Coconut Chicken With Mango Dip

COCONUT CHICKEN WITH MANGO DIPPING SAUCE

I love chicken! And with the summer already in full swing, I don't want to be slaving away, cooking in an already hot apartment, with crappy AC. 

So, while browsing Pinterest, my sister-in-law pinned a pin.

And boy, did the chicken look so good and tasty!

See the original post HERE.

I must admit, my pictures don't do the meal justice, as I had my 4 and 2 year old banging forks on the table, whining that they wanted to eat NOW. The original post, her pictures are beautiful!

And, I long for the day when I have fabulous daylight in my beautiful new home and can take stunning pictures like her.

But anyway.... I decided to make some Coconut Chicken for myself

 (Oh, and my family too, can't leave them out, right)

THEY WERE SO GOOD.

I did tweak the recipe a bit, to my taste, but in all honesty. They were luscious, crunchy and moist and the dip, oh my!

Talk about delicious, I think I ate a whole boatload, Lol.

I served my coconut chicken with some couscous and a fresh mixed garden salad, with

A fresh and tangy cucumber, red onion, dill side.

But just in case you can't find her blog post here is the recipe.

Tweak it for your own palate.

Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips with Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce

(Makes 16 strips, serves 2-4)

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil for frying
2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless), sliced length-wise into 4 strips, then those strips sliced length-wise in half, making a total of 8 strips per breast
• Pinch curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
½ cup flour
2 eggs
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
• Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Preparation:

-Begin by filling a medium-sized pot about half-way with the vegetable oil (roughly 6-8 cups), and bring the temperature of the oil slowly up to 350° while you prepare the strips.

-Place the chicken strips into a bowl, and add the pinch of curry powder, a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, to the strips; toss the strips to coat them in the seasoning, and set them aside for a moment.

-Set up your “coating” station by putting the flour, along with another couple of pinches of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, into a medium-sized bowl and blending to combine; put the eggs into another medium-sized bowl and beat them, and put the sweetened shredded coconut into another medium-sized bowl; to coat the chicken strips, dredge one strip at a time into the seasoned flour and coat it well; next, dip it into the beaten eggs, and then into the shredded coconut; press the strips into the coconut very well to coat them thoroughly, and place the coated strips onto a plate to hold until all strips have been coated.

-To fry the strips, work in batches by adding about 4-5 strips into the hot oil, and allow them to fry for about 1 ½ – 2 minutes, moving them very gently with tongs every now and then, until they are a deep, golden color; remove from oil and place onto a paper towel-lined platter to drain, and sprinkle each batch with a pinch of salt and pepper while they’re still hot; repeat the process until all strips have been fried.

-Serve the strips hot, garnished with a sprinkle of the minced chives and a side of the Creamy, Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce.

Creamy Honey-Mango Dipping Sauce ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
• Pinch (small) curry powder
3-4 drops Sriracha sauce (add more if you like it spicier)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

-Add all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and process until completely combined and well-blended; serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a couple of days.

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Carrot Muffins With Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting.

Easter is only 2 days away!

And time to bake some carrot muffins.

The only thing that takes time making these are grating the carrots & chopping the walnuts!

 Unless you already have pre-grated carrots which cuts the time in half.

These are yummy and filling. 

And if you're like me, you'll be reaching for another dollop of cream cheese frosting

 To finish off that last bite or two of the muffin.

Here is what you will need to make Carrot Muffins. 

This is the original amount which makes 52.

Just half the amount of ingredients to make less.

(1 Cup = 8oz)

10 Cups Grated Carrots

1 1/2 Cups Coconut

1 Can Crushed Pineapple (250 grams)

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

5 Cups Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil

6 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda (dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water)

10 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

Oven 350 - 375 deg ( 175 - 190 C)

HEAT THE OVEN.

Combine the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, coconut & pineapple

And mix well, set aside till later.

Mix the sugar and oil well, then add 1 egg at a time. 

Beating well in between each one. 

Mix the baking soda with the water 

Add the diluted baking soda & Vanilla Essence to the Sugar & oil mixture.

Beat well.

Next, add HALF of the flour, all of the cinnamon & salt.

Mix well

Now take the carrot mix and add the remaining FLOUR

AND

FOLD IN!

