seem like enough to create that recognizable barbecue sweetness, so I tossed in some coconut sugar. It was the perfect addition because coconut sugar tends to have a brown sugar flavor. Somehow, the use of these ingredients created the perfect barbecue base.

While the sweetness was there, the smokey flavor was missing. Throwing in bacon grease fixed that little problem. If you'd like an even smokier flavor, adding smoked paprika, if you tolerate it, really spices things up. I imagine chipotle pepper would pair well too. 

I couldn't have been happier with the result of this barbecue sauce. Sweet, slightly fruity, and just enough smokiness. This recipe will liven any dinner while keeping your stomach happy. Read below for the recipe.

Serves: 4-5

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 10 chicken legs
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 cups broth
• 1/2 cup green onion chopped (green part only)
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs. bacon grease
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika (omit for AIP )

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and take out a glass baking dish.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pot and let simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the crushed garlic cloves.
4. Allow the mixture to slightly cool before pouring into a blender or food processor.
5. Blend until a sauce consistency is reached.
6. Place the chicken legs into the baking dish and spoon the sauce over them evenly.
7. Pour the broth over the chicken and place into the oven to bake for 1 hour, turning and basting the chicken every 15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this chicken as much as we did! 

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A Spunky Inquiry:

What's your favorite BBQ flavor?

Spicy Citrus Saffron Chicken

This chicken is the flavor of cultural fusion at its best.

Fragrant saffron takes you straight to Spain while the spicy, warming ginger draws you back to a taste of Asian cuisine. Citrus notes from the orange can allude to the food of various cultures across the globe. In short, this recipe is a world tour in your mouth.

Chicken is such a versatile meat to use, and I love experimenting with exotic flavors. Saffron is especially one of my favorites. It is so unique in flavor and a little goes a long way. I love the color and aroma it adds to a dish. Such a wonderful little spice deserves a partner in crime, ginger!

Ginger brightens up any dish and I felt it would be the perfect buddy for the saffron. I had heard of orange ginger chicken and also orange saffron chicken, so I thought, why not combine the two? The results were heavenly.

Spicy and savory all in one, this is the ultimate 'winner winner chicken dinner'. Not only is it delicious, but easy to prepare as well. Toss all of the ingredients into a container and let marinade for at least two hours or overnight. When you're ready to prepare it, bake it in the oven and baste every 15 minutes. It's that simple! Get started on your flavor world tour by reading the recipe below!

Serves: 4

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Total Time:

Ingredients

• 10 chicken legs
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• juice and zest of two large oranges
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 generous pinches of saffron strands
• 1 tsp. pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• optional: 1 lb. baby carrots

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large container and let marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 F and take out a 9 by 13 inch glass baking pan.
3. Pour all ingredients into the pan and place in oven for 1 hour, basting the chicken with its marinade every 15 minutes. Remove garlic clove before serving.

That's all there is to it! Enjoy this exquisite dish, I know I can't wait to make it again.

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A Spunky Inquiry:

What's your favorite cultural dish?

Low FODMAP Marinated Chicken

Who doesn't love a good marinated chicken?

I know I do, it reminds me of good memories and summer cookouts. This chicken is juicy and packed with that tangy flavor that leaves everyone asking for seconds. If you have a grill, now would be a good time to use it! If you don't, it can be made just as easily in a cast iron skillet, which is what we used this time around.

The great thing about this marinated chicken is that it contains no nightshades, no FODMAPs, and no sugar. This is a true-blue good for your tummy recipe! Also, if you don't have the time to marinade the chicken, the cast iron skillet method is the best way to go. When using the skillet, pour all of your marinade in with the chicken, allowing the sauce to quickly flavor the chicken.

We've had to use this 'emergency' method for a quick dinner and, quite to our surprise, it worked! The chicken was still so flavorful. So, this means there are three ways to cook this chicken: on the grill after marinating, in a skillet after marinating, and in the skillet with no wait time! This way, you can enjoy this recipe by preparing it the day before or throwing it together in a pinch. Now, we can all have a taste of summer whenever we want.

We enjoyed our chicken with green beans and a roasted mixture of turnip and Japanese sweet potato.

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• juice of half a lemon
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbs. brown mustard
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together, making sure to pierce the chicken, and store in the refrigerator over night. Alternatively, this can also be made immediately, however marinating gives more flavor.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high and place the chicken on the bottom, then pour the marinade sauce over the chicken. If grilling, baste the chicken with the marinade every 10 minutes.
3. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken after the first 15 minutes.
4. After cooking, remove the garlic cloves and serve.

I love this recipe and I hope you do as well. Enjoy!

***

A Spunky Inquiry:

What are some of your summer cookout foods?

Low FODMAP Moroccan Chicken

Sometimes your taste buds just need a party...

And these flavors do not disappoint. The taste is somewhere between a gourmet meal from a foreign restaurant and Thanksgiving dinner. It has all the makings of a fancy comfort food! 

As I ate this meal I could taste the individual ingredients. Ginger, saffron, and orange each fought for the flavor spotlight. The result? A spicy sweet punch in your mouth that leaves you wanting more. And let me tell you, the smell of this fragrant chicken will fill your home and make everyone salivate.

I grew up with only white potatoes being used in roast type recipes, but my body doesn't tolerate them anymore. The rutabaga and sweet potato worked so well in this meal that I didn't miss white potatoes one bit.

 That's an accomplishment, because I loved potatoes. Using alternative root vegetables has added some much needed heartiness to my food. They taste wonderful, melding especially well with the poignant flavors. 

This chicken has to be one of my favorite chicken recipes of all time. It's just the sort of thing that makes you feel good each time you eat it. Most Moroccan chicken dishes have large amounts of garlic and onion in them, which makes them off-limits to those avoiding FODMAPs. Thankfully, this version is still bursting with flavor! Some garlic infused olive oil and green onion tops do just the trick. Get started with the recipe below!

Serves: 8-12

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour + 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 rutabaga peeled and cubed
• 1 large Japanese sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 cup chopped green onion (green part only)
• 1/3 cup garlic infused olive oil
• 2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 3 pinches of saffron strands
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups homemade bone broth
• Freshly squeezed juice of one large orange
• 1 Tbs. maple syrup 
• 1/2 cup golden raisins 

*Update: We've found that if you take the leftover juices from the chicken pan and combine it with a can of pumpkin puree, it makes an amazing pasta sauce!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and take out a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish.
2. Peel and cube the rutabaga and let boil in a medium sized pot for 30 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3. In a small pot, saute the green onion in the garlic infused olive oil ( *Note: you can make your own by adding 5 to 6 crushed garlic cloves to your oil and sauteing for 3 minutes on medium high).
4. Add ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, saffron, sea salt, and pepper to the pot and stir occasionally for 3 minutes; set aside for 5 minuted to cool. This will be your "sauce".
5. Once cooled, add vinegar, bone broth, orange juice, maple syrup and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
6. Place chicken thighs, rutabaga, Japanese sweet potato, and carrots in a very large bowl.
7. Pour the sauce over your mixture and toss all ingredients until well coated.
8. Transfer the ingredients to your glass baking dish and place in the oven.
9. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and flipping the ingredients every 15 minutes.
10. In the last 10 minutes of baking, add the golden raisins and stir.

While this dish is a bit labor intensive, it is so worth it. This would be perfect for a Sunday afternoon meal, with leftovers for Monday. Enjoy!
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A Spunky Inquiry:
What are some recipes that you wish could be made into a paleo or low FODMAP version?