But let’s get real for a second… I can’t invest in hardcore
Paleo, I just… can’t. However, I will strive towards my “Paleo Lite” title.
What does this mean exactly? To me, it means I get salt, seasonings, WINE, and
the occasional Bi-Rite ice cream cake since it’s Kate’s birthday this weekend.
Today I put in a very strong effort and created a Paleo
friendly Balsamic Baked Chicken. It was AMAZEBALLS and I want to share. I know
a lot of you out there are Paleo, Atkins, healthy, etc. etc. I mean, this is
San Francisco right? Well, this recipe is good for all (except vegetarians and
the like since chicken is the star) so I hope you try it and like it!
What you’ll need:
- 10 pieces of chicken parts (or butcher your own)
- Half of a diced medium yellow onion
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 tblsp of chopped flat parsley (thyme/rosemary would work well too)
- 1 tblsp fish sauce
- 1 tblsp lime juice (lemon is ok too)
- 3 tblsp olive oil
- 3 tblsp balsamic vinegrette
- salt and pepper to your liking (I put about half a tblsp of each)
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
Now, let’s get
cooking!
Step 1) Get your
chicken buddy ready
 |
| Ignore the paint brush... random kitchen counter findings |
I opted to butcher my own whole chicken, as there was a sale
at Whole Foods. I think it’s imperative to mention that this was my VERY FIRST
TIME! Woohoo! I did it. I feel so oddly accomplished. If you’re also up to the
challenge, I found this awesome tutorial
online. Give it a try & save some money. But you can also just buy your
choice of 8-10 pieces of chicken for convenience.
Step 2) Creating the
marinade
Combine all of the ingredients together in a large mixing
bowl. Well not the chicken, that comes next.
Step 3) Just add
chicken
You got it! Add your chicken. Feel free to get your hands in
there. Make sure that every nook and cranny of that chicken is covered with the
marinade.
Step 4) Patience
is a virtue…
Wait it out. Cover your freshly dressed chicken parts and
put it away in the fridge. I let mine marinate for 4 hours. As with all
marinades, the longer you wait, the better.
Step 5) “It’s
cooking tiiiimmeee” – A la Troop Beverly Hills
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees for convection, 400 degrees
for conventional. Arrange pieces skin side down where applicable and spread the
rest of the marinade on top. Once oven is heated, pop it in for 25 min.
Step 6) Flip that
bitch
After the initial 25 min, pull it out of the oven and rotate
the pieces. Now the skin side is up and will brown for crispy yumminess. Bake
for another 25 min.
Step 7) Mangia!
Voila! You’ve got juicy, flavorful, paleo friendly Balsamic
Baked Chicken. Let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before diving in. It’s scalding
hot and it’s good to let the juices “set” in the meat for a bit.
So there you have it. A yummy and Paleo friendly chicken
that’s easy to make and even easier to devour. I hope you give this recipe or
at least some rendition of it a try (and let me know how it turns out)!
