Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

by Chris Barkdull
This has been tried in the Rush and Solomon household and it is a real winner!

1       cup sweetened coconut flakes
1       cup panko bread crumbs
1 ½     teaspoons garlic powder
¾       teaspoon salt
¾       teaspoon curry powder
¼       teaspoon onion powder
1/8     teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (I add it.)
½       cup flour
2       eggs
12      chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Chop the coconut so it is roughly the same size as the bread crumbs. Combine the coconut, bread crumbs, and spices in a shallow dish or pie tin. Stir well to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Place the flour in a shallow dish and the eggs in another shallow dish. Whisk the eggs. One at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip the chicken in the egg, again shaking off any excess.  Roll in the bread crumb/coconut mixture, gently pressing the mixture onto the chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders.  Place the tenders on the foil-lined pan. To add a little crunch, you can drizzle each one with a little bit of olive oil but it is optional.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the outside is golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce or fry sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1       cup apricot-pineapple preserves
2       teaspoons soy sauce
½       teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8     teaspoon curry

Whisk together. Enjoy!

Fry Sauce

¼       cup real mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
¼       cup ketchup
2-3     teaspoons dill pickle relish

Whisk to combine.

Quinoa and Black Beans

by Cherry Rush

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and onions and saute until lightly browned.  Mix quinoa in saucepan and cover with broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir frozen corn in the saucepan and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes until heated through.  Mix in the black beans and cilantro.