Creamy Coconut Chicken with Black Bean Salsa

So, by now you know that we are avid coconut lovers. Any recipe with the word coconut in it immediately gets my attention. Just for fun, I searched my blog for coconut and came up with 27 recipes that include this wonderful ingredient! Wow!

I found this recipe on Pinterest; originally from Publix. I know my chicken looks a little colorless, but the flavor was incredible. I changed the cooking instructions to grill the chicken next time; either on an outside grill or inside.

Even though I have a wonderful recipe for Black Bean Salsa, I decided to go with the recipe included on Publix with the chicken. My original recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, and has to sit for a while.  This one does not. (Although it's best after sitting for at least 15 minutes) 

I also served this with rice, so the wonderful sauce would have a place to live. I changed up the spices a little as well. The chipotle peppers really work well with the cool coconut.  Enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Chicken with Black Bean Salsa
Heavily adapted from Publix

Make the Black Bean Salad first. It will blend in the refrigerator while you are making the chicken.

12-16 sprigs fresh cilantro
 2 (15.25-ounce) cans black beans (drained)
1 (11-ounce) can Mexican-style corn (drained)  (I just used plain, frozen, corn)
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper


1. Chop cilantro coarsely; place in medium bowl. Rinse black beans and drain thoroughly; add to bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended; cover and chill 15 minutes or more. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)


Now, you can start your chicken!

1 lb boneless chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (The original recipe calls for adobo seasoning)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup pre-sliced green onions
1 lime
 3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Rice to serve


1. Preheat large sauté pan, or grill, on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with chipotle pepper and pepper.
2. Place butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned and internal temperature reaches 165°F.  Remove chicken from pan.
3. Place garlic, cumin, and green onions in same pan; cook 1 minute. Squeeze juice of one-half lime into pan; stir in coconut milk and salt. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce begins to boil.
4. Make rice
5.. Return chicken to pan; turning to coat. Serve sauce over chicken and rice.

Enjoy!

Coconut Custard Pie

Coconut Custard Pie. There is nothing quite like it in the entire world. It's Amazing. With a capital A.

It takes 5 minutes to prep. One bowl. It forms it's own magic crust.  It's Coconut. Coconut people. Coconut.

Creamy, gooey, divine coconut. It's like coconut tapioca, but in pie form. And so much better than tapioca, because it doesn't have that really gross texture.  Coconut. Mmmm...

Coconut Custard Pie
By Perry's Plate (Check her out. She's amazing!)

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
3 Tb melted butter
1 teas vanilla
1 cup milk
4 Tb self-rising flour/Bisquick
3 ½ oz sweetened flaked coconut
Mix well. Pour into 9-in buttered glass pie plate. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

And that's all folks. Really. Oh, did I mention this pie has coconut? ;)

Have a fabulous day!

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Yes, I went a little cupcake crazy! You see, I was in the mood to bake. But I didn't plan on baking this much!  My first batch was Strawberry Cream Cheese. (In the middle below).  I was at the grocery store and decided to buy my frosting. (Yeah, I know it's lazy...).  I came home, made the cupcakes, went to frost them.... and discovered I had bought LEMON frosting instead of vanilla!  So, I ended up making my own frosting anyway.  Then, what to do with this lemon frosting? Well, make lemon cupcakes of course! (pictured on the right). Then, I was thinking how good a Pina Colada cupcake would be. But, since I had already done 2 batches of cupcakes, I would wait.  Just then, my 5 yr old daughter came in and asked if we could make pineapple cupcakes! Seriously! I think she's a mind reader!  So, yep. Pina Cupcakes were made too! (On the left)

Many, many cupcakes went to work to be shared with coworkers. My personal favorite was the Pina Colada, but the majority liked the Lemon. Let me know what your favorite would be!

Pina Colada Cupcakes

The Double Dipped Life

makes 24 cupcakes 

1 box yellow cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

3 eggs

1 teas coconut extract  (found by the vanilla extract in the store)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 lb butter, softened

1 teas vanilla

2 teas coconut extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Sweetened, shredded coconut

Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and coconut extracts.  Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. I use all 4 cups.

Heat oven to 375.  Place paper baking cups in each regular-sized muffin cups.In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, water, pineapple, and eggs with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. 

Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cool on a cooling rack.  Cool completely before frosting. 

Spread frosting on cupcakes. Dip each cupcake into sweetened shredded coconut.  Store loosely covered at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Cupcake recipe coming later this week! 

 

Pumpkin Coconut Tropical Soup

I ran to Zupas cafe for lunch in October and they were featuring a pumpkin coconut soup. Two of my favorite flavors! How could I resist?  Let me just say... yum! I would eat this a few times a week if I could.  Sadly, Zupas had in on their menu only for October.  But... I could recreate it, right? Right!

With just a list of main ingredients and my tastebuds, I recreated this soup.  Now, my personal opinion is that mine is slightly better. More flavor, and a little bit richer. This soup is easy to make, and full of flavor!


Pumpkin Coconut Tropical Soup
The Double Dipped Life

2 Tb butter
1/2 onion, diced finely
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas chile powder
salt and pepper
 2 cans (12 oz each) coconut milk (I used one regular and one light)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 12 oz can of vegetable broth
1 12 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
6 oz chopped pineapple
green onions, chopped, for garnish 
chopped macadamia nuts for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pan. Add chopped onions, and cook until soft. Add in the spices, and cook until fragrant.

Pour in the coconut milk, pumpkin, and broth, and stir well.  Heat to boiling and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and warm through. Serve warm with chopped green onions and macadamia nuts.

Enjoy!

Tropical Pancakes

Growing up, my favorite dinners were breakfast. And not any ordinary breakfast, but pancakes or waffles or french toast covered in strawberries and whipped cream. So, basically dessert and breakfast in one, for dinner. Make sense? I know it makes sense to me... and to my tastebuds! 

This all came to me the other night while I was making pancakes. I had strawberries, I had whipping cream... it was dessert time! As I started whipping the cream, I had another epiphany. Why not use the Tropical Shortcake topping on the pancakes? Using lime and coconut could only elevate this breakfast/dinner/dessert, right? Right. 

So, click on over to my Tropical Shortcake recipe and enjoy! 

Here's a great from-scratch pancake recipe too!

Coconut Lime Crumble Bars

Coconut and Lime are 2 of my favorite ingredients.  Put them together with sugar... mmm. I've been wanting to make these tempting bars for awhile now, but just never have.  After the Teacher Appreciation mexican lunch we served a few weeks ago, I had an excess of limes. So, it was time! 

This recipe was everything I wanted. It has a nice crust both on top and on bottom, with a creamy lime center. The sugar cuts the tartness of the lime, and the coconut is a perfect touch. Fast and easy, these would make a great dessert for a barbeque or pot-luck!

Lime and Coconut Crumble Bars

Adapted from Baking Bites

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
1/2 cup rolled oats, whole or quick cooking
1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teas lime zest

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and grease lightly.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in flour, baking powder and salt and mix until everything comes together in a crumbly mixture and flour is evenly distributed. Mix in oats and coconut. Mixture will be somewhat dry and sandy.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest.
Put 2 cups of the oat mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Pour lime mixture on top and spread evenly. Crumble all remaining oat mixture over the top of the lime mixture, covering it completely.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Store in refrigerator, or at normal room temp.

Makes 25 squares.

Enjoy!

Tropical Shortcake

The first week of May was Teacher Appreciation Week. Yours truly was in charge! We really had a great time spoiling our teachers. On Thursday, Cinco de Mayo, we threw a Mexican Fiesta for lunch. The teachers participated in a Salsa Contest, and I cooked the rest of the meal! I knew exactly what I was making for the main course, but the dessert was trickier.  I originally was going to just pick up something from Costco. Then, I found these.  Shortcakes topped with Strawberries and Lime juice, topped with Coconut Whipped Topping... heaven.  The original recipe comes from Our Best Bites, and serves 4 normal sized servings.  I greatly expanded the recipe and made 60 individual servings in clear glasses.

What did the teachers think? They were in love!  Many said that these were the best shortcake they had ever had! I agree. I'm not a huge shortcake fan, but the strawberries with the tangy lime, and the coconut cream was amazing.

