I met Megan via the blogging world. Megan authors the blog, Freckled Italian, a site with a full mix of recipes, lifestyle, fashion, and personal posts. She also teaches blogging classes here in Charlotte. Speaking of, if you haven’t checked out Skill Pop CLT, you definitely should! These recipes for Paleo Barbecued Chicken and Kale Salad with Pecans and Apples are inspired by her new cookbook, The Big 15 Paleo.
Megan has compiled her recipes and is releasing her first cookbook this week! The Big 15 Paleo, 15 Fundamental Ingredients, 150 Paleo Diet Recipes, 450 Variations, has some of the most approachable paleo recipes I have encountered. She stays away from obscure ingredients and focuses on the basics of her diet. She shows you how to cook healthy staples, including kale and cauliflower, in a variety of ways, and she included some gorgeous food photography. Megan began the paleo way of eating several years ago when she realized gluten, dairy, and refined sugar were affecting her health and how she felt. She is not pushy about it, though, and approaches this popular eating plan in a down-to-earth way. Included in her book are the recipes and motivation behind this Paleo Barbecued Chicken and Kale Salad with Pecans and Apples.
I received an advance copy of the book, and tried two recipes. I made her Paleo BBQ Sauce and used it on Barbecue Chicken with Grilled Pineapple. I also made her Kale, Apple, Pecan and Bacon salad and I grilled some sweet potato fries. The meal was light, fresh, and was plenty filling without any refined sugar, wheat, or dairy.
Her Paleo BBQ sauce includes pineapple juice, so I thought that adding some grilled pineapple slices to the dinner would add a perfect touch of sweetness.
The Big 15 Paleo cookbook is available on Amazon, and is currently on a pre-order discount through tomorrow!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
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- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 lemon zest and juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you want it less spicy)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
Ingredients
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- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lemon zest and juice, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes, but closer to 1 hour if you have time.
- Remove from the heat, cool, and store in a mason jar or other container with a tightly fitting lid.
| Servings |
people
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- 5-6 cups kale (or baby kale) stemmed and chopped
- 2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 apple skinned and sliced
Ingredients
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- In a large bowl, drizzle the kale with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. (If using baby kale, skip this step). Massage the leaves really well with your hands for a few minutes to tenderize the leaves.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the coconut oil. Toast the pecans until they just start to brown, about 5 minutes, watching them carefully so they don't burn. Set aside
- In a separate large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Set the bacon aside, and transfer the bacon grease to a small bowl for the salad dressing. Combine it with the honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes. Season with pepper, and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl while whisking the dressing.
- Assemble the salad by putting the kale in a large serving bowl and topping with the toasted pecans and sliced apples. Toss with the dressing, and serve. (I also added the bacon, crumbled, to our salad).
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 whole chicken skin on, cut up (cut the breasts in half as well)
- 2 recipes Paleo BBQ sauce
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large casserole dish or metal baking pan, pour some of the Paleo BBQ sauce. Lay each of the pieces of chicken in the pan. Pour more of the sauce on top, so that the chicken is adequately covered. Make sure to set aside 2 bowls of the sauce - one for brushing the chicken while grilling, and one to serve with dinner.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for at least 30 minutes. The chicken should have reached around 130-140 degrees.
- Heat the grill to medium heat. Spray or oil the grill to prevent sticking. Add the partially cooked chicken to the grill. If the skin burns too quickly, turn the heat down to medium-low. Brush the chicken with some of the remaining bbq sauce while cooking.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove. Quickly grill a few slices of pineapple. You can also brush the pineapple slices with some of the sauce if desired.
- Serve the chicken with the pineapple slices and extra sauce.
I received a copy of The Big 15 Paleo to review, but all opinions and photos are my own.
YUM oh my goodness! Hoping I can start eating healthy again in the next few weeks haha
You will be able to 😉
Love this so much! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
You’re welcome! The recipes were delicious. Great job with the cookbook!