coconut

Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Ginger, Mango Gastrique

/ Ren

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Locally-pastured chicken breast halves (off-the-bone, skin removed) are marinated overnight in a mixture of mango juice, fresh ginger, sea salt & cracked black pepper, then dredged in coconut flour, dipped in egg wash and breaded with toasted panko.  While the chicken is baking (about 30 minutes at 350 degrees), a gastrique of fresh mango, cultured butter, chicken stock and champagne vinegar is reduced and blended for the accompanying sauce.  The finished plate is dressed with toasted coconut and slivered scallions..

Khorma Pilau

/ Ren

Pastured chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt with lots of fresh ginger, garlic and ground coriander, then seared in ghee with yellow onions, green chiles, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and mace before being slow-simmered in coconut cream thickened with ground almonds.  Extremely flavorful, but not too spicy..

Khorma Pilau

1 whole chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 green chiles
8 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 whole cloves
1 blade mace
1 sprig fresh curry leaf (optional)
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Cut a fresh, pastured chicken into 8 pieces and remove skin.  Place into a glass bowl and toss with yogurt, ginger, garlic and coriander. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add onions, chiles, cardamom, cumin and curry leaf and sauté until onions are browned. Add chicken with its marinade, cinnamon, turmeric,  coconut cream and water and stir to combine.

Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until chicken is just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in ground almonds and cook 10 minutes more.  Adjust seasoning with sea salt freshly-ground black pepper.

Serve over basmati rice pilaf and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

/ Ren

A simple, inexpensive, healing curried chicken with rice..

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

Pastured chicken thighs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, ginger, cardamom, coriander, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, chili pepper, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and saffron.

Toast whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-low until fragrant, perhaps 5 minutes.

Add ghee, pastured butter or coconut oil to the pan and sauté chicken until brown on both sides.  Add vegetables and a little filtered water or chicken stock and remaining spices, cover and simmer until fork-tender (about 30 minutes).  Brighten with fresh cilantro and a little lemon juice just before serving.

Meanwhile, cook basmati rice in filtered water and/or coconut water and/or chicken stock with curry leaves (optional) until most of the liquid is absorbed, add saffron threads (optional) and seedless raisins, cover two minutes until raisins are plump.

Serve garnished with a dollop of yoghurt or Crème fraîche for a cooling contrast to the spicy curry.

This post is part of the Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

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Triple Chocolate Espresso Coconut Cookies

/ Ren

Thanks to my free-range, pastured daughter, I have had cookies on the brain all day.  OK, I give.

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Triple Chocolate Espresso Coconut Cookies

Recipe adapted from Heidi Swanson

Triple Chocolate Espresso Coconut Cookies
makes about 1 1/2 dozen

1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon freshly ground espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/4 cup raw organic cacao powder

1/2 cup unsalted pastured butter, softened
2/3 cup non-refined sugar*
1 tablespoon molasses

1 large pastured egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup fair-trade semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raw unsweetened organic coconut flakes

Whisk together the flour, espresso, baking soda & powder, salt and cacao.  Beat the butter until fluffy, then beat in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture, stirring until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, pulling them out while still moist and soft.

Allow to cool 5 minutes, serve warm.

*I’m using less sugar than in the original recipe.  You may modify to use alternative sweeteners such as brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup as you see fit.

Blueberry Bliss

/ Ren

One of my favorite summertime treats as a little kid was a bowl of wild blueberries with brown sugar and sour cream.  So good.

Here’s a riff on that happy memory, with fresh Texas blueberries, crèma Mexicana, shaved piloncillo, toasted coconut flakes, melted raw cocoa butter and a sprig of fresh mint..

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