Kristin's Coconut Chicken, Gluten & Nightshade Free

My sister Kristin is not only a fantastic cook, but she's also quite creative in the kitchen. For years, she whipped up sweet baked treats along with many savory flavors. Some time ago, Kristin began to experience various symptoms and discovered that she had developed certain food allergies. With allergies to both gluten and nightshades, Kristin had to completely change her diet.

You might be asking, what are nightshades? That's a valid question, seeing as I, like you, had never heard of nightshades prior to Kristin's discovery. Common nightshades include white potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers, including any spices made from peppers, like paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. While white potatoes and peppers are considered nightshades, black pepper and sweet potatoes are exceptions, as they do not come from the Solanaceae family. Nightshades, those few that are edible, contain Alkaloids. Alkaloids include solanine, trace amounts of nicotine, and capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their heat. 

With so many new restrictions to Kristin's diet, she was forced to search for new recipes and create unique ones of her own. One of my favorite of her concoctions is Kristin's Coconut Chicken. Kristin was kind enough to make a batch of her chicken (from which my stomach and taste buds most assuredly benefitted), sharing her recipe for others who suffer from similar allergies.  

Let's get to cookin'!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Organic Chicken Tenderloins
• 1/2 cup Ian's Gluten Free Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Organic Chickpea Crumbs
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Coconut Flour
• 5 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• Pinch of Black Pepper

Adding three Tbsp of coconut oil to a large skillet, turn the stove to medium heat. Allow the oil to gain heat while the chicken is being prepared for cooking. 

Select three medium sized bowls. After the chicken has been rinsed and trimmed of fat, pour the coconut flour into the first bowl. In the next bowl, combine the eggs and heavy cream, mixing thoroughly to break yokes and combine ingredients. In the last bowl, combine the gluten free breadcrumbs, organic chickpea crumbs, unsweetened organic coconut flakes, salt, and pepper. Align the bowls in order from first to last. 

After first dipping the chicken in the coconut flour, lightly coating it in a thin floury layer, immerse each tenderloin in the egg and cream mixture. Then, thoroughly roll the chicken tenderloin in the final mixture of breadcrumbs, spices, and coconut flakes. 

Once all of the tenderloins have been properly coated, place them in the skillet. At this point, the oil should be sufficiently heated. As the chicken begins to cook, turn up the heat slightly and add in the remaining two Tbsp's of coconut oil. Once the chicken is brown and crisp, flip it over, allowing the opposite side to brown. After the chicken is fully cooked through and browned on each side, remove from heat. 

Serve Kristin's Coconut Chicken hot, enjoying the flaky coconut crisp in every bite! Let us know what you think of Kristin's Coconut Chicken, a gluten and nightshade free recipe.