Here is the recipe for 4 normal sized servings. I'll follow with the measurements I used to expand the recipe. Now, I don't do math, so I guessed! And I actually did pretty good!

Tropical Shortcakes
Adapted from Our Best Bites
This recipe serves 4

Angel Food cake or Pound Cake (Yellow cake would be good too!)
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 Tb fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

For the Coconut Cream:
1 Cup whipping cream
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2 teas coconut extract (found by vanilla extracts)
1 teas vanilla extract

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Slice strawberries. Mix the lime juice and sugar into the strawberries. Stir well and set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I made my strawberries the night before, and they were so yummy!) Magic happens: the sugar dissolves, and a light syrup forms.


To make the cream, place whipping cream in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, and both extracts.  Contine beating on high until soft peaks form. This usually takes a few minutes!

Slice cake and spoon strawberries over the top. Include the lime-syrup for a great flavor! Top with Whipped Cream and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

These are what the teacher's deserts looked like!

Now, I took this recipe and made 60 of these little 5 oz cups.  I was going for the layered look, and was very pleased how they turned out! I prepared the strawberries the night before, the whipped cream the morning of, and put everything together right before the event. I didn't want the shortcake to get soggy!  Our principal came in to take pictures and I told him to take some of the desserts for me! 

Rough Measurements: (Since I don't do math!)

I used roughly 120 LARGE costco sized strawberries. It was 2 of the 4 lb containers.
I think I went through 5 or 6 limes, and about 2 cups of sugar.

I sliced a good layer of strawberries, squeezed a lime over the top, added about 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, and then continued to cut more on top. When I was done cutting, it all got stirred together and refridgerated.

I used 1 1/2 cartons of whipping cream, 5 teas Vanilla extract, and 3 teas of Coconut extract (coconut is much stronger!)  I used a total of 3 cups of powedered sugar as well.

The shortcakes were little individual round cakes that I cut into fourths.  I placed one piece in the bottom of each cup, topped with strawberries and juice, and then the cream and cococut. The toasted coconut is so important, if only to let people know that the dessert contains coconut.


Now, just one more time- these were SO good that I've been craving them ever since! Good thing I have lots and limes and coconut left over!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

When we go out to a certain restaurant, we always get dessert. It's something quite similar to this. Chocolate chips, coconut, ooey gooey goodness topped with melting vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Mmmm... Now that I've figured out how to make it at home, we can save a little money!

A few notes on this recipe. I've made it before in a smaller pan (I think 13x9) so it was thicker.  Thinner is better here. I baked it this time on a cookie sheet. (You also get more that way!) Also, while the cookie bars are good at room temperature, they are heavenly warmed up with ice cream and caramel or chocolate sauce on top. If you want to get the absolute best experience, eat these this way!

Enjoy!



Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

1 1/2 cups butter, melted
3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3 teas vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teas baking powder
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
1 cup coconut (Because I have to add it to every recipe I make!)

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a sheet pan (I used a cookie sheet with a 1/2 inch lip). In a large bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar; beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each one. Add vanilla and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the flour to the sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts, chips, and coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the top is a nice, golden brown.  30 minutes left mine a little gooey, which we loved.

Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream, and a drizzle of caramel and/or chocolate syrup.

Find some neighbors to share this with because there will be a lot! 

Yum!

Cake Bites

Cake bites are all the rage right now. Why wouldn't they be? Tiny, heavenly bites of cake with frosting mixed right in...and dipped in creamy chocolate... mmm...

Plus, the flavors and matches that can be done are almost limitless. All you need is your favorite cake flavor, pair it with frosting, and pick your favorite chocolate!

My absolute favorite flavors are Coconut Cake Bites dipped in milk or dark chocolate. I also love Strawberry cream cheese with white chocolate and sprinkled with graham crackers... devil's food cake with chocolate frosting, dipped in milk chocolate... mmm... Spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and white chocolate... see what I mean? I could go on all day!

Now, mine aren't as fancy as some, but they taste just as good! The great thing about cake balls is that one cake mix and frosting makes dozens of balls.

