lil carb Spiced Chicken Marinade

It's that time of the year again!  That awkward time where the temperature is still in the 80's everyday but there's pumpkins and halloween candy in every grocery store.  Fall is trying to sneak in but it still feels like summer.  I don't want to totally give up on my summer yet! In an effort to keep it going Jason and I wanted to grill some chicken.  Just the smell of the grill on a summer afternoon puts me in my happy place. This quick chicken marinade is easy to put together and packs in a ton of flavor!  It also pairs wonderfully with my Coconut Basil Cauli-Rice.  The flavors in this dinner rival some restaurants I have been to.  One of the main ingredients in my marinade is red chili paste.  It's something I like to keep in my pantry for a few reasons- it is low carb and it contains a great depth of flavor which means less work for me! Like most of my recipes- this meal comes together almost effortlessly- especially because I left Jason to do the grilling! Which he aced- as usual lol

Spiced Chicken Marinade

2 heaping tbsp red chili paste

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flake (optional)

pinch of salt & pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined.

Depending on the heat you prefer adjust the red pepper flake accordingly.

-I used 3 chicken breasts and coated them in a shallow dish with 2/3 of the mixture.

Let them marinate for 30 minutes up to 2 hours. 

Then grill up the chicken on the first side, then flip and brush with the rest of the marinade.

Go HERE to get my recipe for lil carb Basil Coconut Cauli-Rice!  Its the perfect pairing of flavors- especially since I still am overrun with basil!  You will not be disappointed with this nostalgic summery dinner!

lil carb Spicy Mussels Fra Diavolo

It's time to fancy it up today in the Hart Kitchen!  I made the most amazing mussels dish the other night and after I instagram-ed (@princesskuttah) it I could not wait to share it with everyone!  I must admit, mussels were never my favorite thing but they had such lovely looking mussels at Wegmans and Jason loves them so I thought I would try to recreate the classic Mussels Fav Diavolo at home.  OMG-was I glad that I did. If you are on the fence about mussels go to a good quality fish market and check them out and give them a try! If you like clams or oysters you will probably like mussels.

Sometimes I love going out to eat- getting dressed up, people watching, having an elaborate cocktail, etc.  BUT making restaurant dishes at home is one of my favorite things to do. There are up sides to cooking your own food; You know the exact ingredients that went into a dish, strangers aren't touching your food and more importantly you get to eat the fruits of your labor at the end! The best part about this dish is Jason and I actually made it together- he cleaned and washed the mussels and then let them sit in a flour bath while I made the delicious sauce they would be cooked in. It was a team effort and I definitely ate too much but it was so much fun and definitely tasted better than any restaurant I have been to!

There are a couple steps that are involved in this dish but they are noting too complicated.


Step 1: Cleaning the Mussels
2 lbs mussels, beards removed
1/3 cup flour
Water

Start off my putting the mussels in a large bowl and removing the beard if any have it- it is a kind of fuzzy looking piece that is between the two mussels shells.  The mussels we got had most of them already removed but Jason took the rest off and threw them away.  If any are really dirty you can scrub them with a sponge.
So, in the large bowl add the mussels and cover them with water and the flour. Mix with a big spoon until the flour dissolves and let them set for 30-35 minutes.
This step is very important because it cleans out the mussels. They spit out any sand or grit they were carrying. P.S. They will move and wiggle! They are alive!

Step 2: The Marinara Sauce

For this step you need to make your signature marinara sauce.
The sauce I used was my simple marinara sauce that I use for almost everything!

Click here to get my recipe for Simple & Fresh lil carb Marinara Sauce!

You can also use jarred sauce- then just skip to the next step. Whatever you prefer!

Step 3: Cooking the Mussels

3 tbsp olive oil
1-3 tsp red pepper flake
2 shallots, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup white wine
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

In a large stock pot add the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flake.  Adjust the red pepper flake to your desired spice level- I used 3 tsp and it was perfect! Stir constantly for 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine- I used Chardonnay!
Allow the wine to bubble for a few seconds then add in the marinara sauce.  Stir well.
Turn up the heat to medium high and allow this mixture to come to a boil.
Drain the mussels and rinse them from the flour bath from step one.
Add them to the boiling sauce mixture.
Put the lid on the pot and wait 3 minutes.
Stir the mussels around and put the lid back on and wait another 3 minutes.
If some are still not open put the lid on for an additional minute.
Spoon out the mussels into a large serving bowl then pour the sauce right over the top of the mussels and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

See!  That wasn't too bad! The key is having all of your ingredients ready to pour and drop into the pot once you are ready to cook the oysters.  It makes the process a lot smoother!

Since the theme of our day was shellfish- Jason decided to learn how to shuck oysters! He did amazing! The perfect appetizer before we stuffed our bellies with mussels!

K. Harts Marinara Sauce

K. Harts Marinara Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced ( Use more or less depending upon preference)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup chicken stock OR white wine OR red wine
*For a spicy Sauce- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*- optional
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes*
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes*
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil leaves (optional)
Salt & Pepper

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat.
Add in the garlic, onion, and carrot.
Stir for about 3 minutes until the veggies soften slightly.

Deglaze with either white wine or chicken stock.

Scrap the bottom of the pan and allow mixture to bubble and reduce by half about 4 minutes.

Then add in the canned tomatoes and stir well.
If you want a spicy sauce add in the red pepper flake at this point.
Then season with salt and pepper.
Bring up to a boil and stir well and low heat until you have a low bubbling. (I use medium low on my stove)
Allow to cook for 25-30 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

At this point if you like a chunky sauce you are good to go!

If you prefer a smooth sauce like we do then using an emersion blender, remove the sauce from the heat and blend until smooth.

You can also add fresh chopped basil right at this point! Then you're ready to serve!

Check out some of my recipes that you can make with this fresh and simple sauce! 

-lil carb Mussels Fa Diavolo-

-Use as a side dish to my lil carb Spicy Sausage-

-lil carb Lasagna-

-Use as an alternative sauce to my Meatballs Recipe!-

*Make sure to check your nutritional labels before you buy canned tomatoes.

Every brand is different as far as carb counts. Some brands that include other flavors like "garlic and onion" or "peppers and onion" tomatoes have a significantly higher carb count per serving. I like to keep my count to 4 grams or less per serving- which is usually 1/2 a cup.