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March 4, 2013

The Unprocessed Kitchen: Meats and a Chicken Salad Recipe

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This chicken salad recipe is a great way to incorporate healthy, pastured meats into your daily routine!

I love a good, basic chicken salad. Nothing frilly or sweet. Organic, pastured meat, homemade mayonnaise, celery, tangy capers and parsley. It's great to eat alone, on grain free crackers, or on a slice of grain-free toast.

Organic, pastured meats play an important role in a healthy, traditional diet. Meats like chicken, beef, and lamb offer a wealth of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), as well as nourishing fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Today, as we continue “The Unprocessed Kitchen” series, we’re going to discuss meat labels and which meats are best to purchase.

I love a good, basic chicken salad. Nothing frilly or sweet. Organic, pastured meat, homemade mayonnaise, celery, tangy capers and parsley. It's great to eat alone, on grain free crackers, or on a slice of grain-free toast.

Free Range
This simply means the animals are allowed access to the outdoors for a specified period of time, in some cases only five minutes. An animal may choose to remain indoors, but they have the freedom to go outside and have access to the sunlight. If you are looking for animals that were truly raised outdoors, look for the label “pastured”.

Pasture-Fed
This means the animal was raised on a pasture rather than being fed grain in a feedlot. This label does not always mean the animal was raised without antibiotics.

100% Vegetarian Diet
This means the animal was given a purely vegetarian diet which usually consists of GMO corn and/or soy. Please remember that if it doesn’t say “100%” there is no guarantee the animals were fed a full vegetarian diet. The natural diet for chickens and turkeys, for example, includes insects, worms, etc.

Grain-Fed
An animal was given grains as feed (usually GMO corn). This does not mean they were always fed grain as they could have been supplemented with animal by-products. (Keep in mind that cows and lambs are herbivores and naturally eat grasses and not dry grains or legumes.)

No Hormones Administered
This label means no hormones were given during the life of the animal. By law in America, poultry and hogs cannot receive hormones, so this label leads a consumer to believe the company has done something extra, when in reality, they aren’ t allowed to give hormones in the first place. Please remember that even though a product says a no hormones this does not mean they were given any type of special diet nor is it guaranteed they were raised free of antibiotics.

I love a good, basic chicken salad. Nothing frilly or sweet. Organic, pastured meat, homemade mayonnaise, celery, tangy capers and parsley. It's great to eat alone, on grain free crackers, or on a slice of grain-free toast.

Beef:
It’s best to buy meat from pasture-fed cows (sometimes called grass-fed). Pasture-raised cows produce meat rich in CLAs (conjugated linoleic acid) and omega-3 fatty acids, and free from hormones and antibiotics. The best way to find pasture-fed beef is at a local farm where you can visit and see exactly how they raise their cows. I usually buy my meat in bulk from the farm and store it in the freezer so I only have to shop for meat once or twice a year. Like dairy products, be absolutely certain any direct supplier you choose complies with all local, state, and federal health and production codes.

Industrial or conventionally-raised cows are fed a diet of genetically modified corn and sometimes animal by-products. They are also administered hormones and antibiotics to help them grow faster and to prevent infections that arise from the animals living on a corn-fed diet. Beef from conventional or industrial-raised cows contains high amounts of omega-6s which is different from the pasture-fed beef that is rich in CLAs and omega-3 fatty acids. Before the beef gets to grocery stores, it’s often irradiated. This helps destroy any bacteria in the beef but it may also destroy nutrients. According to the Center for Food Safety, irradiation also doubles the amount of trans-fat in beef, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Chicken
Chickens are another meat that has become industrialized. Chickens are packed into large pens and given a diet of genetically modified corn, soy, and often animal by-products. Pastured chickens, not to be confused with pasteurized, are allowed to roam freely and eat the bugs and foliage on the ground. These free-range chickens have an increased amount of omega-3s and vitamin A when compared to industrial-raised chickens.

Fish
Farm-raised fish is quickly industrializing the fish market. Fish raised on farms are often fed fish meal made of ingredients like animal by-products and by-products from the milling and food processing industries. They’re sometimes given additives to color their flesh. When looking for a good fish to buy, look for fresh fish that has been caught in the wild and is free of preservatives.

Other meats like pastured pork and game meats are good choices. There are many online resources for pastured, organic meats. Here are a few of my favorites:
Tendergrass Farms
US Wellness Meats
Good Earth Farms

For further reading:
Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms
Clean Beef or Irradiated Dirty Beef?
Red Meat: It Does a Body Good!
It’s the Beef

I love a good, basic chicken salad. Nothing frilly or sweet. Organic, pastured meat, homemade mayonnaise, celery, tangy capers and parsley. It's great to eat alone, on grain free crackers, or on a slice of grain-free toast.

