Drunken Hawaiian Stew

So, Jason used to make this amazing fish based stew that we called "Drunken Italian Stew"--it was bold and rich and really great with thick slices of garlic bread.  As we recently moved to Hawaii, we thought it was time to update this a bit (and I didn't realize that it's been so long since I've posted a recipe!).  We experimented last night and it was a hit!

2 TBS coconut oil
1 sweet onion, sliced into half moons
1 jalapeno, deseeded and sliced into half moons (you could definitely get away with a 1/2 of one, as ours was pretty spicy)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
1 tsp Hawaiian pink salt (more or less, depending on your tastes)
8 oz Portuguese sausage, sliced (could omit if doing strict Paleo)
juice of 1 lime
1 can coconut milk
1 can chicken stock
1 TBS coconut aminos (a soy sauce substitute)
1 TBS McCormick "Asian" seasoning (optional, but I had it on hand, so I added it)
2 heads baby bok choy, sliced
2 lbs mixed seafood medley--mine was from Costco and had shrimp, squid, and mussels
1 lb Opah, cut into chunks (a Hawaiian white fish--could sub cod or other similar hardy white fish)
Couple of shots of white rum (optional--I didn't add it to mine, and it was just as good, but Jason enjoyed a shot in his bowl)
Chopped cilantro
Diced or shredded green papaya (optional, but added a nice sweet hit)

Heat coconut oil in large pan or pot (mine is one of those deep 18" saute pans that has a lid).  Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and cook until tender, stirring often, seasoning with the salt.  Add sausage and  continue tossing it around a bit.  Add the lime juice, coconut milk, chicken stock, coconut aminos, and seasoning and bring to a gentle boil.  Add seafood medley and the Opah and cook covered until the fish is opaque and shellfish are open, probably about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bok choy about 5 minutes before you anticipate it being done so that it's just cooked through.

I served mine in a big bowl over Shirataki noodles (sooo, I'm not sure how 100% paleo those things are, but they're amazing and don't seem to have any "bad" ingredients in them--as long as you don't get the soy based ones--and they're calorie free), and garnished with cilantro and diced green papaya.  Jason had his over white rice and added a shot of white rum.  They had totally different tastes, but were equally delicious.

Pumpkin Chicken Chili with Pumpkin Biscuits

As the weather has been cooling down, I've been craving my "real" non-paleo chili, filled with lots of beans and corn.  I find that most paleo chilis are lacking a bit in texture and taste.  All things pumpkin are all over the place right now, so I decided to experiment a bit.  This is a slightly sweet, slightly spicy warm bowl of goodness.  The biscuit recipe is not my own, but it rounds out the meal perfectly.

Pumpkin Chicken Chili
This makes quite a large batch (I'll be feeding a crowd), so make sure your pot is big enough, or else make half a recipe.

2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (I used orange and yellow)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (if you want to amp up the spiciness, you could leave the seeds in)
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced (I had about 4 cups)
4 lbs diced chicken breasts (about 6 breasts, I'm also thinking you could use ground chicken or turkey)
3 TBS chili powder
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground coriander
1 TBS cocoa powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 15oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (make sure it's sugar free)
1 can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Heat olive oil in a large pot and add garlic, onion, peppers and saute until tender.  Add butternut squash, chicken, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, coriander, cocoa powder, salt and pepper and mix well.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, pumpkin and cranberries, stir well and let simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.  Serve with chopped cilantro.

Pumpkin Biscuits--from The Urban Poser
Makes about a dozen small biscuits (it doubles well)

The original recipe calls for sauteed bacon and green onions to be added in the batter, but I didn't have time, so I just made it without.  They would be wonderful with the addition!

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs at room temp (put them in a glass of hot water for 3 minutes to warm them up if need be)
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin

In a mixing bowl, combine coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt and stir until well mixed.  Add coconut oil (it will probably be solid) and beat with a mixer until smooth.

In another bowl, combine eggs, vinegar and pumpkin and beat until smooth.  Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and beat until well combined.

Use a small cookie scoop to place mounds of batter on the cookie sheet (about 1/8 cup).  Shape with fingers if wanted, but make sure not to press down too much.

Bake for 15 minutes until started to get slightly golden.

Cool on a wire rack.