Coconut-Almond Crusted Chicken {or fish or shrimp}

Let’s play a game.

I’ll say a word and you say the first thing that comes to mind.

I’ll go first.

Chicken.

……………………Boring.

Oh, sorry. [so rude of me]. It just popped out.

I would even dare to say it’s in my Top 5 Most Boring Foods, a close tie with steamed veggies. And we all know how I feel about those. [A helpful hint: roast them. You may actually like vegetables if you do so].

So, there it is. I have little patience for boring, bland food. Especially if it takes more time than my usual 10 minute rule. Therefore, as you can imagine, I don’t eat a lot of chicken. The recipes that make it seem to taste good are pretty time and ingredient intensive. Who has time for that on a normal weeknight?

Not I, my friends.

I would guess not you either, if you are reading this blog in the first place.

But we know that chicken is a real food, a whole food and can be a healthy food as long as the chicken was healthy, which is more rare than you might think. [It's helpful hint day, apparently. Hint #2: always buy your meat and dairy products organic. You pay more for what you don't ingest than what you do. This is even more important than organic fruits and veggies if you have to choose].

Back to the chicken. If it’s from a clean source, it can be a nice heavier food, which makes it great this time of year as we crave more substance to our dinners.

The only thing standing in our way is making it taste great in a short amount of time.

Hello, Coconut-Almond Crusted Chicken. You are just perfect for the occasion. Don’t like chicken? It tastes great with fish too. And sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips too for that matter.

Unsweetened coconut flakes + almond meal makes a perfect outer crust with great flavor- no flour, no cheese, no egg is necessary, although you can easily add any of those in if you choose. Crushed pistachios or hazelnuts would be a great addition for some more crunch, or you can go the minimalist route as I did and still have a great, easy and clean weeknight dinner.

And if looks and presentation count in your book, this is a perfect one to keep around:

Coconut Almond Crusted Chicken

Coconut-Almond Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:

4 organic, thin cut chicken breasts

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour

organic, extra virgin coconut oil

sea salt, pepper, paprika and lemon zest (opt)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together the coconut, almond meal and spices. Stir until equally combined:

2. Cover a small plate with the coconut-almond mixture. Rinse and gently pat dry your chicken breasts, leaving a little moisture. Bread the chicken on both sides with the coconut-almond mix:

3. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet as you go. This is just a resting place until you cook them stovetop:

4. Melt 1 TB of coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Flip the chicken halfway through, as each side browns and enjoy with some of your favorite veggies and potatoes for a perfect meal: