Weekly Recipes 4

I admit, I didn't do a lot of cooking this week. At least, not any earth-shattering, experimental cooking that had everybody gasping at my culinary expertise. Therefore, there aren't a lot of new recipes to post. I did make something for dinner tonight, though, that turned out really well. This is actually a twist on the fried chicken strips I made two weeks ago. Instead of almond meal, I used all the coconut products and then threw in the 5 spice on a whim.

Coconut Chicken Strips

Ingredients

2 c coconut flour

2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

3 eggs, beaten

Chinese 5 spice

coconut oil

3 lb. chicken tenderloins

Directions

Put chicken in a ziploc and add Chinese 5 spice. I think I added about 2 Tbsp. I know I said in my last post that I'm a bit OCD, but apparently it doesn't apply to cooking. I eyeball a lot of things like spices.

Mix the coconut flour and the shredded coconut together in a plate. Roll each strip in the mixture, dip in egg, and then roll in the coconut mixture again. Lay on wax paper to set for about ten minutes.

Heat about (again with the inexact measurements!) 3 Tbsp coconut oil in a nonstick pan at medium heat. When it's hot enough to fry, add strips to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side and remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

During the cooking process, I had to add more coconut oil as the chicken soaked it up. Also, if your oil starts to get too dark, pour it out and wipe the pan. Add clean oil and begin again.

These had a great, coconutty flavor, and the Chinese 5 spice was fantastic. LOVE. Now, I have a burning desire to do this with shrimp.

I served the chicken strips with a sauce I created. I thought about coconut shrimp and the dips they serve them with in restaurants. That's all full of sugar, of course, but I began to put my mind to it. This is what I came up with.

Hot and Sweet Pineapple Sauce

Ingredients

2 c diced pineapple

1/2 green bell pepper

red pepper flakes

habanero Tabasco sauce

honey

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

I put the pineapple,bell pepper, salt, and pepper in the food processor and pureed it. I put in about a Tbsp of red pepper flakes, 1/4 c honey, and a tsp of habanero sauce. I mixed it and tasted it, and adjusted the heat and sweetness to taste. I honestly didn't measure, again, but kept working at it until it had a sweet taste with a good kick in the aftertaste. Paired with the coconut chicken, it really worked. The little kids wouldn't eat it, of course, but the rest of us loved it. I have plenty left over, and I think it'll be great with pork.

Other than that, I didn't do a lot of cooking. I have been adding different things to the famous egg muffins. Today I made some with sausage, mushroom, green peppers, and sharp cheddar. Then I made another batch with proscuitto, mushroom, spinach, and fresh mozzarella. Before you get amazed at the mad kitchen skillz, I have to tell you that egg muffins are about the easiest thing ever to make. Throw the meat in a pan, add some veggies, divide in the muffin pan with cheese, and put the beaten eggs on top. Bake 2o min. at 350F. Done. My oldest two have been helping me make them. It took about 30 minutes just to do 2 batches. By the way, I am in LOVE with my new silicone muffin pans. The muffins pop right out, and they're so pretty. I do like pretty food.