Coconut Entrée Recipes

Homemade Gluten Free Orange Chicken

Homemade Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe

photo by recipe author

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Orange Sauce:

1 cup chicken stock
1 cup mild honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons gluten free tamari
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of red chili flakes
zest of one orange
zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons GMO-free corn starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold chicken stock or
cold water

Crispy Fried Chicken:

Coconut oil or palm shortening for frying
1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks and dried off
4 tablespoons GMO-free corn starch
3 pastured eggs beaten well
2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
2 cups brown rice flour
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions (Sauce)

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine all ingredients, except the corn starch and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, while whisking regularly.

2. In a small bowl, stir the corn starch together with the chicken stock or water.

3. Slowly pour the corn starch mixture into the orange sauce, while whisking. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to stir. When the sauce thickens, reduce the heat to low or turn the burner off and let it stand.

Instructions (chicken)

1. In a large frying pan, heat 2-3 cups of coconut oil or palm shortening (or combination) over medium to medium-high heat. Once you start cooking the chicken, you may need to lower the heat to medium.

2. Cut chicken into bite sized peices and dry off.

3. Toss the chicken in a bag with the corn starch until they are completely coated.

4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sea salt, and pepper.

5. Remove 1/3 of the chicken from the bag and place them in the egg mixture. Coat each piece of egg and then place in the flour mixture. Coat each piece in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and place chicken in the hot oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan to ensure each piece gets crispy and golden.

6. Cook until chicken until golden brown and remove the chicken from the pan and repeat for the rest of the chicken pieces.

When you’re ready to serve, you can serve the sauce on the site, or you can toss the chicken in the sauce until covered.

Recipe submitted by Jessica, Denver, CO

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Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats Recipe

photo by recipe author

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

15-16 oz coconut milk*
1 cup water
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons chia seeds
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup gluten free rolled oats

Put everything but the oats into a blender and mix until well incorporated. Pour over oats and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

* For the freshest coconut milk make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Recipe submitted by Kathryn, Cary, NC

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Grain Free Banana Nut Granola

photo by recipe author

2 cups raw almonds
1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
1/2 cup psyllium husk (could replace with more almond flour)
1 cup almond flour*
1 cup coconut chips, flakes or shreds
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
dash of sea salt
3/4 cup overripe bananas, mashed or pureed (about 2 small)
1/8 cup roasted almond butter
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a food processor or hand chopped, grind the nuts down to desired chunkiness. I prefer smaller pieces.

2. In a large bowl, combine the nuts, husk, flour, coconut, protein powder and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine bananas, almond butter, vanilla and honey.

4. Pour the banana mixture over the nut mixture and stir until mixture is coated.

5. Place mixture on dehydrator sheets and place in dehydrator at 115 degrees overnight or until desired crunchiness.

6. For oven method, place the mixture in a thin layer on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 175 for 4 hours. Turn the oven off ad let granola sit for another 4 hours or overnight to help it dry out. Depending on desired crunchiness, you may cook it less.

*You can grind your own almond flour by placing whole almonds in a blender/food processor and blending until you get a fine meal.

Variations:

Replace some of the nuts for unsalted peanuts and the almond butter for peanut butter.

Recipe submitted by Kate, Highlands Ranch, CO

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Coconut Pilau

photo by recipe author

Servings: 2-3
Preparation Time: 1 hour

1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups uncooked Basmati or long grain rice
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 2 inch cinnamon stick (Dalchini), broken
3 clove buds (laung)
4 green cardamom (choti elaichi), crushed
1 star anise (Chakra phool/Anasphool)
1 bay leaf (Tej patta)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (Saunf)
1/4 cup onions, thinly sliced
2 green chilies, slit
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/4 packed mint leaves (Pudina), roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coconut flakes for garnish *optional
1 tablespoon Golden raisins *optional
Fried shallots for garnish *optional

To make coconut milk – Blend warm water and dried coconut in a blender. Extract the milk in a bowl using a strainer or a cheesecloth. Add more water if needed and squeeze to make 3 cups of coconut milk. This milk can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Since there is no preservative or stabilizers added to the milk, the fat may separate on top of the liquid if left to sit. This is normal. Shake well and mix it back.

Stove top method

1. Wash uncooked rice under running water and keep aside.

2. In a deep sided pot, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, star anise, bay leaf, cumin seeds, fennel seeds). Sauté for a minute or till your kitchen wafts with the sweet aroma of the spice infused coconut oil.

