Yeast Free Living

Archive for the ‘Chicken’ Category

 I am huge soup fan and indulge it whenever I can.  It is such a comfort food and always makes me feel warm and cozy.  This is especially the case today as it has been snowing here in New Jersey for atleast 10 hours.  I used to indulge in the the canned varieties but nowadays I know better.  Canned soups are filled with all kinds of additives which are not allowed on the candida diet.  Autolyzed yeast extract, monsodium glutamate (MSG) and citric acid are 3 of these additives that are extremely common. 

At first I was a little intimidated making my own soup but then I found some good chicken broths/stocks that were okay for the candida diet and have been experimenting ever since.  I have found that soup is something that is very easy to adapt to the candida diet.  Although I have made soup before and there are other soup recipes on this site this is my first time making it in the crockpot.  It was very easy and I plan on doing it more often.  I hope that you enjoy the recipe.    

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Soup Ingredients
1/2 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 
4 cups (32 oz) Unsweetened Chicken Broth/Stock
4 cups water  
3 stalks celery sliced 
3 carrots sliced
1 zucchini chopped
1 medium onion chopped  
2 cloves garlic chopped
Sea salt and pepper to Taste

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Soup Directions
Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. 
Cook on low for 5 – 7 hours. 
When done use a fork to shred the chicken (Should fall apart very easily)

Having existed out of cans and boxes for most of my 30 years, it is no great surprise that I frequently ate and enjoyed Campbell’s soup.  At first it was just the condensed chicken and stars soup but then I grew up and discovered the cream of varieties.  Cream of mushroom was my favorite and there was always a handy little recipe on the back promising a quick and tasty dinner.  I quickly became very fond of making these mostly casserole dishes with cream of mushroom, chicken and celery soups. 

While I realize that the cream of mushroom soup is off limits because mushrooms are prohibited on the candida diet I wondered if I could find a recipe for the other two.  I did find a great homemade cream of chicken soup recipe and was able to adapt it to make it candida diet friendly.  I quickly hurried over to the Campbell’s Kitchen Website to explore some new recipes.  I decided on this Chicken and Rice Bake which is traditionally made with Cream of Mushroom soup but I figured the cream of chicken would work just as well.  So here it is.  A yeast friendly take on a Campbell’s classic. 

Chicken and Rice Bake Ingredients
1/2 the amount that the homemade cream of chicken soup recipe yields
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain brown rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves  (about 1 pound)

Chicken and Rice Bake Directions

Stir the soup, water, rice and paprika in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. 

Top with the chicken.   Add additional seasoning if desired. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil  and Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Soooooo Tasty!

Recipe adapted from Campbell’s Kitchen One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

The first thing I had to master when I found out both of my children had multiple food allergies were chicken nuggets and french fries.  I am ashamed to say that I had been giving them the ones from McDonalds a few times a week for a long time.  They were in an uproar when they found out they can no longer eat them.  The two year old still whines every time she sees a McDonald’s.  I am happy to report that I have mastered both chicken nuggets and french fries at home and they just happen to be candida diet friendly.  I let my kids eat them with organic ketchup but I enjoy them with candida diet friendly ketchup or I just eat them plain.  I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has. 

Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup brown rice flour (Use any flour my kids are allergic to wheat so I use gluten free flours)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup water
Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice

Chicken Nuggets Directions
Fill a pan, electric fry pan, or iron skillet, with canola oil, leaving about 1-inch of pan at the top.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and set aside.  
In a medium bowl mix 1 cup flour, sea salt, paprika, ground black pepper, and baking soda. 
Add water and lime or lemon juice (The lime or lemon juice reacts with the baking soda and causes the breading to expand when cooking)
Dip a few pieces of chicken into the breading mixture and use tongs to place them in the hot oil.
After about two minutes turn the nuggets and cook for an additional two minutes on the other side. The nuggets are done when they are golden brown.

Recipe adapted from Homemade Chicken Nuggets by Teresa McEntire at Families.Com

I love Mexican food and chicken fajitas are something that I frequently order when out.  I am not sure why I never thought to make them at home prior to me stumbling across a recipe for them recently.  They are pretty simple to make and very candida diet friendly.  The time consuming part of the process is thinly slicing the peppers onions and chicken.  You can find thinly sliced chicken in the store this may help save the chicken slicing step.  I think that there are also sliced bell peppers in the frozen vegetable section but I prefer the fresh ones.  You can also make beef fajitas by using the strips of beef for stir-frying found in the supermarket.  If you are up to it you can actually do make a both beef and chicken.  This may be a hit at your house as you are offering a a variety of tastes.  I would have done this but we have a beef allergy so I left it to chicken.  These fajitas came out good but unfortunately my oldest daughter did not like them.  She has become such a picky eater.  She used to eat anything and everything.   My youngest loved these but I am not sure if I will be making them anytime soon because I do not have the time to prepare and alternate dinner for my oldest.  If you like fajitas give this recipe a try I really did enjoy them.  Remember to serve with candida friendly fixins such as salsa without vinegar, homemade guacamole and mock sour cream. 