Don't over fold the flour in - Muffins are better if not mixed too much

After the flour has been added.

Divide the muffin mixture into your muffin or cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, you can make the,

 Cream Cheese Frosting.

2 packs of Cream Cheese (200 grams each)

3/4 Cup of Softened Butter

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

Dash of All Spice

5 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Marshmallow Fluff (which I forgot to take picture of)

Beat the butter till soft, then add the cream cheese

Beat well together.

Add the vanilla & all spice, and Beat again.

Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix well.

Now, add the marshmallow, beating well.

Till the frosting forms peaks.

Take out Muffins when they are cooked 

(Golden brown and toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the muffin)

Leave to completely cool.

Once cooled, slice off the tops and cut the tops in half.

And set aside.

Fill the muffins with the cream cheese frosting.

Then pop back on the two halfs of the muffin slices and decorate with some Cadburys Mini Eggs 

And Easter sprinkles.

Enjoy!

CARROT MUFFINS

WITH 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

See my Mini Sugar Cookie Nibbles

HERE

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Raspberry Coconut Cream Pie

Dessert is delicious!

I love dessert, although my waist line doesn't :) 

Of late, I  made dessert when we have had the LDS Missionaries over to dinner.

This week I made, 
Raspberry Coconut Cream Pie. 

It has a pastry base, a yummy smooth custard  filling, with Rasberries gently tossed into the filling, topped off with a whipped cream, and decorated with, toasted coconut flakes, and drizzled melted chocolate.

Now, how can anyone, resist eating that!

300 ml -Coconut Milk 

200ml - Rice Milk
The milks combined to total 500mls. (I used mostly coconut as I wanted that flavor to come through)

 2 heaped Tablespoons - Powdered Milk

2 heaped dessert spoons - Sugar

2 cups - Raspberries

4 heaped dessert spoons - Birds Custard 

 1 Pastry Pie Crust

2 cups Heavy Cream, 

Handful Chocolate Chips

Coconut Flakes for decoration

*Now, I cheated when I made this pie, I'd run out of flour to make the pastry, so rummaging through my pantry, I found a Betty Crocker Pie Crust, Hallelujah!

*Also you'll notice the powered milk 'Darifree' is Dairy free, made by Vance foods , its sweet and delicious and great for those who can't do dairy. I use this to make my filling creamy!

*The Coconut Milk is my homemade by me, learn how Here

*If you're wondering, what is Birds Custard, well it's a British staple for desserts and for a warm topping over hot sweet pies. You can find this at any good international store or Amazon. I always have this in my pantry. To make the custard you can follow the direction on back.. Although that is if you want a runny custard, for my pie you want it to be thicker, yet still creamy.

Make your pastry, roll it out and line a 9" baking tin, prick the pastry and bake blind in the oven till light brown. Keep an eye on it, you don't want it to burn the edge's.

Measure your milk into a jug, then pour 400 ml into a pan and heat. Do not let it boil. With the remaining 100 ml of milk, leave that in the jug. You are going to add the sugar, powdered milk and custard powder to it.

Once you have all that in the jug, stir well, make sure you get all of the lumps smoothed out

Next pour you warmed milk, into the powdered mix, Stir well.

Once you have stirred it well, pour that mixture back into your saucepan, and heat through.

Again don't let it boil. As it will burn. You must stir continuously!

It will thicken, once you see it start to thicken, take off heat.

Stir till it resembles a smooth texture.

Pour into a cold bowl and let it cool down. I stir mine every so often so the top doesn't form a skin.

 As it cools it will look quite thick. DON"T worry, we are going to add some cream to it, this will make it super creamy!

Toast your Coconut Flakes in a warm oven. They only take minutes to toast. Keep an eye on them. Once they are lightly browned, set aside to cool.








 Once the custard has cooled, add some of your heavy cream to  it and whisk till you reach your desired consistency.

Next whip your cream up in a jug and set it aside.









Fold your Raspberries into the custard mix ( leave some for decoration)  then add into your pie cooled pie crust base. Take a spoon and spoon your whipped cream on top, decorate with your remaining Raspberries.


 



Add your toasted coconut, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over your pie.

Your Raspberry Coconut Cream Pie!

Enjoy with a fresh glass of coconut milk, which you have made the day before :)

Sumptuously delicious!

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