Food Friday: Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

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

Food Friday: Immune Boosting Smoothie

Whenever I feel a little run down or my body is trying to fight something off, I get out my handy blender and whip up this concoction to boost my immune system. Last weekend, it did the trick (I actually made it 3 times!). This smoothie is packed full of vitamin C from the pineapple, orange and lemon. Pineapple also aids in digestion and by now we know that 70% of our immune system resides in our gut. Ginger helps to boost our immune system as well with its diaphoretic and anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, the cayenne adds a little more punch and works as an anti-microbial and gets your blood moving. You could even throw some turmeric powder in there as well to combat inflammation. So try this out next time you are feeling a little run down and remember to take your vitamin D and your favourite cold busting formula as well. 

Pineapple Orange Immune Boosting Smoothie:

• 1/2 cup 100% pineapple juice (or frozen pineapple) 
• 1 small/medium orange, peeled
• 1 small nob ginger (to taste - I like mine spicy so I know it is working!)
• juice of 1/2 lemon 
• pinch of cayenne
• 2-3 ice cubes (if prefer cold) 

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender and enjoy! Feel the powers of food working to fight off any colds & flus. 

Need a little extra support for your immune system? I'd be happy to meet with you to discuss other options to help you feel your best. Check out Get In Touch to send me a message or learn about my free 15 minute complimentary consults. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen 

(This recipe was adapted from OhSheGlows.)

Food Friday: Sweet Potato, Chickpea Coconut Curry

Photo from ohsheglows.com 

Angela Liddon strikes again! I received my copy of her newest cookbook, Oh She Glows Everyday, only a few days after it was available this September. Initially scrolling through it, I was a little disappointed because nothing jumped out at me as new and exciting. But then I realized I was feeling that way because that type of food and recipes are so engrained in me it already looked like what I would cook in my kitchen. Because of that I then got excited because I knew I would use and reuse this cookbook so much! If that even makes sense...I'm not sure. 

I cooked this recipe for an amazing friend of mine last weekend. It was the perfect comfort food for the much needed catch up. It was also super easy to make and very nutritious. This curry is gluten free, dairy free and can be grain free depending on if you serve it on rice/quinoa etc or not. Make sure you dice the sweet potato into smaller pieces to speed up cooking time. Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A and vitamin C making it a great antioxidant veggie. The greens are pretty hidden in the curry as well, which makes it great for kids. 

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds/ground cumin
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 medium/large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-1/2 in dice (about 3 cups)
• 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 can coconut milk 
• 1 package baby spinach (5 oz/142g)
• freshly ground pepper
• chopping fresh cilantro - for garnish
• unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Toss the cumin seeds in the pan if using (they should sizzle if the pan is hot enough), and toast for about a minute, until fragrant and lightly toasted. Quickly stir in the onion, season with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add ground cumin at this point if using ground. 
2. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the garlic softens. 
3. Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, tomatoes with their juices and coconut milk. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. At this point, mash about one-third of the mixture to thicken the sauce (using a potato masher or big fork) - optional yet suggested. 
4. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve on its own or with a small amount of rice, quinoa or millet. Garnish with cilantro and coconut. Store the cooled curry in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

Serves 6.

Enjoy! If you enjoy this be sure to let me know and also check out her new cookbook! You won't be disappointed. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Flavourful & Hearty Ratatouille

We still have a little left of summer to suck up in Halifax, NS, however the fall air has definitely arrived! If you haven’t gotten enough of the summer veggies, i.e. zucchini, tomatoes and fresh basil, look no further. This is a great veggie packed meal that tastes fresh and is very satisfying. It is a great transition meal from summer to fall as it uses the summer veggies yet is warming. If you know me I love my hearty stews so this was right up my alley. Sarah Britton’s website MyNewRoots.org is a wonderful site full of beautiful food photos that always make your mouth water. Her meals are hearty and only some can be a little more complicated. I was introduced to her during a retreat at Windhorse Farm probably 2 years ago when someone recommended her “life changing loaf of bread.” Now this bread is not fluffy but instead very hearty and great with either peanut butter, hummus or tomato and avocado. Delicious in my book.

Ratatouille sounds a little fancy to me but when it is deconstructed like this you can’t go wrong. So do you have any leftover zucchini, maybe even those huge ones you find at the farmers market? Or are you wanting to try eggplant but worried about it being too soggy? Fear not as these veggies are grilled (or gently fried in my cast iron pan in my case) to firm them up a little. I have adapted the recipe to half the size and replaced a few things that are harder to find. The original link is at the bottom. 

Flavourful Deconstructed Ratatouille

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

• 3/4 cup cooked green lentils (1/4-1/2 cup dried)
• 1/2 large red onion
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 mixed large tomatoes (whatever is at the market)
• 1 14oz can whole tomatoes
• 2 slices lemon
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 large eggplant
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper
• 1 small green zucchini
• 1/2 small yellow zucchini
• generous handful fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 2 tbsp or so fresh oregano leaves
• 4 springs fresh thyme (or to taste)
• extra-virgin olive oil for garnish

Directions:

1. To cook lentils, if possible soak overnight or for up to 12 hours. Drain, rinse and place in a pot and cover with about 2 inches / 5cm fresh, cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender – about 10-15 minutes if you’ve soaked them, or about 20 minutes if un-soaked. Drain any excess water and set aside.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the ratatouille base: slice the onion into thick rings and add them to a large saucepan with the coconut oil and salt over med-low heat. Once the oil has melted, stir to coat the onions and them let cook, stirring occasionally until the onions have lightly caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Mince the garlic and add it to the onions, cook for a couple minutes until fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes and use the back of a large spoon to crush them up a little.
3. Roughly chop the large tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, leaving a few of the cherry tomatoes whole. Add all of the tomatoes to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lemon slices and balsamic vinegar, bring to a low simmer and cook covered while you grill the vegetables.
4. Preheat your cast iron pan to med-high heat. Slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds or halves and slice the peppers in long slices.  Add in batches to pan, slightly spread out, and cook covered for 5 minutes. Saute/flip veggies and continue cooking for 5 or so minutes more until they are tender but not mushy and some browned. (Alternatively preheat grill to med-high heat. Place veggies on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the underside has slight grill marks then flip and continue to grill until the veggies are tender but not mushy.)
5. Add the grilled vegetables to the pot along with the lentils, basil, oregano and thyme. Taste and add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to suit your taste. Stir well, bring to a simmer and let cook for about five minutes. Divide ratatouille among bowls. Drizzle generously with olive oil, garnish with basil, and serve hot. Sarah Britton recommends a slice of crusty bread but maybe try her life changing loaf! 

Enjoy and remember to tell me what you think in the comments below! 😃

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: www.mynewroots.org - original recipe)