Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

After many weekends of escaping to the mountains to ski and enjoy all this lovely snow we have in New England, I finally had a weekend free to spend in the kitchen creating a healthy version of a classic take out food.

My Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice is inspired by my husbands love for Chinese Food. Although delicious, fried rice can be salty and high in calories and fat. For a healthy version, I cut down on the calories and bumped up the nutrients just by switching the rice for cauliflower and used lower sodium soy sauce and less oil to reduce the salt and fat. These simple changes cut down the calories from carbohydrates and fat by over half! A typical 1 cup serving of fried rice is about 230 calories while my version is only 100 calories a serving (not including the chicken).

Cauliflower is definitely a popular food these days because of its nutrient content and versatility in the kitchen. Cauliflower is packed with fiber and antioxidants and is low in calories and carbohydrates, working great as a substitute for rice, potatoes and even pizza crust! After making cauliflower rice I am addicted and so is my hubby!

As a pairing for the cauliflower rice I added baked coconut chicken. I used corn flakes instead of breadcrumbs to give the chicken the crunch and crispy texture of fried chicken without all the added fat. The coconut adds to the texture as well as give this dish a tropical feel and taste.  Considering how juicy and moist the chicken came out, I think it will be making a frequent appearance in my house!

   





This recipe is great because you can use just about any vegetables you have left over in the fridge or freezer. The only time consuming part is preparing the cauliflower and chicken, so if you are able to do some of the prep the night before you will save yourself some valuable time putting it all together.

Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

Servings: 4 

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

Cauliflower Rice

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup snap peas
• ½ cup bean spouts
• 1 cup frozen mix vegetables
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• scallions, for garnish 

Sauce

• 1/3 cup light coconut milk 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for a bit of heat)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. For chicken: Mix corn flakes, shredded coconut, and salt. Set aside in a bowl. Add egg to another bowl and whisk. Filet chicken (cut in half lengthwise). Cut chicken into small chunks, and thin slightly with meat tenderizer (optional). Dip each piece of chicken into egg then cornflake mixture. Place coated chicken on a cookie sheet then bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. For Cauliflower Rice: While chicken is cooking prepare cauliflower rice. First remove stems from cauliflower, then in batches process florets in food processor. In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat add coconut oil and sesame then add onion, garlic and cauliflower and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then add in snap peas, bean sprouts and frozen mix vegetables and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Add in soy sauce and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle of your rice and add the eggs. Scramble eggs until cooked, then stir eggs into rice.
4. For Sauce: Mix ingredients in a small bowl then add into another saute pan to heat. Add in cooked chicken and coat with sauce.  

5. Serve chicken over cauliflower rice and top with scallions as a garnish.



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Lamb Meatballs with Eggplant Tomato Sauce

           This month's Recipe Redux theme is "Spooky Spices".  You know those spices you purchased for a recipe you made once and now they are just hanging out in the back of your pantry because you don't know what to do with them! After taking a peak through the back of my spice rack I came across coriander. I was not quite sure what I had used it for or what I should use it in so I did some research...

           Coriander, also known as cilantro, comes from the fruit of the coriander/cilantro plant. These small seeds are packed full of fiber and minerals; calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium and manganese. Ground coriander spice is most commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and gives dishes a nice roasted nutty flavor.  Having a husband who is Persian I am assuming I used it once in an attempt to recreate one of his family's favorite dishes. Hope it was good!!

      I decided on a Middle Eastern inspired dish adding the coriander to the lamb meat and pairing it with an eggplant tomato sauce. Lamb meat is commonly used in Persian cuisine and if  grass fed, has a high content of heart healthy fats like omega-3, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as Zinc and B vitamins.  Eggplant and tomatoes are also commonly used vegetables in Persian cuisine and add a nice acidity and a fresh taste to the dish.

   If you have some coriander in your pantry...don't fear, get cooking!

Lamb Meatballs with Eggplant Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

      Sauce

• 1/3 cup onion,diced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 eggplant,cubed
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups low sodium tomato sauce

     Meatballs

• 1 pound grass fed lean ground lamb
• 1/4 cup oats, processed
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon plain 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.In large sauce pan saute onion and garlic over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until onions translucent. Add in cubed zucchini, eggplant and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add in tomato sauce, chicken broth and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce.
3. Whisk eggs, oats, Greek yogurt until combined. Add in onion, and spices then crumble in lamb and combine.
4. Make small meatballs (about the size of a Ping-Pong ball)out of lamb mixture and place on greased baking sheet. Then bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. Once meatballs are cooked, add to sauce and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes.
6. Serve meatballs and sauce over brown rice.

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Recipe Makeover: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I am always looking for a fun healthy ways to make over my favorite recipes. This week I tackled my families favorite recipe, Lasagna!  For a fun spin on lasagna I added the fillings to a spaghetti squash instead of layering between lasagna noodles.

Spaghetti squash is a lower calorie and lower carbohydrate alternative to pasta. One cup of spaghetti squash only contains 40 calories compared to a whopping 220 calories in a cup of pasta. Spaghetti squash is also packed with nutrients not found in pasta including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene.

My husband may have been able to tell the difference, but he gave this recipe two thumbs up for taste!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Servings: 6

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 small spaghetti squash (1.5-2 # each)
• 32 oz spaghetti sauce
• 1 # lean ground turkey
• 1# part skim ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 cup frozen spinach (3 cups fresh)
• 1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length wise and place cut side up on a roasting or jelly roll pan. Lightly sprinkle spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 45-50 min or until tender.

2. While spaghetti squash is cooking, cook ground turkey on medium heat in a saute pan until cooked through. Drain any fat, then return meat to heat and add in spaghetti sauce. Cook sauce mixture until sauce boils then add in frozen spinach, cooking for another 3 minutes.

3.  In a small dish mix egg into ricotta cheese.

4.   Layer cooked spaghetti squash with 1/4 cup meat sauce, 1/6 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup meat sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat for the remaining spaghetti squash halves.  Place filled spaghetti squash back into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese melted. 

 

Nutrition Information (per 1 filled spaghetti squash half ): 430 Calories, 20 g Carb, 34g protein, 18 g fat