From Dawn Kiehl-Beals Sweet Freedom: Living Allergen Free series.
Enjoy!
January's come and is almost gone, but there's still time to share one more winter comfort food recipe. When I think of coconut, I usually think of macaroons dripping in chocolate or mile high merengue topping a coconut cream pie. Rarely does it come to mind when I'm planning an entree. However, if you want to add a sweet, chewy twist to an old favorite, then that's exactly where it belongs!
Although an allergy to coconut is possible, it's rare when compared to dairy and wheat allergies. Coconut provides not only a nutritious source of meat but water, milk and oil as well. While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its fiber and nutritional content, it's the oil that makes it a truly remarkable food and medicine. Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in coconut oil is unique. It is different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties. In fact, coconut oil is now described as "the healthiest oil on earth. The fats in coconut oil do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease.
Today I'm going to pair coconut with lean chicken. Lean chicken is one of the healthiest protein choices you can make. Based on daily nutritional values, 4 oz of chicken gives you the following percentages in these key areas:
tryptophan128.1%
vitamin B3 (niacin)77.7%
protein 70.3%
selenium 44.7%
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)34%
phosphorus 25.8%
Calories (187)10%
As much as I try to be healthy, I still enjoy fried foods. Today's recipe, Coconut Crusted Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce, allows me to cheat a little while still making healthy choices.
Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, divided
1 cup sweet chili sauce
STEP 1: Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short.
STEP 2: Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and shredded coconut.
STEP 3: Place 1/4 cup of coconut oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium/high heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour will sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.
STEP 4: While the oil is heating, dredge the chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in bread crumbs and shredded coconut. I find it easiest to coat all of them in the flour then go back and then do the egg wash and bread crumbs/coconut for each before moving onto the next.
STEP 5: After breading the strips, the oil should be hot enough. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should only be one layer in the pan and there should be about an inch between each strip. If you over crowd the pan it will get too cold and the strips will soak up a lot of oil instead of frying. Fry the strips for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel to drain and move on to the next batch. After a couple of batches you may need more oil so you can add the second 1/4 cup to the pan. Allow the oil to come up to temperature before frying the next batch (2-3 minutes). Because the strips are thin, they should be cooked through by the time both sides are browned. You can tell by the texture of the chicken; it should be stiff when pressed. If you cut your strips thicker, you will need to bake off the chicken after frying to make sure the insides are cooked through.
STEP 6: When all of the strips are done frying, serve immediately with sweet chili sauce to dip in. I garnished mine with a little bit of chopped cilantro.
The coconut milk and oil used in the recipe not only add additional health benefits but also an additional level of coconut flavor. If you want to change this into a super healthy version, you can bake the chicken strips instead of frying them.
Below find a yummy recipe to use the remaining coconut milk:
Coconut Milk Whipped Cream
Directions
Chill one (or partial) full fat can of coconut milk in refrigerator over night Scoop out all of the thickened cream (discard or drink the water) Add cinnamon and vanilla to taste.
Whip in a mixing bowl until it begins to thicken.
Enjoy!
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