Chicken is plentiful and widely eaten here in the U.S. Sometimes, it can get a bit boring. I'm always eager to find ways to make this particular poultry dish a little more perky.
I happened across a major find at TJ Maxx the other day...well, at least it was major find to me.
Dang Coconut Chips.
I have seen my fellow bloggers raving about this product, but had as of yet to locate this magical treat. Mainly because I'm at least an hour away from any Whole Foods Market.
Upon tasting them, I realized that once these sweet dried chips of yumminess were ground up, they would make an excellent coating for chicken. So I put some coconut chips and some gluten free croutons in my spice grinder and gave them a whirl. Some of it was a bit more like meal, but it turned out okay.
I vaguely followed the recipe I found at Andie Mitchell's "Can You Stay for Dinner" blog for Coconut Crusted Chicken. I used chicken thighs because that's what I had left in the fridge. I cut them into strips and soaked them in the egg mixture like Andie did. Then I dipped the "egged chicken" in my toasted coconut- homemade crouton crumb mixture, and then placed them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Don't ask me proportions of coconut to bread crumbs, or how much I used. I haven't the foggiest. I just used the crumbs until they were gone, and if I needed more, I just ground more. Sorry.....
So those baked in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes I think. I did not fry mine first in the pan like Andie did, because I'm honestly not that coordinated. :) I think though because of the fat in the thighs and the aluminum foil, they turned out well. There were beautifully toasted on the bottom, even without turning them over halfway through cooking.
I did cook up the rest of the beaten eggs that were not used in breading the chicken (which my husband said was okay as long as it was cooked well) then combined that with some cooked rice and some frozen stir-fry vegetables (and a touch of soy sauce) to make my own homemade fried rice. It was the bomb! It may honestly be one of the best meals I have ever made. (Even if my lack of photography skills does not show it's true "awesomeness".)
So, I hope you get a chance to find these Dang Coconut Chips and get adventurous on your own! And Happy Thanksgiving!