Farmers Market Experiment - LEEKS

The Challenge

For the month of March I set a goal to make one new recipe and try one new vegetable each week.  Today I went to the Farmers Market with that goal in mind.  At every booth there were beautiful bright green leeks.  I realized that I have never cooked with leeks before, so I decided to give them a try.  

I searched the web and found a AIP friendly recipe - Creamy Chicken and Leek Casserole.  It called for several of things I had just purchased, and others I had on hand.  So I set to work. 

I modified the recipe a little, I took out the mushrooms.  Not a big fan. But everything else was the same.  It all went together very easily and I popped it in the oven.  Thirty-five minutes later it was ready.  It turned out pretty good.  It does have a nice rich, creamy flavor from the coconut milk and oil.  The leeks were delicious!  I do feel it could use some type of other seasoning, just not sure what it would be.  Maybe something with a little kick like cayenne. Overall it was a good experiment and I will save this recipe to make again!

Creamy Chicken and Leek Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 large)

2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

1 can full-fat coconut milk -15 ounces (Thai Organic)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coconut oil (Nutiva Organic)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest, leaving the drippings in the pan.

3. Add another tablespoon of coconut oil to the skillet and return to the stove. Add all your chopped vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow coconut milk to come to a light boil and thicken up a bit, cooking for about 5 minutes.

5. While the vegetables simmer in the coconut milk, slice your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces (about 2″). Arrange the chicken pieces in the bottom of a casserole or baking dish, then pour your vegetables-coconut mixture on top.

6. Bake about 25-30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling.