Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken ~ Instant Pot

We have a favorite Salsa Verde Chicken recipe which we've enjoyed many, many times, but it was time to change it up a bit and add a twist, so enter Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken.  The heat of the peppers and the creaminess of the coconut milk along with the sweetness of the mango are perfection. Add in that it cooks in the Instant Pot in just mere minutes, makes this a winning dish all around.  The dish has a good heat kick to it, but it mellows after the first day.  This reheats beautifully and don't be suprised if everyone is licking their plate to get the last bits of the sauce...it's that crazy good!

Coconut Mango Salsa Verde Chicken ~  Instant Pot

• 10-12 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (or chicken pieces of your choice)
• 8 oz. coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• juice of 1 lime
• 3/4 tsp. dark chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. sweet paprika
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 med. onion, quartered
• 8 oz. poblanos, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 8 oz. Cubanelle peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 2 large jalapenos, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded 
• 8 oz. tomatillos, quartered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• 2 med. red bell peppers, cut in long strips about 1/4-inch thick, seeds and stem discarded 
• 2 med. poblanos, peppers, cut in long strips about 1/4-inch thick, seeds and stem discarded 
• 8 oz. tomatillos, medium dice
• 2 mangoes, peeled and large dice
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Place the coconut milk in the liner of the Instant Pot and add the cumin seed, ground cumin, lime juice, chili powder, paprika & salt.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken thighs, layering in, skin side up. Top the chicken with the quartered onion, roughly chopped poblanos, roughly chopped Cubanelle peppers, jalapenos and the quartered tomatillos.  Secure the lid and close the steam vent.  Use either the "Poultry" button or set manually for 15 minutes.  Once the 15 end, quick releast the steam.  

Gently remove the chicken pieces and place them skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet.  Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes to toast and crisp the skin. 

While the chicken is in the broiler, using an immersion blender, carefully blend the sauce left in the Instant Pot.  Once smooth, add the sliced red bell peppers, sliced poblanos & diced tomatillos. Secure the lid and close the steam valve.  Set manual timer for 2 minutes, high pressure.  When the 2 minutes end, quick release the steam.  Open lid and add the diced mango & cilantro and stir to combine. Check seasonings and add salt if needed.  Ladle the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Enjoy!

Malaysian Chicken Curry ~ Instant Pot

We very rarely eat out at restaurants, but when we do, it is most often Asian restaurants of one variety or another,  One of our favorite places to have a meal is in the food court of the Atlanta Chinatown Mall.  While we enjoy food from many of the different restaurants, and have our favorite dish from each, when Mama wants comfort food, it's usually the chicken curry from Hong Kong BBQ.   (It's not listed on their online-menu, but it's always available on their whiteboard menu.)  They have a Malaysian chef who creates the most flavorful and creamy curry and we just had to attempt to make it at home.  We also wanted to be able to replicate the curry in a healthy and fast way, and using the Instant Pot, we have.  Though this recipe contains quite a bit of chili pepper, it is not overly hot, closer to low-medium heat, and we leave in the seeds from the fresh Thai chilis.  If you're worried about heat, leave out the fresh Chili but we'd advise using at least half, if not all, of the red chili powder.  We serve this over Toasted Cauli-rice, but whatever you choose to serve it over, it's delicious!!  



Malaysian Chicken Curry ~ Instant Pot

• 3.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
• 2 medium sweet onions, cut into 8ths
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 tsp. Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 4 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 fresh Thai red chilis (optional) diced, seeds left in or out
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Add the coconut milk and all the dry spices to the Instant Pot liner.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken, onion & Thai red chilis and stir to coat everything well.  Close the lid and move vent to closed.  Set high pressure for 10 minutes.  After the 10 min. cook time, quick release the pressure. Stir in the fresh cilantro.  Serve over Toasted Cauli-Rice.

Enjoy!!

Coquito ~ Puerto Rican Eggnog

Yet another holiday treat, finally being posted in April! 

