So after an unbelievable 10 day adventure in Israel, that started with a 3 day adventure in NYC, I am back to cooking and back to Paleo. To be honest, Israel is not the most paleo-friendly country I have ever been to but besides that the country is basically amazing.  I could write blog post upon blog post about how amazing my trip was and how I slept in the desert, did several hikes, hung out in Kibbutz, observed Shabbat in Jerusalem, wandered Tel Aviv and floated in the Dead Sea.

Well now that I just summed up a life-changing experience in one sentence, let’s get to the food. So today kicks off an amazing 30 day paleo challenge and not just a normal paleo challenge one that cut outs dairy, grains, sugar and booze. SUGAR is the kicker in this one – no condiments, no honey, no treats(ish).  With the start of a challenge and a giant snowstorm what else is there to do besides cook up something delicious.

Thanks PaleOMG for the amazing chicken recipe, click here to check it out.  I used chicken thighs from Wholefoods – they are not that much more expensive and honestly taste significantly better than any other chicken I have ever bought. I made two pounds and I could’ve used more coconut milk, but hey it worked with just one can. I also mixed fresh ginger with dried ginger and went by scent. I wanted to be able to smell the ginger but not have it be overpowering. I topped off the sauce with parsley because it made it  look prettier. I also just used 95% of one carton of sliced mushrooms. Are you seeing what I am trying to do on this blog yet? I am slowly proving to you that recipes are really just a starting point.

As a side dish I chopped up some fresh broccoli and put in a microwave safe bowl. I added some sea salt and pepper and a little bit of water. I tossed this is in the microwave for 4 minutes and then topped mine off with a few drops of Frank’s Red Hot.

BONUS:I made a quick dessert that I thought I’d share. I peeled one apple and chopped it up. I added one scoop of almond butter and then put it in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. I took it out and added a dash of almond meal, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I mixed this all up and then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once it was done I mixed it up more and ate it alongside a wonderful cup of tea and a new episode of Big Bang Theory.

EAT IT UP!