When working with clients, I often get questions about new recipe ideas to give them cooking / meal inspiration. Whether they are looking for new healthy recipes for their family, adjusting to new dietary restrictions or preparing for postpartum freezer meals, I’ve found that it can be difficult to find the perfect recipes to pass along. Often times, I find that most recipes aren’t super straight forward, don’t contain the right alternatives for dietary restrictions and fail to provide enough clarification to prep and freeze meals, if needed.

My good friend Caroline Fausel, creator of Olive You Whole, developed the perfect cookbook with all of this in mind! Caroline makes it easy to get a nutritious dinner on the table with 12 weeks of Paleo recipes your whole family will love. Her innovative method combines the best aspects of meal planning, batch cooking and freezer meals to revolutionize your evenings, letting you pull together mouthwatering meals on even the busiest weeknights.

This comprehensive plan includes everything from simple instructions to detailed grocery lists, so there’s no need for guesswork in getting ready for dinner. Caroline walks you through every step of the meal planning process, beginning with weekend batch cooking sessions where you’ll prep and store the elements for your weeknight meals. Best of all, the recipes yield large portions that are perfect for freezing, so you’re actually making two weeks’ worth of dinners at once―meaning you can look forward to yet another easy reheat night!

I’ve been a longtime fan of Caroline’s recipes (my favorite being her infamous Five Pepper Sweet Potato Chili) and her new cookbook offers such amazing recipes. One of my favorite recipes from the cookbook, this Creamy Chicken Piccata, might be my new favorite! Her recipes are perfect for meal planning, dropping a meal off for a friend, even stocking the freezer for postpartum meal prep, etc.

Her cookbook will be launching December 21st and is available for pre-order now – check it out here!

CREAMY CHICKEN PICCATA OVER MASHED POTATOES

CHICKEN PICCATA

2 1⁄2 lbs (1.1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup (95 g) almond meal

1⁄3 cup (43 g) tapioca starch

1 tbsp (5 g) nutritional yeast

2 tsp (12 g) salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp (60 g) ghee, divided

4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided

MASHED POTATOES

21⁄2 lbs (1.1 kg) russet potatoes

11⁄2 tbsp (27 g) kosher salt

1 (13.5-oz [398-ml]) can coconut milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted ghee

1⁄2 tsp black pepper

SAUCE

4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted ghee, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1⁄2 cup (120 ml) chicken bone broth, plus more if needed

1⁄3 cup (80 ml) lemon juice

1⁄4 cup (45 g) capers, drained

1 tsp salt

1 (5-oz [141-g]) can coconut cream

2 tsp (5 g) arrowroot Parsley, chopped, for garnish

PREP DAY

Slice the chicken breasts in half crosswise to create cutlets. Place each cutlet on a cutting board and lightly pound until thin (about 1⁄2 inch [1.3 cm] thick).

In a shallow dish, whisk together the almond meal, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30 g) of ghee with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil. Dredge each chicken breast through the flour mixture and, working in batches, cook the cutlets in the pan for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken cutlets to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) of ghee and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil as needed to cook all the cutlets.

Set the cutlets aside to cool. Once the cutlets have cooled, divide them into two equal portions. Carefully wrap each portion in parchment or wax paper and lay flat in a resealable or stasher bag. Store one portion in the refrigerator for cook night and the other portion in the freezer for reheat night.

Make the mashed potatoes by chopping the potatoes into even-sized pieces and adding them to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add the salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot and add the coconut milk, garlic, ghee and pepper. Use a potato masher and mash the ingredients together until you reach the desired consistency, or feel free to add all ingredients to a mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until well blended. Allow to cool, then place in an airtight container for cook night.

COOK NIGHT

Remove the mashed potatoes from the refrigerator and put them in a pot on the stovetop. Reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You may add a bit of chicken broth if necessary.

Remove the chicken cutlets from the refrigerator, unwrap them, place them on a large plate and set aside. While the potatoes are reheating, melt 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the ghee in a large straight-sided sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallot and sauté until the shallot is tender and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon juice, capers and salt.

Add the chicken cutlets to the pan and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce has thickened a bit, 5 to 7 minutes, turning the cutlets halfway through.

In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream and arrowroot. Whisk, then slowly add the mixture to the piccata in the pan. Stir to combine and heat through.

To serve, spoon the mashed potatoes into a large circle in the middle of each plate, add the chicken piccata with sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

REHEAT NIGHT

To thaw the breaded chicken, move it from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before reheat night. Make the mashed potatoes using the instructions on prep day, then follow the instructions for cook night. (Using additional “sauce” ingredients above.)