A new take on chicken tenders and fries

A few weeks ago I filled out a form on Tropical Traditions website to be considered to review their coconut oil.  Not thinking that me and my little blog would get picked but I did! Yesterday I received my Coconut Oil in the mail and instantly began to think "what should I make first?", "should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?", "what does it smell like?", "will it have a strong coconut flavor?".  Needless to say my brain was on 20 question mode, but I had a photo assignment last night and couldn't experiment right away, so I did it tonight.  I was nervous and excited to experiment and swore that if my first try came out bad I wouldn't blog about it.  Thankfully it came out pretty tasty!

I've read so many great things about coconut oil, both for cooking/baking but also the health benefits of it.  Below are a few interesting facts that I have found in my research:

• Coconut oil is very heat stable so it makes an excellent cooking and frying oil. It has a smoke point of about 360°F (180°C)

• The oil is also used to give movie theater popcorn in the United States its distinctive flavor


• Made from fresh coconuts, not dried copra


• Has a fresh coconut fragrance


• Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother's milk
  

I had been curious about coconut oil for a while now and been wanting to try it out for myself so I am very thankful to Tropical Traditions for sending me this amazing sample to experiment with and write about.

So back to my 20 questions:

"what should I make first?" - I decided to try and make a play on chicken nuggets and fries.  Instead I made coconut flour dusted chicken tenders and sweet potato fries.  They were fried in a little bit of coconut oil (recipe below).  It was very very tasty.  The chicken came out fantastic!!  So juicy and tender with a hint of coconut flavor (just a hint).  The fries came out great too, however I think I prefer my fries baked instead of fried.

"should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?" - I went with making my own recipe this time, but Tropical Traditions has tons of great looking recipes that I look forward to trying!

"what does it smell like?"- It definitely smells like coconut but in a good way (not like suntan lotion).

"will it have a strong coconut flavor?" - A slight coconut flavor is there but its not over powering or anything like that.  I rather enjoyed it.

Chicken Tenders and Fries

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 medium to large sweet potato - cut into "fries"

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast - cut into 1/2 inch strips

coconut oil - enough to lightly fry the fries and chicken - about 1/4 -1/2 cup

In a medium bowl mix the coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and pepper until combined.  Dredge the sweet potato fries in the flour and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  One the fries are finished cooking cool them on a wire rack.  Lightly sprinkle with salt (if you desire).  Next, add the chicken to the same flour mixture, coat lightly and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until fully cooked. I dipped my chicken in a little bit of honey....oooh so good!!



Seeing as I was given this very generous sample to try I have decided that for the next month before packing everything up to ship across the country I will make one coconut oil recipe a week, so please stay tuned for more recipes and reviews. Now...what to make next, hmmmmm  Maybe I'll try baking something next.

Please check out this video from Tropical Traditions about their Coconut Oil:

Sweet Baby Ray's (review)

Back East we have "cook outs" where you cook outside on a grill, usually some steaks, BBQ chicken, veggies etc.  However, when I moved to California people call cook outs BBQ's, which I found a little confusing.  I was invited to my first BBQ thinking "oh, nice we are going to have some BBQ pork or chicken".  No, there was NO BBQ sauce to be found anywhere.  Cooking on a grill (or as they call it here, a BBQ) was what they were talking about all along.  Needless to say I was a bit disappointing and still haven't gotten over the difference from one coast to another.  In my mind to have a BBQ - you must have BBQ sauce!! (I know I'm not alone on this, but people here think I'm crazy)

Since moving here and being to many BBQ's with out BBQ sauce I realized a few months ago, that I haven't had BBQ sauce in years!!  Bryan is always raving about this one brand, his all time favorite to be exact - Sweet Baby Ray's.  I said well if its gluten free, lets try it. I read the back of the package and I didn't see anything containing gluten/wheat so I went online and sure enough its gluten free!! Its a good thing that it is, because I don't think he can live with out it, and he is very excited that I can eat it.  Here is what it says on their website:

Allergen

Is the product gluten-free?