Many years ago we attended a Christmas party where the most popular drink being poured was coquito.  The coquito was smooth, creamy, delicious and honestly you’d swear it didn’t have much, if any, alcohol…until you tried to stand up and walk and then it hit you!   Since that party, this delicious drink has replaced traditional eggnog in our home, making an appearance most holiday seasons.  Coquito is simple to make, but be sure to prepare it at least 24 hours ahead so that the flavors have time to meld perfectly together.  If you’d like to make an alcohol-free version just replace the rum with coconut water.

Coquito ~ Puerto Rican Eggnog

• 1 15-oz. can cream of coconut 
• 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk 
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• 8-16 oz. rum, amount based on preference, can use white, gold, dark or spiced rum (or 8 oz. coconut water for an alcohol free version)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground allspice
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• roasted cinnamon for garnish

Add all the ingredients except the roasted cinnamon, to the jar of a blender and process until smooth and blended.  Pour the contents into bottles and refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably over night, allowing the flavors to blend.  Shake bottles well before serving.  Serve the coquito cold, as small portions, dusted with some roasted cinnamon. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce

Is it just me or does 2014 seem to be passing at warp speed?  Maisie’s 9th birthday has come and gone, Halloween with our adorable fart-gun-toting minion has passed and today marks the 8 year referral-versary of the first time we laid eyes on a picture of our A-Maisie-ing Maisie, and though Thanksgiving is still over three weeks away, all the stores have decked the isles with all things Christmas.  Today is also Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  This month for SRC we were assigned Jess’ blog, Inquiring Chef.  Jess, her husband and adorable 6 month old twin girls live in Bangkok so her blog is filled with the sights, sounds and recipes of Thailand…and other interesting travels and tastes too!  I’ll bet that time is flying for Jess too as it was just a few months back, when her cutie-patootie girls were just a mere 6 weeks old, that she cooked from our blog, making one of Maisie’s favorite treats, Oatmeal, Cashew & Chocolate Granola Bars. 

We here in the Cook Lisa Cook home adore Thai food so there were dozens of recipes that we wanted to make.  Many of Jess’ recipes, though a bit different, mirrored ones that we’ve already made. Jess has a Tom Yam Gung (Spicy Prawn Soup) similar but different to my Tom Yam Ghoong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), My Red Curry Chicken is almost identical to Jess’ Red Curry Salmon (going to have to try this as we adore Red Curry Chicken and know it would be delicious on salmon!)  Then there are the variations on another soup, my Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Jess’ Thai Style Chicken Noodle Soup.  We both also enjoy tasty drinks with Jess’ Mango Lassi and my slightly spicier Mango Lassi.  How we would love to live and eat at Jess’s home as there were so many other delicious looking and sounding recipes which totally enticed us.  We looked at making Jess’ Thai Chili Eggplant, Thai Shrimp Salad, and her Thai Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps and we really must try making some Nam Prik Pao instead of always buying it.  Oh, and don’t her Chocolate Banana Tarts just look divine!!  In the end we decided to make one of our favorite treats, which we’ve never made at home, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

I of course made a couple of changes to Jess’ recipe to put it more inline with our dietary restrictions, the most notable was using SunButter in place of peanut butter.  Our other small changes included, replacing the sugar with a whole Medjool date, subbing Coconut Aminos for the soy sauce and roasted cashews for the peanuts.  Jess presented her Chicken Satay with two dipping sauces but we chose to omit her Sweet & Tart Thai Dipping Sauce, though delicious, it’s predominantly sugar so better for us to avoid.  Following Jess’ recipe was easy and the taste was… well, I was going to say just as good, but honestly it was SO much better than any Chicken Satay we’ve had previously.  All of us gobbled the chicken and sauce up with the only complaint being that we all wanted more!  A couple of notes if you plan to make this at home.  Sometimes finding fresh galangal and fresh turmeric can be difficult so when we do find it, we purchase extra, wash and dry it, and store it in a sealed bags in the freezer.  Then when needed for a recipe we easily grate it right from frozen.  If you can’t find galangal feel free to substitute fresh ginger and if needed, dried turmeric for fresh.   

Chicken Satay with SunButter “Peanut” Sauce  (Adapted from here)

Chicken:

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 8 oz.)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 2 inches only (discard top green stalk)
• 2 1-inch pieces of fresh turmeric, peeled (substitute 2 tsp. ground turmeric if preferred)
• 2 peels of fresh lime zest
• 1 tsp. fresh grated galangal (or fresh ginger) 
• 1 tsp. ground cumin 
• 1 Medjool date, pit removed  
• 1 TBS. Coconut Aminos 
• 3 TBS. full-fat coconut milk 
• 6 whole roasted cashews

Thinly slice chicken into equal strips, about ¼ inch thick and several inches in length.  Except for the chicken, combine all the remaining ingredients in a food processor  and pulse until mixture becomes a paste and only small pieces of the ingredients remain. Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the chicken, stirring to evenly coat. Refrigerate and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours.

Thread a bamboo skewer through each piece of chicken. Grill the chicken skewers on an outdoor grill or a grill pan, until cooked through. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, recipe below.

SunButter “Peanut” Sauce:

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, divided
• 2 Medjool dates, pits removed 
• 1/2 cup finely crushed roasted cashews
• 2 TBS. tamarind paste  
• 1 TBS. plus 2 tsp. Coconut Aminos 
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder (I used “hot” but mild works too) 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

In a blender, place 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and add the Medjool dates, process to a smooth paste.  Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of coconut milk until boiling, stirring continuously to prevent it from boiling over, and allow it to boil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer  Add the coconut milk/date mixture and all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Beef Keema

This month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Ilona’s blog Ilonaskitchen.  Ilona’s blog is chockfull of wonderfully delicious sounding recipes but when Indian food lovers like us happened upon not one, not two, but three keema recipes, well we knew what would be making an appearance in our home this month.  Out of the three recipes that Ilona had posted, we decided on this version as she made it once without the addition of coconut milk and then revisited the recipe making it a second time with the coconut milk, so we figured if she loved it the first time and went back to add in an ingredient as delicious as coconut milk, well it just had to be really, really good.  And good it was, totally delicious in fact and the creaminess of the coconut milk with the spiciness of the meat…pure perfection!

Of course there were a few changes we made to the original recipe.  We really love intense flavors so we cut the amount of meat back but kept the original amount of spice.  Also, we haven’t been eating white potatoes or peas so we swapped out the white potato with sweet potato and just nixed the peas.  We enjoyed the Beef Keema with Plantain Wraps, which kept our meal gluten and grain free but totally flavorful and satisfying.  Enjoy this version or Ilona’s version, either way you won’t be disappointed.

Beef Keema (adapted from here)

• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 TBS. minced fresh ginger
• 2 TBS. Madras curry powder
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• One 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat the ghee. Add the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cook, breaking the meat apart into small pieces, until there is no pink left.  Add the onion, garlic, ginger & curry powder. Stir and cook until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the sweet potato, making sure to coat it with all the flavors in the pan. Add the broth, coconut milk and canned tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon, crush about half of the sweet potatoes into the broth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro, accompanied by plantain wraps, naan or chapati.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

An InLinkz Link-up

Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk

After a very.long.break, it’s once again, finally, Secret Recipe Club posting time!  It feels like forever since we were last here, between people being sick, Thanksgiving, more sickness, being with family, more sickness, the holidays, snow storms, more sickness, day-to-day life and each SRC group taking a little break…well, it’s been a long time since my last post so it’s good to be back. 

For my inaugural assignment of 2014 I was given Elizabeth’s blog, Food Ramblings.  Elizabeth’s blog is filled with wonderful healthy or healthier-than-the-original recipes, so perfect for the way we’ve been eating here in the Cook Lisa Cook home and an ideal way to begin a new year.  As soon as I received my assignment I searched through Elizabeth’s blog, reading dozens and dozens of tempting recipes and I narrowed my list down to four; garlic roasted green beans with pecans, chicken coconut curry soup, basil polenta with roasted spinach and tomatoes, which I was going to modify and do with cauli-rice in place of the polenta and, of course the chosen recipe of garlic seafood in coconut milk. 

Now before I continue with the recipe, let me tell you a little small world story.  Many times our (fabulous, talented, kind, beautiful, smart, A-Maisie-ing, yes we’re bragging, proud parents) daughter Maisie, has appeared on this blog and many of our regular readers also read her blog, Moments with Maisie and know that just over seven years ago we adopted Maisie from China.  Through the years we have met, both in real life and online, many friends through the China adoption community and that’s where the choosing of this recipe comes into play. 

You may have seen the news this past Tuesday about Atlanta being brought to a stand-still because of two inches of snow fall.  Well it wasn’t the snow amounts that caused all the problems but rather the almost instant icing that turned all the roads into a skating rink along with schools, business and government all being closed at the exact same time, but I digress…  One of our local friends, Roger, whom we originally met through the China adoption community, got stuck in all the traffic, gridlock and accidents, with most of his time being spent on Johnson Ferry Rd, the main road we live off of.  At close to 11PM, after 9+ hours and 8 miles remaining to travel to his home and family, he landed safely at our home.  After a hot dinner and a beer for him, we all thankfully slept safe and warm.  By late Wednesday afternoon he was able to safely make the trek home even though it did involve dodging wrecks & abandoned cars, detours because of road closures and avoiding re-freezing roads and black ice.  Roger was still at our home for lunch and on an icy cold day nothing is better than a steaming bowl of soup.  After checking the pantry and realizing that I had the fixings for both of Elizabeth’s soups I let Roger pick which he’d enjoy and he was the one who chose.  Now this is where the story gets a bit small-world-ish.  Elizabeth posted her garlic seafood in coconut milk recipe as a guest writer on another blog called Diana Rambles.  Now I have “known” Diana through the China adoption community for over eight years.  So how small world is that, my cooking community through Elizabeth’s Food Rambles writes a guest post on Diana’s Diana Rambles, whom I know through the China adoption community and our stranded snowmageddon house guest, whom we also know through the China adoption community happens to pick that recipe. 

Okay, enough of my ramblings…  Roger made a wonderful choice and after he returned home I heard from his wife just how much he enjoyed the soup, but oddly nothing about how much he enjoyed sleeping in Maisie’s princess palace  ;)  I think that this soup will not only be made again in our home, but become a regular in his home too.  We did made a few small changes to Elizabeth’s original recipe as we left out the rice, my blend of seafood was slightly different, I substituted lime juice for the lemon juice and fish sauce for her salt and instead of mixed frozen veggies I used what I had, sugar snap peas and then added some straw mushrooms just because I had them and knew they would work well.  I know that it sounds like a lot of substitutions but it was acid for acid, salt for salt, veg for veg and fish for fish and just goes to show, in recipes like this, you can still have the same base dish working with what you have on hand.  Check out Elizabeth’s original recipe or make our version, either one will prove to be a delicious choice.

Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk (adapted from here)

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 4 cloves  fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 14 oz can coconut milk 
• 8 oz. sugar snap peas
• 15 oz. can straw mushrooms, drained
• 1 lb seafood blend with shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels and calamari
• 1 TBS. lime juice
• 1 TBS. fish sauce, or more to taste

In a large pot, heat oil on medium. Add the onion and cook slowly until they starts to turn golden.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and softened. Add the cilantro and red pepper flakes and cook for another couple minutes. 

Add the diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir to combine and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas & mushrooms and simmer until the snap peas are tender.  Bring to a boil and then add the seafood.  Cover and remove from the heat immediately.  Allow the seafood to poach for about 10 minutes until cooked through.  Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce to taste. 

Enjoy! 

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Coconut Crusted Tilapia in a Coconut Garlic Lemon Sauce

A fast but fancy, perfect for family or company, delicious way to enjoy tilapia or other white flaky fish.  The fish cooks quickly in a pan making a crunchy delicious crust while keeping the fish moist and tender.  The coconut milk adds a creaminess to the strong lemon garlic sauce without adding dairy so perfect for everyone in our home with diets and allergies.  Interestingly we all love this fish freshly made but I think we like it even better the second day.  Got to love easy leftovers! 

Coconut Crusted Tilapia in a Coconut Garlic Lemon Sauce

• 1 lb. tilapia filets, or white flaky fish of your choice
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt 
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 c. arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 2-3 TBS. coconut oil

Sauce

• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 14 oz. can coconut milk 
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• Himalayan salt
• fresh ground pepper

Rinse and with paper towels, pat dry the filets and then season with 1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.  Prepare 3 shallow bowls.  In the first mix the arrowroot, garlic and onion powders. In the second bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and water together. In the third bowl, mix the shredded coconut, paprika, thyme, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

In a large skillet, melt 1-2 TBS. of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Lightly dredge the fish in the arrowroot mixture, shaking off any excess. Then dip the fish in the egg mixture and finally dredge it in the coconut mixture, again shaking off any excess.  Lay the filet carefully in the hot pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Cook until you see the edges of the filets turn opaque and the bottom crust is golden brown and crispy, then carefully turn the filets allowing the second side to crisp and brown.  Do not over-cook as you want to keep the fish moist.  Add additional coconut oil if necessary. Once cooked, remove the fish to a plate.

In the hot pan add the minced garlic and sauté quickly until fragrant but not browned.  Add the lemon juice and stir in any remaining crunchy bits in the pan.  Add the coconut milk and stir well.  Simmer the sauce until reduced and it thickly coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt & pepper.  Plate the fish and top with the sauce.

This was served with a delicious and perfect accompaniment, Coconut Carrot Soufflé, click on the link for the recipe.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting

Summer is flying by and here we are again, the third Thursday of the month and it's Improv Cooking Challenge time again. Like last month I'm still out of sorts as I'm still without a computer, thus still taking pictures with my iPhone and blogging on my iPad.

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of vanilla & chocolate. Now those ingredients sound easy enough, I mean who doesn't love vanilla and chocolate? My problem in choosing a recipe though is that I'm not eating either ingredient right now and Eammon doesn't need to eat either ingredient so I limited myself to recipes that would appeal to my Maisie. In the end it was Maisie who led me to make Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting.

In the end neither Eammon nor I tried even a morsel of the treats but by the way Maisie and her friends devoured them, I can say that they were a huge success.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting

• 1/2 cup plus 3 TBS. Earth Balance Buttery Spread, divided
• 10 oz.. Mini marshmallows
• 1 cup dark chocolate peanut butter
• 5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2TBS. Coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Grease an 8-inch square pan and set aside.

Add 3 TBS. buttery spread and the marshmallows to a microwave safe bowl and heat for two minutes on high. Stir to combine and stir in the peanut butter. Heat for an additional 30-40 seconds and then working quickly, add the Rice Krispies and stir to combine well. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and chill until set.

Once the bars are set, cut into squares but keep them close and together. To make the frosting, combine the remaining 1/2 cup buttery spread, powdered sugar, coconut milk and vanilla bean paste and whisk together until creamy. Drizzle onto the chilled bars.

 

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

July 2013 Peaches & Herbs: Peachy Cola Ribs
June 2013 Fish & Chips: Salt &Vinegar Crab Cakes
May 2013 Cinnamon & Sugar: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars
April 2013 Bacon & Eggs: Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups
March 2013 Carrots & Peas: Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup
February 2013 Hearts & Flours: Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013 Bananas & Nutmeg: Baked Bananas
December 2012 Chocolate & Marshmallows: White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark
November 2012 Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
October 2012 Oatmeal & Raisins: S’mores Granola Bars
September 2012 Zucchini & Brown Sugar: Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar
August 2012 Tomatoes & Peppers: French Fries Hash Browns
July 2012 Corn & Butter: Fritos Crusted Pollock
June 2012 Cherries & Almonds: Dried Cherry Almond Tart
May 2012 Strawberries & Cream: Strawberry Soup
April 2012 Peanut butter & Jelly: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
March 2012 Potato & Cheese: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole
February 2012 Ginger & Carrots: Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream: Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries: Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese: Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

 

 

Tandoori Chicken Wings

I adore tandoori chicken but as I don't have a tandoor to authentically recreate the dish at home, I try to come as close as possible by using a delicious marinade and high heat cooking in my oven or on my grill.