3. Add sliced onions and slit green chillies. When the onions turn golden brown and translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add turmeric powder and salt as per preference.

4. Add uncooked basmati rice and mix gently. The oil should coat the rice grains. Take care not to break the rice grains while mixing the oil and the rice. Stir occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Pour the freshly prepared coconut milk into the pot. Add mint leaves and bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil.

6. Stir once and cover pot tightly with a lid. Do not lift the lid to retain the steam inside the pot. Let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or till the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Cooking time depends on the variety of rice. Check the rice container for instructions.

7. To check doneness, fluff rice with a fork. Each grain should be soft and should not be clumped. Coconut milk has oil in itself which acts as an emulsifier to prevent clumping of the rice.

8. Remove pot from heat, but keep the lid on till you serve. Remove whole spices before serving. Garnish with roasted cashewnuts and golden raisins and serve hot with your favorite curry.

Rice cooker method

1. Follow the above mentioned steps 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Place all in the rice cooker. Cover and set to cook.

2. Once the rice cooker switches to ‘warm’ mode, let it stand for another 8 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and keep it unclumped. Garnish and serve hot.

Coconut milk gives mild sweetness and fragrant aroma. Use of extra virgin coconut oil adds natural flavor with health benefits. Freshly made coconut milk and coconut oil is essential for this recipe. Try not to substitute any other oil in place of coconut oil.

Recipe submitted by Cheryl, Columbus, OH

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Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

photo by recipe author

Servings: 35 Chicken Nuggets
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

1 pound organic soy-free ground chicken
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon organic parsley
1/2 teaspoon organic onion powder
1/4 teaspoon organic black pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut oil
2 organic soy-free eggs, beaten
1-1 1/2 cups organic white rice flour or brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch organic black pepper

Recipe: In a medium bowl, mix organic soy-free ground chicken, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon organic parsley, 1/2 teaspoon organic onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon organic black pepper together. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet to medium heat.

Pour organic rice flour, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper onto a plate. Mix well. Have beaten eggs ready in a small to medium size bowl.

Roll chicken mixture into 35 ping-pong ball size pieces. Roll each piece of chicken into rice flour, then dip into beaten eggs, then again in the flour. Flatten each ball into a nugget shape.

Fry nuggets in coconut oil until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Place fried chicken nuggets on a paper towel lined plate. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Recipe submitted by Tiffany, Bend OR

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Curried Coconut Chicken Fingers

photo by recipe author

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
3/4 cup shredded coconut
3 teaspoons curry powder

Preheat oven to 350; line baking sheet with foil.

Mix coconut and curry powder in a shallow dish; pour coconut oil into a bowl. Dip chicken strips into coconut oil, then into coconut-curry mixture, until well coated.

Place on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170.

Recipe submitted by Tabitha, Cumming, GA

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Gluten Free Coconut Flour Waffles

photo by recipe author

Servings: 3-4 waffles
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), melted
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
12 eggs
4 tablespoons applesauce
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat waffle iron on high heat. Grease iron well.

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread about 1/2 cup batter evenly, covering all waffle parts.

Cook for 3 minutes.

These waffles freeze great!

Recipe submitted by Bethany, Dayton, OH

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Homemade Fruit and Nut Granola with Chia Seeds and Coconut

photo by recipe author

Servings: 20
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

2 cups coconut oil
1 cup honey
8 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup walnuts (soaked if possible)
1 cup sliced almonds (soaked if possible)
1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked if possible)
1 cup pumpkin seeds (soaked if possible)
1 cup chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 heaping tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil and honey together over low heat. Whisk until combined. Remove from the burner and stir in the vanilla.

You will need two large bowls or one huge bowl. Place the oats, coconut, dried fruit, nuts and seeds in the bowl(s). Sprinkle the cinnamon over the dry mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the honey/coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is coated.

Grease your baking sheets with coconut oil, pour the granola mixture onto a baking sheet, and spread out into a single layer.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the granola to be golden brown. The granola will still seem wet when you take it out after an hour, but it dries out and gets crunchy after it sits. Careful not to overcook it, as the dried fruit gets a weird burnt flavor.

Store the cereal in a glass jar in the fridge to keep it fresh and keep the nuts and seeds from going rancid.

Recipe submitted by Jessica, Denver, CO

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