All products except for the meatballs with sauce are gluten free.  Always read labels closely for ingredients before consuming.

This stuff is AMAZING.  Such a great flavor, not too over powering but the perfect balance of tangy sweetness.  Its thick and has a little bit of a kick to it.  I've only tried the original one but they have several other flavors: Honey, Hickory & Brown Sugar, Ray's Hot 'N Spicy and Sweet Vidalia Onion. Probably one of the best sauces I have had.  You can pretty much find this everywhere so if you haven't tried it yet you should.  It's almost summer time lots of grills will be heating up waiting for some BBQ chicken!! I don't we'll ever have another kind of BBQ sauce in our house.

I don't own a grill right now (and hopefully we'll be able to get one when we move to Rhode Island) so tonight I'm baking some chicken drumsticks that have been brushed with Sweet Baby Ray's and when they are just about finished I'll pop them under the broiler for just a little bit to get that char on them.  Then of course I'll be dipping the meat in the sauce :) Tonight's meal will be some steamed broccoli, Sweet Baby Rays Chicken and a tomato and cucumber salad.  Light and tasty.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders

One of my favorite "bar" foods is Buffalo Wings...love love love them, especially boneless ones, but 9 times out of 10 they are coated with flour or fried in the same oil that other battered things are fried in, so I never get to eat them. Today after talking with Bryan, who had them for lunch today I figured I would try and make some myself...it couldn't be that hard, right? - Thanks Bryan for the inspiration!!

Wicked easy to make and extremely tasty! Served them tonight with some baked sweet potato fries.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in to 1/2 strips

1/4 cup potato starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large skillet, heat the oil (do not let it get too hot and smoke). In a small pan melt oil and add hot sauce and lemon juice, keep on low heat. In a medium bowl mix the potato starch, salt and garlic powder until well combined. Dredge the chicken strips in the potato starch. Shake off any excess starch and cook chicken in the oil for about 2-3 minutes per side, until lightly golden brown.

When chicken is completely cooked through, add to pan with butter and hot sauce, stir and coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Any extras would be great cut up and put in a salad!

Hearty Chicken Soup

Cold season has hit!  Thankfully its just a cold and not the flu.  So the past few days have been spent drinking many cups of tea with honey and eating plenty of soup.  I'm not good at being sick...I have a hard time taking it easy and resting.  I always feel like I need to be doing something, and that usually means cooking/baking.  So the other day I had made a potato and corn chowder  but when I'm sick I want a clear broth...so tonight I made a hearty chicken soup.

Hearty Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 large shallot (or onion, I didn't have an onion so I used shallot)

3 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 medium potatoes, diced

1 cup each firmly packed green and red chard roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 table spoon dried oregano

1 table spoon rosemary chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups gluten free chicken broth

1 cup water

1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced

salt and pepper to taste (shouldn't need to much with the chicken stock)

*try to dice the veggies all about the same time for even cooking.  I tend to dice mine bigger but I like the chunkiness of the soup.  I also don't peel my potatoes first, I like to leave the skin on, it adds a slightly different texture to the soup.

In a large pot heat one table spoon of grapeseed oil over medium heat.  Add shallot and cook for two minutes.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for an additional five minutes until softened.  Add potatoes, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  turn heat to medium high and add one cup of water and four cups of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes, add chicken and stir.  Once chicken has cooked through add the green and red chard, stir well.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy with a little grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I'm going to give P.F Chang's a run for their money with this chicken. (ok maybe only in my mind). I love P.F.'s Spicy Chicken but this one I made tonight has got a good kick of heat to it.

