Most of the time I do a lot of batch cooking on the weekends, as I am at work late or have activities to get to, leaving me little time to cook a nice dinner during the week. However, having quick easy meals for weeknight dinners that taste delicious and are healthy, really come in handy! Lucky for me (and you!) I came across this wonderful family friendly meal from my favourite nutritionist from Nourishing Meals. The ingredients may seem a little unusual if you aren't used to gluten free cooking, but they are easy to find and come in handy for future baking. You can find arrowroot powder and coconut flour in the health food section at grocery stores or Bulk Barn. I had everything on hand and the whole meal only took me 15 minutes to prepare (and about 5 minutes to devour!). This dish obviously has a coconut flavour to it, which adds a little sweetness to the dish. I served mine with homemade honey dijon mustard, some sweet potato, and cabbage and brussels sprouts salad with a lemon-tahini dressing. Yum! I would advise eating these all at once, as the crispness is no longer there with leftovers, unless you sautéed again. Alternately you can bake these, creating a little less mess. They won’t be quite a browned but they are better for leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 pound organic chicken breast, pounded
coconut oil, for cooking
Bowl #1:
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp Herbamare, or sea salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (or extra thyme or other spice of choice)
1/2 cup water
Bowl #2:
1/2-3/4 cup finely shredded coconut
herbamare (or sea salt) and finely ground pepper)
Directions:
Pound the chicken breasts with the smooth end of a meat pounder to tenderize them. Then slice into strips. Whisk together everything for bowl #1 in a shallow, wide bowl. Place the shredding coconut into another bowl with a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and stir.
Place half of the chicken strips into bowl #1 and coat well. Then toss each into the shredding coconut. Place onto a plate then repeat with remaining chicken strips.
Heat a cast iron skillet for approximately 5 minutes on medium heat (wonderful tool to have in your kitchen - I ordered mine off Amazon but you can even find them at yard sales.). Add a couple tbsp of coconut oil to the skillet. Place some of the chicken strips into the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. Be sure not to overcrowd the chicken to ensure they cook properly and crisp up. Place cooled chicken strips onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining uncooked chicken, adding more coconut oil in between batches. Serve immediately with a dip of your choice and enjoy!
*Alternatively, preheat oven to 400F. Lay chicken strips once coated on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through, until cooked through and slightly browned.
Let me know what you think.
In health & happiness,
Dr. Karen