The last thing Cake Balls are great for is that cake you made that just didn't come out right. It should still taste good, but maybe the top was a little burned... or it fell. Just cut off the burnt part, and turn that "oops" into a delight!

Cake Balls

1 cake mix or homemade cake mix
Ingredients to make cake
1 batch (jar) of frosting
Chocolate*
*I use Guittard A'Peel chocolates- you can use chocolate chips for easier access.

Bake cake as directed on package. Let cool.
When cakes are cool, break the cake into small pieces in a large bowl. Go ahead, have fun destroying your cake! Crumble it until all you have left are crumbs!

Mix the frosting into the cake. Only mix 1/2 at a time. If you add too much frosting, the cake balls will taste soggy. We don't want that!
Mix until the cake resembles dough!

Scoop the cake out in tablespoons, and form into a ball. Place on cookie sheet. You can put as many as will fit on the sheet. Don't waste any space!

Place cookie sheet in the fridge for an hour, or in the freezer for 20 minutes... or until you are ready to dip! I've left mine in the freezer overnight before. Just make sure you let them partially defrost (about an hour) before dipping.

Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.

With a large fork, dip the cake balls into the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, and place the cake ball onto wax paper.


If you would like to drizzle another chocolate flavor on top of the cake, or sprinkles, or coconut, or graham cracker crumbs, or... you get the idea...make sure you do it before the chocolate dries.

You can let the chocolate set on the counter, or put the cake back into the fridge/freezer.

Package in cello bags, or cute little boxes and give to your neighbors! Believe me, they will be begging for more!

Coconut Peanut Sauce with Coconut Rice

As you know, my family are huge Thai food fans. I've featured a number of Thai recipes here, and am excited to now post another one! This recipe is a little sweeter then some of my others. In fact, I had to add a touch of spice to give it just a little punch.

We grilled some flank steak, made coconut rice, and topped it all with this fabulous sauce. The only complaint was that the meat was a little bland. Next time, I'll marinate it in olive oil, garlic, and ginger before grilling. You can also serve this over chicken! The sauce is not as thick as I'm used to, but it soaked into the rice, and make our mouths very happy. Both hubby and I just sat and ate the rice until we were stuffed! The best part is that this meal is fast, and both the sauce and the rice can make large quantities for parties!


Coconut Rice

1 cup water
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 teas salt
2 TB sugar
2 2/3 cup Jasmine Rice*

*Jasmine rice is amazing. It has a wonderful, nutty taste to it. You can find it in the grocery store, or at oriental markets. To use rice, measure out amount needed in a strainer. Rinse with cool water several times, until all the extra starch is washed off, and the water is clear. (You can also use instant rice if needed)

1. Place the water, coconut milk, salt, and sugar in a large, heavy pan.

2. After rinsing the rice, add to the pan. Cover tightly with a lid, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, without lifting the lid unnecessarily, for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

3. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to rest in the pan, still covered with the lid, for a further 5-10 minutes.

4. Gently fluff up the rice grains with a fork before transferring it to a warm serving dish.



Coconut Peanut Sauce
(Serve with steak or chicken. I recommend grilling Flank Steak that has been marinated in Oil, Garlic, and Ginger.)
Serves 4 to 6

Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Olive Oil
1 can (13.5 oz)  coconut milk
3 TB peanut butter
4 TB brown sugar, packed,
2 teas curry powder
1 teas red pepper flakes 
2 TB fresh squeezed lime juice (about half a lime)

*optional garnish: toasted coconut and green onions sliced thinly 




To make coconut peanut sauce, add coconut milk, brown sugar, curry powder, lime juice, and peanut butter to the sauce pan. Cook on medium heat, continuously stirring until all of the ingredients have completely come together.  Turn off heat.


Cut your meat into thin slices across the grain and arrange it on a large platter.  Pour coconut peanut sauce on top of the slices and garnish with optional toasted coconut and green onions. Serve over Coconut Rice! Enjoy! 

How to Toast Coconut

If you've been a reader for awhile, you will be aware of my obsession with coconut. My favorite way to enjoy it is just fresh and sweetened.  But, there are some recipes where toasted coconut is called for. When that happens, I don't like to spend tons of time preparing it.  Here are 2 methods of toasting coconut: the more traditional, longer method, and the fast method!