This recipe is a bit different in that I've made it dairy free by using coconut milk in place of the yogurt that is traditionally used and I chose to use chicken wings, which though I'm sure has been done, I've never had them tandoori style. Eammon was in the mood for wings and I was craving tandoori...so there you have it, Tandoori Chicken Wings.

I realize that the recipe appears a bit overwhelming with the long list of ingredients but it really is simple in that everything is dumped into one big bowl and left to marinate for a few hours and then the chicken is baked or grilled so the hands on time is really minimal and the reward is huge. The wings were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and flavorful throughout. These Tandoori Wings were a perfect way to satisfy everyone's craving.

 

Tandoori Chicken Wings

• 4-5 lbs. chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, discard tips or save for soup
• 14 oz. can coconut milk
• 2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 healthy pinch saffron
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Combine the coconut milk, lemon juice and all the spices in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat oven to 500F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with coconut oil or oil of your choice. Lay the chicken pieces skin side up. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crispy.

Enjoy!

 

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp

It’s Secret Recipe Club time again and after missing last month because we were away for a few weeks on a transatlantic cruise, it’s great to be back!  This month I was assigned the Chef & the Lucky Wife’s blog, The Saturday Evening Pot.  As always I was excited to get my assignment and as usual, it was terribly difficult to pick a recipe to make and feature.  In the end it came down to Maisie and my wanting to make a meal that she would eat and love.  Maisie adores shrimp and rice so the Chef’s Paradise Shrimp over Jasmine Rice had all the makings of a meal that we all would enjoy and it was Maisie “safe”, no wheat, egg or dairy. 

I did of course make a few little changes to the Chef’s recipe because when do I ever make a recipe as written?  First off I changed the rice from Jasmine Rice to Saffron rice, just because that’s what Maisie requested.  In the Chef’s recipe he uses mango juice and mandarin oranges but I had some fresh mangoes in the house so I skipped the mandarin oranges and just used the fresh mango in its place.  I also decided to add a bit more spice to the recipe by upping the allspice and adding some hot Jamaican curry powder.  My final little ingredient change was that I used cilantro instead of parsley, because that’s what I had in the house, and I added a bit of toasted unsweetened coconut as a garnish. 

The meal was loved by all of us and even using the hot Jamaican curry powder, there was just the slightest kick, not too spicy for even Maisie.  For something even less spicy use regular Jamaican curry powder or, check out the original recipe over on the Chef & Lucky Wife’s blog.

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp (adapted from here) 

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, raw, peeled and de-veined
• 2 TBS. olive oil 
• 1/8 cup finely minced onion
• 1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk 
• 1 1/2 cups 100% pure mango juice
• 1/2 tsp. allspice 
• 1 tsp. hot Jamaican curry powder (can substitute mild but use Jamaican curry powder)
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 
• sea salt to taste
• 1 package Saffron rice, uncooked
• 2 TBS. unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 1 mango, diced
• (to garnish) cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.

Peel and de-vein (if necessary) shrimp, keep cool, and set aside.   Heat a 10-inch covered, deep skillet over medium heat.   Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté lightly, until the onion is softened but not browned.  Add the allspice & curry powder and continue cooking for approximately one minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant.  Turn heat to low and add the coconut milk, mango juice, pepper & salt.  Stir to blend well and bring the poaching mixture to a simmer.  

Add the raw shrimp to the poaching liquid, cover tightly and immediately remove from the heat.  Allow the shrimp to poach for 15 minutes, until cooked through.  Once the shrimp is cooked, remove the shrimp from the poaching liquid, cover and set aside.  Turn the heat to high and allow the poaching liquid to reach a boil.  Stirring constantly, reduce the poaching liquid until it thickly covers the back of a spoon.  Add the shrimp back into the thickened poaching liquid and quickly toss to coat the shrimp. 

Portion the rice onto 4 plates and top with the shrimp.  Add the thickened poaching liquid, diced mango, cilantro & toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry