Five Spiced Coconut Chicken

So, I was craving a Coconut chicken recipe on a nice warm day. I love coconut and chicken so what could be a better combination? Let me tell you Rachel Ray’s 5-Spiced Coconut Grilled Chicken is to die for. Even for all of those coconut haters you will love this recipe. In my humble opinion, you taste more of the Chinese 5-spice than you do the coconut milk. I have been known to add some coconut flakes to this marinade, which in that case you Coconut Haters might not like. I paired this with Coconut black beans and my Citrus Salad side dish. I spiced up the Coconut Black beans by adding a chopped pepper from a can of Chili Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Just be sure to remove the seeds, otherwise it will be super spicy. I also added some chopped cilantro to the beans. And, I omitted the Avocado and Mango. This dinner completely satisfied my craving for coconut.

Five Spiced Coconut Chicken

1/3 Cup Coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

In a large bowl, combine the 1/3 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon lime juice with the soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder and salt. Add the chicken, coating well. Marinate for 15 minutes. And, grill to your liking.
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Five-Spice-Coconut-Chicken

Coconut Black Beans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 large cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 to 3 whole dried chilies (I used one pepper, chopped and removed seeds, from Peppers in Adobo Sauce)

2 teaspoons cumin

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans or 1/2 (16-ounce) package dried beans

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 mango sliced

1 avocado sliced

In a medium sauce pan, heat a little bit of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and onions; simmer on low for a few minutes. Add the chili peppers and the cumin. Pour in the can of coconut milk and let all the ingredients mix together. Rinse and drain the black beans and add to the mix. Salt and pepper to taste. (If you are using dried beans, prepare them as per the package and cook separately for 45 minutes before starting the rest of the mix.) Let beans simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. While they are simmering, cut up the avocado and mango and place in a bowl on the table. (The mango and avocado should be eaten with the beans. I place them right on top. The sweetness of the mango and buttery texture of the avocado complement the spiciness of the beans.) The mix will be soupy.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 25 minutes

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5002.0

Citrus Salad

1 jar (or small carton for individual serving) Del Monte Citrus Salad
1/8 cup chopped Cilantro
1 small Shallot chopped
Dash of Salt


Remove some of the juice from the Citrus Salad, and pour into a bowl. Add chopped cilantro, salt, and onion. Stir and refridgerate for about 15 minutes. Be careful how much salt you add. Just use a small dash or none at all. This is a simplified version of my mom’s Black Bean and Avocado Citrus Salad recipe.


(Click here for printable recipe)