Chicken Fajitas – Ingredients
1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 each yellow, red and green peppers
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoons ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Cooking Spray (I use the Stop and Shop spray for grilling as we have a soy allergy and this one does not contain soy.  Most cooking sprays for grilling do not contain soy but most others do) 
6 brown rice Tortillas or 12 corn tortillas

Chicken Fajitas Directions
Cut peppers, onions and chicken into thin strips
Mince the garlic
In a medium bowl, stir together the lemon or lime juice, chicken broth, cumin and cayenne pepper. 
Add the chicken to the marinade and toss until coated. 
Lightly spray an large unheated skillet with cooking spray. 
Heat over medium-high heat. 
Add the chicken mixture to pan and allow to cook until the chiken is no longer pink
Add peppers, onions, garlic and black pepper. 
Cover and cook stirring occassionally for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the vegetables are crisp-tender. 
Serve the warm vegetable mixture with either brown rice or corn tortillas.
Serve with candida friendly salsa, mock sour cream and guacamole

Recipe adapted from Healthy Homestyle Cooking by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD

This quick and easy chicken and pasta recipe is great great when you are pressed for time.  

Chicken Penne Ingredients
1 package penne brown rice pasta
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
1 garlic clove chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar pasta sauce (no citric acid)
3 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Chicken Penne Directions
Cook penne according to package directions.
In large skillet heat oil
Add pepper, onion and garlic and saute in oil until tender
Stir in pasta sauce, chicken and parsley
Simmer 2 – 3 minutes
Serve sauce over penne
Saute pepper, onion and garlic

Adapted from Ronzoni Health Harvest Easy-to-Prepare Recipes 

This is a modified version of a dish that my mother used to cook.  Being the butter lover that she is her recipe included 1/2 cup butter.  I have lightened things up a bit but it still has great flavor.  This one pot dish required little prep work and very little monitoring.  You can serve with a you choice of vegetables and freeze leftovers for a quick meal.  I hope that you enjoy this meal as much as my family has. 

Chicken and Rice Ingredients
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 yellow onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 cup brown rice
7 cups of water
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Chicken and Rice Directions
Chop onion and garlic
Add water, chicken, garlic, onion, sea salt and ground black pepper to large pot
Cook on Medium heat covered for about 1 hour or until chicken is fork tender
Reduce heat to low and add brown rice
Cook about 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed

Bon Appetite!

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Ingredients
Nonstick Cooking Spray
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
2 pounds chicken fryer pieces
1 cup salsa

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Directions
Preheat oven to 250F
Crush tortilla chips in a food processor
Pour flackes into a shallow baking pan
Add seasonings and mix
Beat egg in a small bowl
Spray baking pan with non stick cooking spray
Dip chicken into the egg and then into tortilla mix
Place in baking dish
Bake 30 minutes on one side, turn
Bake 30 additional minutes

Recipe by Gail Burton – Candida Control Cookbook

Italian Chicken Breast Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs 1/3 cup brown rice flour
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast
1 cup zucchini sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs chopped oregano
1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened tomato sauce no citric acid
 
Italian Chicken Breast Directions
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet.
Beat eggs in a small bowl.
Spoon flour into a pie dish.
Dip chicken breasts first into egg, next into flour, and then place in skillet; add zucchini.
Sprinkle half of the seasonings over top; brown over medium-high heat.
Turn; reduce heat.
Spoon tomato sauce over cutlets and zucchini.
Sprinkle remaining half of the seasonings over sauce.
Simmer, covered, 10-15, or until tender

Recipe by Gail Burton – Candida Control Cookbook

Have you ever walked into your local grocery store around midday and noticed the display of fully cooked rotisserie chickens?  I never really paid attention to this display until recently.  I began to question whether those chickens would be okay for the candida diet.  A fully cooked chicken would sure be convenient enough and could be easily paired with brown rice or a baked potato and any vegetable.  I could even use leftovers for chicken salad the next day. 

The next time I was in the supermarket I mad an effort to inspect this amazing chickens a little more closely.  The first one I picked up was an Italian seasoned rotisserie chicken and the ingredients read chicken, dextrose, glutamate and some other stuff.  This chicken was a no go.  The next couple of chickens that I inspected had similar ingredients.  I was about to give up.  Then I so one lonely little chicken away from the name brand rotisserie chickens and to my delight the ingredients read “Chicken.”  Hooray, just chicken!  I was thrilled.   So the next time you that you are strapped for time and need to throw together a candida diet meal very quickly give a rotisserie chicken a try.

Bon Appetite!   

Tennille

This recipe is is a yeast free take on a classic Italian Dish.  Yes Italian.  I realize you thought that you would never eat any Italian food again.   

Recipe Tip 1: Cento Brand Tomato Sauce is free of citric acid, sugar and other preservatives and is readily available at most supermarkets.
Recipe Tip 2: Serve with Brown Rice or Brown Rice Pasta

Chicken Cacciatore
3 Pounds Chicken Quarters, Legs or Thighs Skinned and Boned
2 Tablespoon Cold Pressed Olive Oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

Chicken Cacciatore Directions
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
Grease baking dish
Place chicken in greased baking dish bottom side up (without the skin flap)
Sprinkle 1/2 of the seasonings (garlic powder, oregano and basil) over the chicken
Pour 1/2 can tomato sauce over the chicken
Turn the chicken over so that it is skin side up
Sprinkle the remaining remaining 1/2 of seasonings
Pour the remaining 1/2 can of tomato sauce on the chicken
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes until chicken is tender
2 Carbohydrates per serving

Adapted Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton -  Page 82