Coconut Chicken

A step up on chicken fingers! I could not get enough of these when we made them. We paired the tenders with a sweet and spicy asian dipping sauce but they will go well with whatever your favorite sauce might be! You could even cut them in smaller pieces and serve as an appetizer at parties!


Coconut Chicken







3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 c flour
1 c coconut flakes
1 c panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tbs water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder


1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Chop coconut until it is around the same size as the panko. Mix the coconut, panko, and spices in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl. Break eggs into a third shallow bowl beating well, add water to thin the egg mixture and beat again.
2. To bread the chicken, first dredge the strip in flour, then in egg, and finally coat in coconut mixture patting lightly to make sure coconut sticks to chicken. Place the chicken on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cooked through, turning at halfway point. Once chicken is cooked through remove from oven (chicken may not brown evenly, cut a strip open to make sure it is cooked through). Enjoy!

Artichoke Chicken Piccata

A bit of a twist on a classic Chicken Piccata. I think the artichokes add a little something special while still maintaining the classic flavors.




Artichoke Chicken Piccata





1 1/2 lbs chicken breast halves
1/3 c flour
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
4 tbs olive oil
1/2 c dry white wine
3 tbs lemon juice
1/4 c capers
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 tbs butter
salt and pepper

1. If chicken breasts are thick, cut in half length wise to make two thin pieces. Breast should be 1/4 inch in thickness.
2. Mix flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture until pieces are lightly coated.
3. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook until browned on each side.
4. Remove chicken from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Keep chicken warm.
5. Add wine, lemon juice, capers and artichokes to pan. Stir with spatula scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce mixture by half. Add butter. Once butter is well incorporated, remove from heat.
6. Pour sauce over chicken. Enjoy!

Pecan Crusted Salmon

This meal is without a doubt a staple in my house, perfect for a weeknight dinner. It is a real quick make, healthy and of course delicious!
Note: 1 pound of salmon feeds 2 people




Pecan Crusted Salmon





1 lb Salmon
1 tbs butter, melted
1 tbs honey
1 tbs mustard
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbs parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (you can also use hazelnuts if you prefer)
salt
pepper




1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse salmon. Lay skin side down on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Combine melted butter, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Brush salmon liberally with mustard mixture.
3. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, and chopped pecans, mixing until well incorporated. Bread salmon liberally with breadcrumb mixture, lightly patting breadcrumbs into mustard mixture so breading sticks to salmon.
4. Bake salmon at 350 for 20 minutes until fish flakes easily. Serve fish carefully detaching from skin using a spatula. Enjoy!

Chili with Jalapeño Cornbread

Brrr... it's been cold outside, and this is the perfect meal to warm you up! What's better to warm you up than homemade chili and adding a little extra heat with some jalapeño cornbread? Yummy :)




Chili with Jalapeño Cornbread








Chili


1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 can 16 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 medium stalks of celery thinly sliced
2-3 tbs chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 can kidney beans


1. Cook ground beef, onion and garlic in a frying pan over medium high heat, using spatula to chop beef into small pieces. Saute until browned.
2. Transfer beef mixture into a large pot. Add tomatoes with liquid, tomato sauce, celery, chili powder, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper. Stir, heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Periodically taste chili and add more red pepper if needed (I like my chili hot so I added more as I went).
3. Stir in beans. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until hot about 15 minutes. If you prefer thicker chili, continue simmering until at desired thickness. Enjoy!


Jalapeño Cornbread


1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2-4 tbs sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can corn
3 tbs chopped jalapeños
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbs vegetable oil


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Add milk, egg and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Beat until smooth about 1 minute. Stir in corn, jalapeños, and cheddar cheese.
3. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil to cast iron pan. Pour corn meal mixture evenly into cast iron skillet.
4. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-23 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice into 9 even slices. Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto, Gruyere, and Spinach with Caramelized Shallot Sauce

Talk about flavor packed! This one dish has all the best qualities of really sophisticated flavors. It is a bit more time consuming than some of the other dishes, but you can assemble it ahead of time if you're crunched for time after work and want to have a great meal.




Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto, Gruyere, and Spinach with Caramelized Shallot Sauce









4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices prosciutto
1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
2 tsp tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp water
1 tsp cornstarch


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch in thickness.
2. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on top of breast. Sprinkle Gruyere cheese to cover surface, top with spinach leaves. Fold breast in half length wise, pinching chicken edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dust each piece lightly with flour.
4. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium high temperature. Add chicken to pan and cook 5 minutes on each side.
5. Place chicken on baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes until cooked through and cheese is melted. Keep warm.
6. Add shallots to skillet and saute until cooked through. Add tomato paste, cook one minute stirring constantly. Add wine and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 cup. Add broth, bringing to a boil. Cook until reduced by half.
7. Combine cornstarch and water into a bowl stirring until smooth. Add to sauce, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
8. Pour sauce over chicken. Enjoy!