Eat like a caveman

Mike and I are trying the low carb, Paleo diet. This means no wheat, low carb, meats and certain veggies plus alittle fruit. We've just started experimenting and I've only read alittle so we're still newbies. Tonight I made the spinach salad with bacon and sweet potatoes that I've blogged about previously, leafy green veggies, allowable sweet potatoes and bacon. Yum! I also cooked some chicken to go with it because the bacon is just an accent. I thawed boneless, skinless chicken thighs and made it up as I went along. Here goes...

Za'atar Chicken my way

~1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
~1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, cored and pressed
~1 tablespoon za'atar seasoning (a spice mix with sumac, thyme, oregano and sesame seeds)
kosher salt and freshly round pepper, to taste
~1 cup dry white wine
~1 cup chicken stock

Cut up the chicken thighs into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken pieces, do not crowd and cook in a single layer. Brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and saute with onions about 3 minutes until your family remarks how good it smells (about 2-3 minutes). Add za'atar seasoning and stir to coat the onion and garlic and it is mixed well together. Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping up brown bits and letting the wine reduce slightly.

Add chicken back into pan and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook approximately 30 minutes until tender.

Serve with spinach salad or over brown rice, quinoa or farro.

Here's a link to buy za'atar if your store doesn't carry it. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyszatar.html

The chicken turned out amazing and was great with the salad. It could be very versatile with rice or flat bread and different vegetables like roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce.

We have just begun exploring the Paleo idea of eating and so far so good. Breakfast has been the most difficult for me because I usually had cereal or an English muffin. I will keep you posted if it works for us as far as losing weight and other health benefits. The salad and chicken were a delicious mix and we didn't miss rice or bread (much). Try it you'll like it-enjoy!