Coconut Cashew Chicken

Hello Readers!

The farm I work at recently gave away some of the older laying chickens, and that got me thinking about chicken. Not just eggs, but the meat.

Now, I don’t cook a lot of meat. Mostly, it is because I am lazy and by the time dinner comes around, vegetables seem like the quicker option. Also, buying meat seems like a pain in the neck to me – once again – Vegetables!

However, like I said above, I work on a farm. It’s a nice farm, part of a park district. We raise chickens for meat and eggs, sheep for meat and wool, pigs, turkeys, and beef cattle. I’m the local food coordinator, so I do more with the gardens and community outreach, but I still like hanging out around the animals.

But back to chicken.

This is a recipe I stumbled upon on Carlsbad Cravings this summer and fell in love with! It’s tropical and tasty and just what I needed at the time. And the dipping sauce is to die for – I admit I ate most of it with a spoon.

I will admit that this recipe made me extremely grateful to have a food processor-  press the button and whir thunk bam – ingredients are chopped or pureed in seconds.

Onward!

First combine the cashews and the coconut in the bowl of a food processor. You could also use a blender, or a knife if necessary. Pulse until the mixture forms small chunks.

Next prep your dredging station. Place the flour in a shallow dish and set in spot number one. Depending on which hand you work with, this will be the farthest right or left. Combine eggs and lime juice in a separate bowl and place in spot number two.  The coconut/cashew mixture goes in another shallow dish with the bread crumbs, brown sugar, and spices. Put a parchment paper lined baking sheet at the end of the line.

Working one at a time, dip the chicken in the flour, then the eggs, and then the breading. I’ve found that using one hand for the flour and egg and one hand for the breading works best and doesn’t result in gooey hands. Gross.

Bake the chicken at 400°F for about twenty five minutes, or until the juices run clear.

While the chicken is baking, clean out your food processor/blender/etcetera. Peel and roughly chop your mango. If you haven’t worked with mango before, my favorite chef, Alto Brown has a pretty good tutorial here. Put the mango chunks into the bowl of the food processor and puree with the lime juice, cider vinegar, and spices.

Enjoy!

Coconut Cashew Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken

2 lbs Chicken Tenderloin

2 eggs

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

¾ c Whole Wheat Flour

1 c Cashews, roasted without salt

¾ c Shredded Coconut

1 c Bread Crumbs

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Mango Honey Dip

2 Mangos, peeled and chopped

¼ c Honey

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

½ tsp Cumin

4 Cloves Garlic

3 Green Onions, chopped

2 tsp Red Chili Flakes

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. In the bowl of a food processor, mix together cashews and coconut. Pulse until roughly the size of the bread crumbs.
3. Combine coconut and cashew mixture, bread crumbs, brown sugar, and spices in a shallow dish and stir together to combine to form the breading.
4. Place flour in a separate shallow dish and place next to the breading.
5. Place eggs and lime juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place bowl beside the flour. You should now have an assembly line set up of flour, eggs, and breading.
6. Working one at a time, dip chicken tenderloins in the flour, then the egg, then the breading and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press the breading gently against the chicken to make sure it sticks.
7. Once each tenderloin has be coated, place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.
8. While the chicken is in the oven, place mango into the bowl of the food processor and puree.
9. Add honey, lime juice, cider vinegar, and spices and puree again. Pour into serving bowls.