Asparagus and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breast (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30)

This recipe is a result of a few things going on in our lives. First, I have shared it on social media, but not on the blog yet. We decided it was best for our family that I would not return to work following my maternity leave. That means for last 6 months, I have been taking on my new role as a stay at home mom. This also meant, we went from a two salary income to a one salary income over night, with one extra warm body to care for as well. We have to cut a lot of expenses and find ways to save money. One of the few areas we have a lot of control in is our grocery and eating out budget. It was easy to say, no more eating out, but finding ways to cut groceries was simple at first, but also got me being more creative.

I am notorious for buying things that I want to use, and then avoiding using them because I don't want them to be gone. It is a weird quirk of mine. However, I am learning to cook all the food we have until the fridge is pretty bare, and then we go and buy what we need. I am happy to share we have kept in our food bugdet since we started, saving us several $100s in just the last 6 months.

The second thing that influenced this meal was the need for fast and easy prep since I have a 13 ½ pound, 6-month old permanently attached to my hip. It took me about 5 minutes to put this all together, and then I could just put it in the oven and forget about it until the timer went off.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 5-6 thin sliced chicken breast
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 5-6 slices prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ tablespoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F. 
2. If need be, pound chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap to ensure it is all equal thickness, around 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place chicken breast flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 
4. Lay one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.
5. Rise asparagus and cut off 2 inches off the bottom of each stem.
6. Divide asparagus among each chicken breast and place in the middle.
7. Roll up the chicken and prosciutto around the asparagus and place the open side down. 
8. Lightly coat the chicken and asparagus ends with olive oil. Then evenly distribute the sea salt, thyme, and oregano among the wrapped up chicken breasts.
9. Cook for 25 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes, then serve with your favorite sides, like Roasted Acorn Squash with Brussel Sprouts or Kabocha Tots. 

Curried Chicken Salad (AIP, Paleo)

You may or may not have noticed, I have a bit of a turmeric obsession. This recipe, like many of mine lately, came together on a whim. There was leftover chicken that needed to be used and I am always looking for fun new ways to eat jicama. Naturally, it made the most sense to combine the chicken, jicama, and turmeric plus bunch of other ingredients to make an awesome chicken salad.

Plus, I have successfully reintroduced eggs, so I was finally able to make home made mayo again! Don't worry my fellow AIPers who haven't yet reintroduced eggs or unable to eat them, I have three other options for you.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 10 ounce can of chicken or about a 1 cup of chopped/shredded leftover chicken
• 1/2 cup of diced apple
• 1/2 cup of diced jicama
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 ½ tablespoons of homemade mayo*
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of green onions
• 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt, to taste

*I have made these two AIP mayo recipes before and they would both work well in this recipe: Egg Free Mayonnaise and Garlic Mayo, both from The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook. Alternatively, you could use just coconut cream (the part that separates from the water after being in the fridge overnight). 

Instructions

1. Chop/dice/shred ingredients as mentioned above.
2. Combine chicken, apple, jicama, and celery in a bowl until well combined.
3. Add remaining ingredients, and salt to taste.
4. Serve with some additional chopped green onion.
5. Enjoy on a cucumber slice, on a spoon, or on top of a bed lettuce.