Last week at the Farmer's market I found some Thai Chili's and have been trying to think of ideas of what to make with them. I plan to make some pad thai with tofu later this week. I wanted to create something by playing with the spice and contrasting it with sweet. And out came my Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

1 chicken breast - boneless, skinless

1/4 cup corn starch

4 tablespoon veggie oil

Sauce:

1/4 cup honey

3-4 Thai Chili peppers finely chopped (keep seeds in for even more heat...adjust the amount of peppers depending on your spice level)

3 tbl spoons of water

1 tbl veggie oil

Mix honey and chopped peppers, let sit over night. When you are ready to use it add three table spoons of water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix well.

Cut up chicken in bit size pieces. In a medium bowl add the corn starch and cut up chicken. Coat well and shake off any excess corn starch. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil, add half the chicken and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Place chicken on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with second half of chicken.

In the same skillet add the honey - chili mixture and bring to a boil for two-four minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Add chicken back to the pan and coat well. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Serve over white or brow rice. Its a bit sweet with a nice spicy finish.

Chicken Picatta

Again I did some searching for Chicken Picatta recipes.  The chicken is usually dredged in flour but seeing as this is GF I decided to use sweet white rice flour.  I followed a standard Picatta recipe with the oil, butter, lemon and capers and this is what I came up with:

Chicken Picatta:

Salt and Pepper

2 Chicken Breasts - butterflied

1 Cup Sweet White Rice Flour

5 Tbls Butter

4 Tbls Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice (Fresh)

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

1/4 Cup of Capers rinsed and drained

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley chopped

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper then dredge in the rice flour.  Shake off any access flour.  In a large skillet heat 2 tbls of butter and 3 tbls of oil, when it starts to bubble/sizzle add one of the chicken breasts.  Cook for three minutes on each side.  The chicken should have a nice golden brown color.  Remove chicken and keep warm on a plate.  Add an additional 2 tbls butter and one tbls of oil, repeat the same process with the chicken.  Once chicken is done keep it warm on a plate with the other chicken breast.  In the pan add the lemon juice, chicken stock and capers, whisk well and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken breasts and any juices from the plate.  Simmer for five - seven minutes.  Remove chicken again and place on a serving platter.  Add the remaining butter to the pan and whisk well.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and top with parsley.

Serve with green beans, roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Citrus Chili Chicken with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Citrus Chili Chicken with Roasted Grape Tomatoes



Roasted Grape Tomatoes
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp salt

Roast at 400° for 10-15 minutes until they start to split open
In a bowl combine roasted tomatoes (with any juices on the pan) and 1/8 cup crumbled feta cheese

Citrus Chili chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast - butterflied
1/4 cup Williams Sonoma Citrus - Chili Finishing Sauce

Marinade the chicken in the sauce for 30 minutes
Cook on in a sautée pan for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken and Green Bean Asparagus Salad

Roasted Chicken with Green Bean Asparagus Salad

Roasted Chicken

2 pounds of chicken legs (about two pieces, skin on)

1 Meyer Lemon

1/2 teaspoon sat

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Parsley

1/2 teaspoon Dill

4 tablespoons good olive oil

Place the last seven ingredients in a zip lock bag. Cut the lemon in half. Cut two 1/4 inch slices of the lemon and place to the side.  Squeeze the lemon into the bag with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Lift the skin of the chicken slightly with out tearing it.  Under the skin place one of the lemon slices and about a 1 teaspoon of the marinade.  Place the chicken in the bag and marinade for a three to four hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a non stick skillet on medium high heat brown the chicken legs (about one minute on each side).  Place chicken and remaining marinade and lemon slices in an oven proof baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Green Bean Asparagus Salad w/ Mustard vinaigrette


1 pound fresh green beans

1 pound fresh asparagus

1/2 of a red or white onion sliced thinly

1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces

1/8 cup pomegranate seeds

Vinaigrette

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/8  teaspoon of  Oregano

1/8 teaspoon Parsley

1/8 teaspoon Dill

1/4 cup good olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined.

