hCG Diet Spearmint Glazed Chicken

Honey Mint Grilled Chicken
  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Marinating time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 chicken, cut into parts after removing skin
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup RAW ORGANIC HONEY
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh spearmint (or 2 tablespoons dried spearmint)

METHOD

1 Marinate the chicken: Place chicken pieces in a bowl after removing skin. Mix vinegar with oil and pour over chicken pieces. Turn chicken pieces so that all are coated with the simple marinade. Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

2 Make honey spearmint glaze: In a small bowl mix honey, spearmint, and just enough water for a good basting consistency. Set aside for glazing the chicken.

3 Grill the chicken: Prepare grill for medium high heat. Remove chicken pieces from marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces on the hot grill. Cook for approximately 25-40 minutes, covered, turning every 7 or 8 minutes.

4 Baste with the glaze: For the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, baste all sides with the honey spearmint mixture. The chicken is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast

Note that although the breast pieces are bigger, they may finish cooking earlier than thighs.

hCG Diet CHICKEN TENDERLOIN SKEWERS WITH MARJORAM & TOMATO

paleo_chicken_skewers_marjoram_recipe_h

This quick and easy meal will please both the kids and the grown-ups. Chicken is marinated in a tasty mixture of marjoram, tomato paste and garlic, and served with a side of green salad and broccoli. I used chicken tenderloins because the meat is very succulent and soft but chicken breast or pork can also be used.

NGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablepsoon dried marjoram (or freshly chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2/3 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2/3 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • 8 chicken tenderloins + bamboo skewers
  • ghee for cooking (coconut oil or duck fat can be used instead)
  • 4 cups rocket or other green leaf salad + lemon and olive oil
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine dried marjoram with chopped garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, salt and pepper and rub over chicken tenderloins skewered on bamboo sticks. The sticks are optional, you can simply marinate chicken strips. Set aside for a few minutes. At the same time, set a saucepan of water to boil.
  2. Heat a littlecoconut oil in a large frying or grill pan. Cook chicken skewers or strips for 4 minutes on each side. In the meantime, cook the broccoli in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and mix rocket salad leaves with lemon juice and coconut oil. Toss cooked broccoli with some coconut oil and a little sea salt.

hCG Phase 2 Naartjie Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS
50g
 coconut oil
1¼ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped rosemary
4 naartjies
1 whole chicken
Salt and black pepper
6 baby red onions, quartered
2 tbsp honey, warmed
1 cube chicken stock

METHOD
1.
 Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine the coconut oil, cumin, sage, rosemary and zest of 1 naartjie. Rub all over the chicken, then season.
2. Slice one naartjie in half and stuff in the cavity. Slice another into segments (skin on) and place in a deep roasting dish along with the red onions. Place the chicken on top and place in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes before turning the temperature down to 180°C. Continue to roast for a further 15–25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the honey, juice of the remaining naartjies, chicken stock, salt and pepper in a bowl. Brush over the chicken 10 minutes before removing from the oven.
4. Create a neat slit next to the bone of the chicken’s leg, if the juices run clear, it is done. Remove from the oven and wrap in tinfoil. Leave to rest for 20 min before carving.

hCG Phase 3 and 4 Crunchy Chicken Salad

It’s that time of the year again when we want to shed our jackets and indulge in fresh salads. While I enjoy a classic Caesar, or a good romaine, I also like to make salads that are not found on everyday menus.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

3 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup unsalted cashews
1/4 cup chopped chives (try cutting with scissors)
1 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
1 cup torn cilantro leaves
4 small red thai chilies, seeds removed and finely sliced (optional if you don’t like spice)
4 fully cooked chicken breasts, cut into slices

For the coconut lime dressing:

1 cup of coconut milk
2 tbsp of fish sauce
4 tbsp of lime juice
2 tbsp of coconut sugar

Combine cabbage, carrot, cashews, chives, mint, cilantro and chicken in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.

In a measuring cup, combine coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Stir well to combine. Pour half the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Divide between plates and top with chilies. Add more dressing to taste.

I like to make a lot of dressing and keep some in fridge to dip veggies in or pour over rice, but you can half the dressing recipe if you want to. Beware of the chilies, as they are very spicy. After slicing them, wash your hands very well and don’t touch your eyes or nose. If you prefer a little less spice, sprinkle the finished salad with dried chili flakes instead.

hCG Phase 2 Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry

I’m excited to see signs of Spring all around. One of those signs is asparagus. Asparagus is one of my favorite Spring vegetables, and this quick stir-fry made with chicken, lemon, garlic and ginger is a great way to make it a weeknight meal.

INGREDIENTS

650 gms skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Himalayan salt, to taste

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium shoyu or soy sauce

2 teaspoons arrowroot

2 tablespoons water

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

fresh black pepper, to taste

COOKING METHOD

Lightly season the chicken with salt. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and soy sauce. In a second small bowl combine the arrowroot and water and mix well to combine.

Heat a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat, when hot add 1 teaspoon of the oil, then add the asparagus and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Increase the heat to high, then add 1 teaspoon of oil and half of the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Set aside.

Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil and cook about 1-1/2 minutes. Add lemon juice and arrowroot mixture and stir well, when it simmers return the chicken and asparagus to the wok and mix well, remove from heat and serve.