Chicken a la King | SCD, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Just when I thought spring was around the corner, a sudden surge of snow makes its way back into Ohio. I have officially reached that point in winter where I long for warmer days, I long for the sight of green grass and budding blooms and I long for the sound of birds chirping and children playing. I'm also eager to pack away the heavy coats, the bulky boots and the endless piles of miss-matched gloves and wool socks. I am ready to shed our layers, de-clutter our home and toss open the windows.

But, considering it is 15 degrees out and a flurry of snow dances across our yard, I do not see myself opening the windows in the near future. So instead, we light the fire and turn to comfort foods to warm our souls.

I've been making this Chicken a la King dish for about a year now and have made it several times. I love this recipe because it is quick and easy, yet adaptable to the ingredients you have on hand. My daughter loves green peas, and I mean LOVES, so the first time I made it I added them for her, but sometimes I omit them. We had this last night for dinner and I didn't have any mushrooms on hand so we simply left them out and it still tasted rich and creamy. And sometimes, when I am pressed for time, I use a pre-cooked chicken that I cut into half-inch pieces. Simply add the chicken at the end, simmer and serve.

Chicken a la King
SCD, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs chicken, cubed
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery diced
1 1/2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 cans coconut milk
2 Tbs bone broth
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over med-high heat, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and reserve for later.
2. Add the other tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan and sauté the onion, pepper, celery and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, bone broth, paprika and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the frozen peas and chicken and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Serve over SCD friendly biscuits, bread or cauliflower rice.

Basic Biscuits
SCD, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free
*This recipe is from Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
6 large egg whites
¼ cup coconut flour
¾ cup blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ TBSP grass-fed butter or coconut oil
dash of salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are very frothy.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the two flours and baking soda, and then with a pastry cutter (knife and fork work too), cut in the cold butter (or coconut oil) and add salt if using. You want to make a crumbly mixture. Let this sit in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Remove flour/butter mixture from refrigerator, and gently fold in the egg whites, stirring to combine.
5. Spoon the biscuit batter onto a sheet pan lined with parchment.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.