Cut the green beans and asparagus in 1 inch pieces.  Boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and maintain a crunch.  Run under cold water to stop the cooking.  Set aside

In a large bowl combine onion, green bean, asparagus and the toasted walnuts.  Add the mustard vinaigrette and  mix until evenly coated.  Top with pomegranate seeds.

Gramma Lu's Chicken

My grandmother is a great cook. We all have grown up loving and craving her cooking (especially her meatballs and sauce). All of her recipes are stored in a brown folder that has been coveted by every female in my family!! Knowing that there would come a time that we would all want these recipes from her but only one person would end up with the folder, my Aunt Sue, my sister and I decided to put all her recipes in a "cook book" and give it to our family as Christmas presents one year.

I have to give her credit for my love of cooking. I remember being very young and her pulling up a chair for me to stand on next to her while she taught me how to make chicken soup from scratch.

Gramma Lu makes the best chicken wings (to me anyway). Ever since I was little I looked forward to these chicken wings of hers.

I didn't have chicken wings or pineapple juice so I adapted the original recipe. I substituted the wings for drumsticks and omitted the pineapple juice and added a teaspoon of ginger. (The original recipe is below along with the ginger)

Gramma Lu's Chicken Wings

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup gluten free* soy sauce

1/4 cup pineapple juice

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon of minced ginger*

1-2 lbs of chicken wings (or drumsticks)

~Combine first four five ingredients and mix well. Add chicken and marinate overnight. Place chicken in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, turn once half way threw. Serve Hot.

(for drumsticks cook at 375 degrees for fifty minutes turning once. Turn oven to Broil and broil for five minutes or until skin is crispy).

General Tso's Chicken (A bit lighter)

General Tso's Chicken

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine issue pg, page 34)

1/4 cup corn starch

1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons ginger (freshly grated or jarred)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 large egg whites

salt and pepper

1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Brown Rice

~Cook rice according to package or rice cooker.

~In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes; toss to combine and set aside.

~In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat.

~In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Lift half the chicken from the egg-white mixture (shaking off excess) and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, set aside (reserve skillet)

~Add snow pea mixture to the skillet. Cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with brown rice.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken

Prosciutto - Wrapped Chicken

1 boneless skinless chicken breast halved length wise

2 pieces of Prosciutto (thinly sliced)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Season chicken breast with pepper (no need to season with salt when using the prosciutto). Wrap each piece of chicken with one piece of prosciutto. Place the seam side down on a baking sheet. Lightly rub the top of each chicken breast with oil.

Bake at 350@ for 10-15 minutes until almost cooked. Switch oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes (or until cooked fully)

Serve with sauteed spinach and zucchini.

Sweet Curry Chicken

Sweet Curry Chicken

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon red curry paste (Thai Kitchen)
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)

~Mix together to make a paste
~Rub on to chicken breast
~Grill until no longer pink inside (a few minutes on each side)

Nothing like a quick, easy but tasty meal!

Thai Chicken Soup

Thai Chicken Soup
(Adapted from Elana’s Pantry – Thank you!!)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
8 sprigs cilantro, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
28 ounces coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave
½ pound crimini mushrooms
1 head broccoli
1 can of baby corn (strained and cut in half lengthwise)
1 pound chicken breasts skinless-boneless, halved lengthwise, sliced on bias, cut into 18 inch thick pieces
2 Serrano chilies
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce

Garnish (Optional)
Minced cilantro
Scallions
Lime wedges

~ Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
~ Add shallots, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, cilantro, stirring frequently until softened (about 2-5 minutes)
~ Stir in stock, coconut mil and agave and bring to a simmer
~ Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids (shallots, cilantro and red pepper flakes)
~ Return broth to saucepan
~ Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and broccoli and cook until tender (2 to 3 minutes)
~ Add Serrano Chilies
~ Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink (1 to 3 minutes)
~ Combine lime juice, curry paste and fish sauce in a small bowl then stir into soup
~ Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, scallions and a lime wedge

(Elana, Thank you for letting me add this to my blog with my own adaptation of your Thai Chicken Soup. )