 Toasting Coconut in the oven (longer!)

Heat oven to 300. Spread shredded coconut on a baking sheet, and let toast in oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Stir, and bake longer if needed.  Coconut should be lightly browned. Watch carefully! Toasted coconut can go from toasted to burned very quickly.

Toasting Coconut on the Stove Top (faster!)

Place a small amount of shredded coconut in a skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until coconut is lightly browned. Again, watch it closely!  This method is much faster, but the coconut may brown less evenly than in the stove.

Good luck!

Coconut Cake with Buttercream Frosting

 I love coconut. You might think I'm addicted... and you'd think right! My whole family is.

This cake is my favorite. It's easy to make, moist, and full of flavor. The best part is you can add fruit, nuts, or chocolate to give it an extra something.

This recipe makes a double layered round cake, or absolutely amazing cake bites.  I tried once to make it in a 13x9 cake pan, and for some reason it didn't work. The top was burned, while the inside was still undercooked. However, that is when I figured out how wonderful this cake turns into cake bites!

Coconut cake with Buttercream Frosting 


2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teas vanilla
1 teas coconut extract (usually found in the grocery store; may have to find at a cake supply shop)
3 cups flour
3 teas baking powder
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk (found in the international isle- save the extra!)
1 teas salt
1 box instant coconut pudding mix (Vanilla works fine as well)

Preheat the oven to 350 and butter and flour your pans.
Beat the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, until they are all mixed in. Add the extracts. In a separate bowl; mix the flour, baking powder, pudding mix, and salt together. Mix half of the flour mixture carefully into the egg mixture, then half of the coconut milk, and repeat until batter is smooth. Spoon into two 8-inch pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cake cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 teas coconut extract
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
pinch of salt
Up to 16 oz bag of powdered sugar (may use less)
Leftover coconut milk


Extra toppings include: More coconut, strawberries, chocolate chips, nuts.

Mix the softened butter, extract and coconut together until smooth, then add a pinch of salt.  Slowly add in powdered sugar until mixture gets slightly too thick.  Add in a TB of coconut milk and beat. Continue adding the coconut milk until the frosting is the desired consistency.

Frost the bottom layer, and add your extra topping in a layer on top of the frosting. Top with second layer, and frost. Add more coconut on top, and more of your extra toppings.

Eat and Enjoy!

Sorry about the picture quality- I had to copy if off of my facebook! Coconut Cake with dark choc. chips.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken and Tropical Salad

I found this great salad and chicken recipe from Eat at Home. She got it from For the Love of Grub. Pairing the chicken with the salad gives you a sublime main dish!

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups pineapple juice
2 TB. Worcestershire sauce
2 TB. soy sauce
2 TB. brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients, except the chicken. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate. The longer the chicken marinates, the better. (up to 24 hours) Cook them on the grill or bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. While the chicken cooks, you can put the salad together!

Tropical Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, torn
I added some spinach leaves as well
3 green onions, chopped
6 slices of bacon, crumbled
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained and reserved for dressing
1/2 cup macadamia nut pieces
1/4 cup toasted coconut **

Salad Dressing

1/4 to 1/2 cup pineapple juice ***
3 TB. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 completed recipe of the Hawaiian Chicken


** To toast coconut: Pour the 1/4 cup shredded coconut into a small frying pan. Toast on Medium heat, stirring occasionally, until coconut is browned. Watch carefully!! It can go from toasted to burned pretty quickly!

*** The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. I ended up using more, but didn't measure.

In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add more or less of the ingredients to fit your taste!

Get the Macadamia nuts you need before they are invaded...

In a container with a tight fitting lid, combine the other ingredients. Shake to mix. Pour over the salad right before serving. Serve Hawaiian Chicken over the top!

Daughter preparing dressing! See- it's easy!


Enjoy!

Pineapple Cilantro Rice

When my Dad and Brother came to visit last month, it was a opportunity to try some recipes that I've been wanting to make. This rice was one of them. I paired it with the Crispy Coconut Chicken and it was the perfect side dish! And believe me, if Dad likes it... so will you!

