PAPRIKA-GARLIC CHICKEN OVER SWEET KALE MIX

PAPRIKA-GARLIC CHICKEN BREAST ON A BED OF SWEET KALE SALAD MIX

Yah. You heard me:  Salad in a bag! And frozen chicken breast (organic)

This took absolutely no time to put together.  I swear. Gluten-free, paleo, delish.

Don't you just LOVE that Sweet Kale Salad Mix with that awesome dressing and cranberries and pumpkin seeds?  I could eat the salad everyday.  I worry though about how raw cruciferous veggies like the ones in the mix are goitrogenic.  For people like me who have Hashimoto's disease, I've read that we should avoid eating goitrogenic foods.  Since having half my thyroid removed (it was a size of a walnut); I've become sad finding that practically everything I ate before is something that might cause me to have another goiter. I do want to keep that left thyroid as healthy as possible.   So did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, strawberries, spinach and practically all the cruciferous veggies that composed the main part of my diet are goitrogenic?  Apparently if you eat them raw it's goitrogenic.  Aiya.  

Scroll down to the bottom for the recipe if you want to skip my long-winded explanation of why I have to not post a cake pic and recipe today. Heehee

Fortunately, and I'm going to just trust the articles I've read because I don't want to give up my fave veggies, and it's convenient to believe so...if you cook them, it reduces the goitrogens.  

So we arrive at today's lunch after my workout at Steve Nash Fitness.  Yah.  You heard right.  Since my shoulder impingement is starting to slowly defrost (frozen shoulder! Such an apt term!) I decided to join a gym.  I thought about just joining a yoga studio; but frankly, I love my kettlebells and want to start using them again.  For a whole year, this frozen shoulder has been a pain and I've been afraid to do weights and use my kettlebells.  I had injured it skiing I think.  Frankly, I don't remember it hurting that much when I fell; but the pain increased afterwards over the course of a few months to the point that I couldn't even change my clothes without extreme pain.  I used up all my physio and massage therapy and eventually went to UBC Sports Med to see a specialist.  He essentially told me there's not a whole lot you can do to hurry along a frozen shoulder.  He said eventually it will slowly defrost.  And it did.  But it took just over a year. He told me when it starts to defrost, I should start exercising and rehabilitating the shoulder.  

Lovin' Costco's Pre-washed Shredded Veggies in a bag for Juicing and Smoothies! This mix has: beet greens, carrots, kale, broccoli stems, chard...and all you add is fruit. I used a granny smith

With my gym membership I received 3 free sessions with a personal trainer; so this month with my left shoulder having increased mobility, I decided to start the journey back to health.  When I booked my 3 sessions, I was told he was the most educated trainer at the gym. I must have sounded like a difficult case! LOL! She told me that he's an ex pro-hockey player and is familiar with sports injuries too.  I was like "holy smokes! He's gonna kill me!"  What I found out later when I met him is that he is a kettlebell specialist (yay!) and is very well-rounded.  I'm feeling lucky here to have such a knowledgeable trainer *Hi Kyle!*  who is a rock star.   He's created an exercise plan for me to help build up strength in my wonky shoulder and get me back into shape from that whole year of pretty much not exercising much.   His plan includes self-myofascial release techniques using a foam roller and this really hard plastic ball.  When I'm doing the release techniques, it's like "OW"; but I know it's good for me.  

I know he's going to address my eating next session (yikes) but for me it's not about a lack of knowlege of how to eat healthy but the loss of my muse (desserts).  You know I love to take pics of my food...that's why you're here right?   And I love to bake. And baked goods ALWAYS look good in pics.  They don't move around. They ooze sexiness.  Now I've gotta make kale look sexy.  It's gonna be rough guys. Fortunately, I have willing colleagues that'll eat my baked goods so the baking probably won't end.  I just love cake...the idea of cake, the taste of layered cakes, and the perfect beauty of cake.  Believe it or not, I'm not tempted to eat baked goods, cake and other desserts, but potato chips are kind of my achilles heel.  If I just have a taste of cake, like one bite, it'll suffice for me. Sometimes I don't even taste things I make because they're for parties or other people; but I know how it tastes from how it looks.  If it looks like a sexy cake, it'll taste good.

This weekend I have to bake some cupcakes for my 8 yr old's birthday.  Twice.  Once for the party and once for the class.  So yes, I'll still have plenty of cake to take pics of in the near future. Until then, here's an easy-peasy chicken dish.  Next time I think I will have it without the guacamole.  It was good; but not necessary.  In fact cherry tomatoes with the kale would be a better choice next time.  

PAPRIKA-GARLIC CHICKEN BREAST OVER SWEET KALE SALAD (GF & Paleo)

1 organic skinless, boneless chicken breast

2 handfuls of Sweet Kale Salad Mix (from Costco) 

*NB you will NOT use the dressing or pumpkin seed/craisins mix

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tsp Avocado oil

Optional: 1 tablespoon prepared guacamole or cherry tomatoes

1. Marinate the chicken breast with the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & avocado oil.  Set aside

2.  Heat a cast iron skillet until hot.  Place the chicken breast in the pan and cover with a loose lid or splatter screen.  Reduce heat to med.  Allow to cook for 4 minutes.  Flip the breast and cook the other side for another 4 minutes, loosely covered

3.  Remove chicken breast to a cutting board to rest.  

4.  Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. It's okay to leave some bits and oil in there.  Toss in the sweet kale salad mixture (just the veggies, not the packaged dressing or seeds and stuff).  Add a splash of water and sautee the veggies until slightly wilted.

5.  Remove the kale mix to a plate.  Slice the chicken breast and arrange on top of the kale.  NB:  if you like, you can add 1 tablespoon of prepared guacamole on the bed of kale like I did, just before you place the chicken on top OR sliced cherry tomatoes

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