Coconut Butternut Squash

My coconut kick continues!!! Coconut proves to be a beautiful recipe enhancement (and my current cooking obsession). Perfectly fun, healthy and exotic! This was truly an amazing side dish ... and I completely foresee making this on a regular basis! Easy and delicious... who could ask for more??

Recipe:

1 T coconut oil

Butternut squash, diced (about 20 oz.)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 C coconut milk (full fat!)

1/4 C chopped cilantro (or 4 green onions, diced)... I've tried and like both!

1 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 C coconut flakes

Pinch Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch toasted coconut flakes (topping)

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender and aromatic. Add diced butternut squash, and toss with coconut oil and garlic. Add coconut milk to skillet and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes. When butternut squash starts to become tender, add cilantro, sage, coconut flakes, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until all ingredients blend well and butternut squash is tender (but not mushy) about 5-7 more minutes. Serve and sprinkle with a few additional flakes of toasted coconut! Enjoy!

We served this with a grilled pork loin and steamed zucchini.

This side dish kind of "steals-the-show", so it's a great accompaniment for the basics and ordinaries! :-)

Coconut Lime Chicken

"Put the lime in the coconut..." Or for a great dinner, put some lime and some coconut on some chicken and fry it all up! This was a huge hit in our house tonight... hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

2 large chicken breast, pounded thin and cut in half (yielding 4 servings)

1 C unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 T fresh lime zest

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

pinch sea salt

2 eggs

1/4 C coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound and divide chicken breasts and set aside. In a heavy skillet, heat coconut oil on medium high heat. In a shallow dish, beat the two eggs. In another shallow dish, combine the coconut, cilantro, lime zest and remaining spices. Dip chicken breasts in egg and then into the coconut mixture (chicken should be well coated with coconut). Add chicken immediately to the hot pan and brown until chicken is golden brown (about 4 minutes on each side). Place browned coconut chicken pieces on baking dish and bake for and additional 10-12 minutes. Top with some toasted coconut and cilantro sprigs for looks! :-)

Hope you enjoy!

Spicy Coconut Pork Chops

I'm a coconut lover! I'm convinced you can use coconut to enhance just about any meal! Coconut is wonderful because it can be mild, potent, spicy and sweet! ... A versatile cooking ingredient I just love! It also has wonderful health benefits! It's a great source of energy. As a medium chain fatty acid, it's stored in the liver and ready to use for energy! It boosts metabolism. It's an intestinal healer! And... it helps fight off infections! Hope you enjoy... (my kids sure did)... and whenever they like a Paleo creation of mine, I consider it an utter success!

Recipe:

8 pork chops

2 T coconut oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 C coconut milk

2 T lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

Seasoning:

1/2 C unsweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. red chili flakes

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a little olive oil over the pork chops. In a zip lock bag add all the seasonings. In a skillet, heat the coconut oil. Add pork chops to zip lock bag and shake to coat pork chops evenly (it may not look like enough seasoning, but it was just enough). Brown pork chops in coconut oil, and place on a baking dish. Add onions to skillet. Saute until tender, adding lime juice to deglaze pan. Add coconut milk to skillet and pour over pork chops. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your choice of vegetable side. We enjoyed some steamed broccoli!