The original recipe comes from the gals at Our Best Bites, but I changed it up a little. It's a recipe that is easily catered to fit your tastes. The rice can be any flavor, and you can add more or less of any of the ingredients.

Pineapple Coconut Rice with Lime and Cilantro

1 cup dry rice, cooked in 2 cups of water. I used Jasmine Rice- following the package directions, but you can use white, brown, neon pink... whatever you like the best!
2 TB butter
Juice from 1 large lime (You might need more. The rice absorbs the juice- taste as you go)
1-2 small cans crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 - 1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook your rice according to package directions. When done, add butter, and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, coconut, and cilantro. Stir to combine, tasting (a very important step!), and adding more ingredients if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Because of the nature of rice, sucking in every kind of juice in comes in contact with, you will want to serve this right away. If you don't, you might need to add some more lime juice. Otherwise, cook the rice, add the butter, and then mix in the rest right before serving.

Enjoy!

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

My dad came to visit recently, and I knew that I had to make this dish for him. Last time he came to visit, we ate out every night. This time I insisted that I cook. This meal was the first to go on the menu. I had made it once before, and my family loved it. After tasting it the first time with the Cumin, I decided to pair it up this time with rice and broccoli. The entire meal was a hit!

This meal takes a little longer to prepare, but is oh, so worth it! Panko bread crumbs are lighter in texture then regular bread crumbs. They can be found by the regular bread crumbs.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 chicken tenders (I used 3 chicken breasts, cut into slices)
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 teas garlic powder
3/4 teas table salt
3/4 teas curry powder
1/4 teas onion powder
1/8 teas cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to tone down the spice)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Give coconut a rough chop so it's about the same size as the panko pieces. (I put mine in a food processor for a quick chop. It does make a difference in how the coconut coats the chicken)
Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.

Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.

Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour… then dip in egg...and then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.

Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Then, spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray as well, or drizzle olive oil on top.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Watch them carefully, they can get overdone very quickly. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Serve with Rice, Noodles, Veggies... these go with just about everything!

Tropical Rice Pudding

My hubby is a big fan of Rice Pudding. It's growing on me. I never had it growing up, so it's something new. I really only make it now when I have extra rice. And, boy, did I have extra rice!

The other night I made Thai Fried Rice and forgot that 1 cup of Jasmine rice = 3 cups of cooked rice! I looked at my recipe, saw it needed 2 1/2 cups of rice...so I cooked 3 cups of DRY rice! I had sooo much rice left over... I knew that Rice Pudding was on the menu!

Tropical Rice Pudding

You can really use any type of rice with this dish. From regular to minute rice. If you use regular rice, cook it first, before starting the rice pudding. You can also use any leftovers! If you are using minute rice, you do not need to cook it first!

3 cups milk
1 cup Minute white rice, uncooked (see above!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried pineapple
1 cup coconut flakes
1/4 teas. salt
2 eggs
1 teas vanilla
1 teas cinnamon

If you use more than 1 cup of rice, then add more milk and sugar accordingly!

Combine milk, rice, sugar, pineapple, coconut, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Beat eggs and vanilla lightly in a small bowl. Stir small amount of hot rice mixture into eggs. Then, stirring constantly, slowly pour egg mixture back into the hot rice mixture. Mix in cinnamon.

Stirring constantly, cook on low heat 1 minute until thickened. Do not boil.

Remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Serve warm or cold! Store any remaining pudding in refrigerator.

Tips: You can vary the flavor of this rice pudding by trying different types of dried fruits, such as raisins, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, or dried sweetened cranberries!

Chicken Satay with Coconut Rice

Thai food is one of my favorite food "groups". I love the rich, complicated flavors and textures. I always thought that Thai food would be difficult to make, and so I didn't attempt it very often. Then, a few years ago, my husband got me a great Thai food recipe book for Christmas.

The Cook's Encyclopedia of Thai Cooking

It's a fantastic book of simple recipes. There is also a complete dictionary of commonly used Thai ingredients. Today's great recipe comes from this book.