I love a good, basic chicken salad. Nothing frilly or sweet. Organic, pastured meat, homemade mayonnaise, celery, tangy capers, and parsley. It’s great to eat alone, on bell pepper and seed crackers, or on a slice of grain-free toast.

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The beauty of a salad this simple is that you can play with the flavors. Add more vegetables, salt, mayo, omit the capers, etc. You can make this salad to suit your taste. You can also roast the chicken ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units
  • 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
  • Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 large stalk celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (Molly’s recipe is my favorite)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. Place chicken skin-side up on a baking dish. Season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Cool to room temperature. Remove skin and shred chicken (you should have about 4 cups of shredded chicken).
  2. Place shredded chicken, onion, celery, parsley, capers, mayo, Dijon and sea salt in a large bowl. Toss until all ingredients are incorporated. Serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 4

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Filed Under: Dairy and Grain-Free Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gaps Diet, Gluten Free Recipes, Grain Free Recipes, Kids and School Lunches, Main Dish, Nut-free, Paleo Recipes, Sides and Salads, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

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17 Comments

  1. NicoleW

    March 4, 2013 at 11:45 am

    Once I master homemade mayo I really want to try this!
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  2. Amanda

    March 4, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    Wonderful and useful information!
    to Amanda" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Amanda">Reply to this comment
  3. Avellanet

    March 4, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    So glad I found your website! Thanks for the label explanation. We have reduced the intake of meat in our family and when we do buy it, we try to buy only organic/greenwise/free-range. Though is hard to find free-range meat in South Florida.
    to Avellanet" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Avellanet">Reply to this comment
  4. kelly

    March 4, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    is the mayo recipe on this site?
    to kelly" aria-label="Reply to this comment to kelly">Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      March 5, 2013 at 7:51 am

      Here is the link for the mayo: http://www.organicspark.com/simply-mayonnaise/
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic">Reply to this comment
      • kelly

        March 5, 2013 at 8:30 am

        Thanks!
        to kelly" aria-label="Reply to this comment to kelly">Reply to this comment
  5. Lindsey

    March 5, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    When you live on a very small budget (as in $350 a month for a family of 4) is it best to do without any meat or to buy the best you can (even if it isn't the greatest)? We are also gluten free so this budget is very tight without meat. Any thoughts?
    to Lindsey" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Lindsey">Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      March 6, 2013 at 7:47 am

      I would buy the best meat you can on your budget. I'd also use eggs for extra protein and good fat for your family's diet.
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic">Reply to this comment
  6. Vanessa

    March 6, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I purchased our Thanksgiving turkey from Good Earth Farms. It was delicious.
    to Vanessa" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Vanessa">Reply to this comment
  7. Scott @ The Healthy Eating Guide

    March 6, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Carrie, have you read Eating Animals by Jonathon Safran Foer? I just got through the "glossary" section of the book and it has a lot of the same stuff you're talking about. It's a great read if you haven't read it yet. Oh, and the chicken salad recipe looks awesome...definitely putting this one in my recipe box.
    to Scott @ The Healthy Eating Guide" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Scott @ The Healthy Eating Guide">Reply to this comment
  8. canary

    March 8, 2013 at 7:41 am

    You might want to include a link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch Guide:" http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx. They have pocket guides you can print (which are refined regionally) and mobile apps. Just because it's wild-caught doesn't mean it's necessarily a good choice. Lots of fish are overharvested (like tuna) and depending on where the fish was caught, it could be full of toxic pollution.
    to canary" aria-label="Reply to this comment to canary">Reply to this comment
  9. Christine

    March 11, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    Do you know approximately how much shredded chicken this is in cups (or weight?) I tossed a bunch of chicken breasts into the crockpot this weekend to shred up for snacks/easy meals, and I'd love to make this for lunches!
    to Christine" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Christine">Reply to this comment
    • Christine

      March 11, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Nevermind, I just re-read the recipe and found where you mention about 4 cups!
      to Christine" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Christine">Reply to this comment
  10. Alana

    March 19, 2013 at 5:09 am

    Hi there, Thanks for this post; I've just realized that I've been hoodwinked by clever marketing phrases. I always thought that free range was 'the real deal' when it came to organic. I'm taking 'pastured' and working with it whenever I'm at the local store buying my meats. I'm bookmarking you for future posts! Alana
    to Alana" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Alana">Reply to this comment
  11. Berneda

    August 21, 2013 at 6:20 am

    Hi Carrie: Can you recommend a place to buy wild fish thru the internet? The grocery store I go to doesn't have the best fish around. Thank you.
    to Berneda" aria-label="Reply to this comment to Berneda">Reply to this comment

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Hi, I’m Carrie Korem, FNTP
Welcome to Deliciously Organic

Through unprocessed, organic food and detox I’ve reversed Hashimoto’s disease, chronic migraines, IBS and eczema.

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