Coconut Chicken with Pineapple Rice and Spicy Orange Maple Glaze

Allow me to transport you to the Islands, won't you?  The warm summer breeze, blue water, soft sand under your fe....

Alright, chances are pretty high that it's cold as shit where you are and the chicken won't change that but trust me when you I tell you...it's REALLY good anyway.

Also, it's not as hard it sounds.  My step by step photos didn't turn out (probably due to the fact that I didn't TAKE any step by step photos...lay off me). But I'll still walk you through it.

What you'll need-

3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup almond flour (or whole wheat flour)
2 egg whites
1-2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder.
1 tsp coconut oil
2 oranges (zested and juiced)
1 clove garlic,minced
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup dry brown rice
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
2 cups no sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped pineapple.

Fine, now that it's all typed out it seems like a lot.  Stick with it, the finished product is 100% worth it, ESPECIALLY that spicy sauce, mmmm.

Ok, so to start.  Preheat your oven to 375.

Now, get your rice, pineapple, chicken broth, ginger and garlic into your rice cooker or on your stovetop.  (Just follow the package directions and when you put the rice in, add your garlic, ginger and pineapple with it).

For the chicken- 

On one plate, mix the flour, garlic, onion and chili powder together.  In a bowl, add the egg whites and whisk with some water.  On a third plate, add the coconut flakes.  In an assembly line, dip the chicken in flour to coat, dip in the egg whites and coat with the coconut.  Place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, or a roasting pan with a rack.  Once all the chicken in coated and on the cookie sheet or pan, spray with a little bit of coconut oil spray and place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking,

In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the garlic.  Allow to soften for a few minute (don't brown).  Then add the juice and zest of the oranges, the maple syrup and the red pepper flakes.  Allow the sauce to thicken on medium heat, until it's reduced.  Don't walk away from it, or it'll burn! If it gets too thick, splash some water or chicken broth into it.   Cover and set aside until the chicken and rice are finished.

Voila!  I know it's not the simplest of recipes but on a night you'd like to try something different or you're feeling tropical, go for this.  It's a really wonderful dish!

I hope you enjoy it!

Tips- Shrimp, yo!  Ditch the chicken and dip the shrimp!

21 Day Fixers- (3 tenders counts as 1 red, 1 orange.  1 yellow container of rice is 1 yellow, 1/4 purple.  The orange sauce is a treat, honestly. Between the syrup, the reduced orange juice, etc. it's going to be super sugary and sweet. If you want to count it, I'd count as 1 tsp).  This count isn't an exact science, but the closest I could figure it!

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