Chicken Satay

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 in piece of fresh root ginger, finely grated
2 teas Thai fish sauce
2 TB light soy sauce
1 TB honey

**Words about these ingredients: Ginger- you are welcome to use the jarred, marinated ginger as well.
Fish sauce- it sounds odd, and as a hater of all things seafood, I refused to use it for a long time. Then I learned that fish sauce is used to give the food a salty flavor, and is an essential Thai ingredient. It does NOT taste like fish!

For the satay sauce:
6 TB crunchy peanut butter
1 fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped. (dried chili works as well)
juice of 1 lime
4 TB coconut milk
salt

1. First, make the Marinade. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken strips and mix. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes in the fridge to marinate.

2. Make the Satay Sauce. Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Check the flavor, and add more lime or salt as needed! I've found that no matter how many times I follow the directions, it tastes slightly different every time. Add ingredients until it meets your tastes! Spoon into a bowl, cover, and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, soak 16 wooden kabob sticks in water to prevent them from burning during cooking.

4. Preheat the grill, or the oven broiler, to high. Drain the sticks, and the chicken. Thread the chicken onto the sticks. You can do as many or as few strips on the sticks as you wish. Grill or broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Serve immediately with Satay Sauce and coconut rice.

Coconut Rice

1 cup water
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 teas salt
2 TB sugar
2 2/3 cup Jasmine Rice*

*Jasmine rice is amazing. It has a wonderful, nutty taste to it. You can find it in the grocery store, or at oriental markets. To use rice, measure out amount needed in a strainer. Rinse with cool water several times, until all the extra starch is washed off, and the water is clear. (You can also use instant rice if needed)

1. Place the water, coconut milk, salt, and sugar in a large, heavy pan.

2. After rinsing the rice, add to the pan. Cover tightly with a lid, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, without lifting the lid unnecessarily, for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

3. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to rest in the pan, still covered with the lid, for a further 5-10 minutes.

4. Gently fluff up the rice grains with a fork before transferring it to a warm serving dish.

We eat this dish with a side of steamed veggies. Enjoy!!

Hawaiian Haystacks

One word... Yum!
Another word... Versatile!
Okay, another word... Dinner party!

Hawaiian Haystacks

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups boned, cooked chicken

2 c or can of chicken broth
3 cups cooked rice
crispy Chinese noodles
pineapple chunks
tomato, chopped
Green peppers, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Coconut
Grated cheddar cheese
Slivered almonds

*Pick up a rotisserie chicken at your grocery store, and shred! Easy!

Combine soup, broth, and chicken, cook until warmed through. Put the rest of the ingredients in small bowls or arrange on a large platter. Let everyone build their own "haystacks"!

Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

These bars are easy to make, and easy to impress! I believe it was originally from a Pillsbury recipe, but it's been so long, that I've lost the source.

Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1 pkg (3.4oz) Instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup flake coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (reserve 1/2 cup for Glaze)

Glaze:
1 cup (6oz) butterscotch chips
3 TB milk
2 TB butter or margarine
Reserved nuts from dough

Heat oven to 350**. Lightly grease 13x9" baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, oil, and eggs. By hand, stir until well blended.
Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and 1/2 cup nuts.
Press mixture in prepared pan.


Bake at 350 for 25-30 min until golden brown.
**Higher altitude (Utah): bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.
Let cool in pan.

In a small saucepan, combine glaze ingredients; melt over low heat, stirring until smooth.
Drizzle over warm bars. Sprinkle with reserved nuts.

Makes 36 bars...or so...

No Bake Cookies

Who doesn't like No Bake Cookies? They are the perfect cookie to make with kids!

No Bake Cookies
Or, for the yucky in us: "Gorilla Poop"!

2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
pinch of salt
1 teas vanilla
3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup coconut (if desired- but oh, you want it, believe me!)

Mix the sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine in saucepan. Cook on medium heat on stove until it starts to boil. Stir continually while cooking.
Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter, salt, vanilla. Mix well.

Add oats and coconut, mix well.

Drop by teaspoons on waxed paper. Place in fridge until hard, if desired.

**You can also make these into a brownie form by pressing the mixture in a large casserole dish.

Enjoy!