Double Crunch Chicken

 

Lots of ingredients here... lots of instructions.  But the end result is pretty darn tasty.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 cup flour
2tsp salt
2tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground sage
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For the egg wash:
2 eggs
4 tbsp water

For the sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 – 4 cloves minced garlic
3/4-1 cup honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine the flour and spices together in a medium bowl. Prepare the egg wash by gently beating together the eggs and water. Pound the chicken breasts so that they are even and season with salt and pepper. Dip the meat into the flour mixture, followed by the egg wash, and one more time in the flour mixture. If you need to, press the flour mixture into the meat to get good contact. 

Heat a skillet with a half of an inch of canola oil covering the bottom. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and  fry the chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Since the meat was pounded thinly, it should not take longer than that. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Combine the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan, cook slightly, making sure the garlic does not brown. To the garlic, add the honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Simmer together for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Dip the cooked chicken breasts into the sauce and serve over noodles or rice.

VERDICT

Definitely crunchy.  Probably not the healthiest when you're frying it in a skillet... but it is tasty!

 

Coconut-Crusted Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa

 

There are about a half-dozen drafts on my dashboard- most of them from before Christmas.  Since it's nearly March... I suppose I better finish them off and get them posted.  It looks like we're off to a rough start for 2015.

Without further ado (and excuses), lets get to this deliciousness.

Shrimp.  Pineapple Salsa.  Appetizer or main dish this recipe looks a lot fancier than it is.

 INGREDIENTS

1 Tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup pineapple preserves (or 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced)

1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined

2 egg whites

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS

Combine lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and pineapple preserves in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.

Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip and coat the shrimp with cornstarch. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites and finally in the coconut coating well.

Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is a golden brown. Make sure to turn it once halfway through (around 8 minutes into cooking time) to make sure both sides brown.

Serve with pineapple dipping sauce. 

VERDICT

Delicious.  It looks fancy and will impress guests- and only you will know how easy it was to whip up!