Remembering the Rosary and Try it Tuesday Dinner

I went to see Mom this morning and when I arrived they had just received Holy Communion and were reciting the rosary.  I looked around in awe at all of these memory care patients praying the rosary, word for word.  These are people who cannot remember their names, their children, their spouses, their phone numbers, their addresses or their birthdates.  Some remember more than others but ALL of them in this on
group of 8 remembered every word to every prayer in the rosary.  The power of prayer!

 Tonight is Try it Tuesday and I am making Coconut Chicken Strips.  I took bits and pieces of two different recipes (Coconut Chicken Tenders from Cuisine at Home, Issue #100 and Pineapple Chicken from International Menus Cookbook) and created this dish.

I removed the breast meat from one of my chickens and cut it into strips.

I made a dredging station of cornstarch, a mixture of pineapple juice and egg, and a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and coconut.

After dredging the chicken strips, I put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

This will help the breading to adhere.

The chicken only takes a few minutes to fry up.

The dipping sauce is just jalapeno jelly loosened up with a bit of cider vinegar.

Coconut Chicken Strips

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips.

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 c. of pineapple juice

1 egg

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

1 c. panko bread crumbs

2 cups cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

Combine cornstarch, salt and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl.  Mix together juice and egg in a second shallow bowl.  Combine coconut and bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl.

Dredge the chicken strips first in the cornstarch mixture, then in the juice mixture followed by the bread crumb mixture.  Place dredged strips onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Heat oil in a large saute pan to 350*.  Fry tenders in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towel and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

3/4 c. jalapeno jelly

2 T. cider vinegar

Combine ingredients in small bowl and serve with Coconut Chicken Strips.  Print Recipes

I served the chicken strips with Sweet Potato Fries.

I have previously given you a recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Fries but since I was frying today I just fried the potatoes in the same oil that I then used for the chicken.

This is one Sweet Potato, it will serve two people.

I heated the coconut oil to 350* and cooked the potato in 2 batches.

I sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar instead of salt.

I placed them under a heat lamp while I fried the chicken.

You can put them in a warm (250*) oven to keep them warm also.

Sweet Potato Fries

1 large sweet potato for every 2 people

2 c. cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

Cinnamon Sugar (1 t. cinnamon to 1 c. sugar)

Heat cooking oil in large saute pan to 350*.  Add potatoes in batches and cook until brown and cooked through, 2-4 minutes per batch.  Potatoes will not be crispy but firm and tender inside.  Remove from oil, drain on a paper towel lined sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Print Recipe

I also made a spinach salad to go along with dinner.

Spinach and Pineapple Salad

courtesy of  Cuisine at Home, I ssue #100

3 c. Spinach

1/2 c. pineapple chunks

1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl.  Serve with dressing of your choice.  Print Recipe

I chose to place my chicken atop my salad and use the dipping sauce as dressing.

Frank chose to eat his separately and used a poppyseed dressing.

I am sharing this post at Wednesday Whatsits.  Stop by and see what others are sharing this week.  And since I was able to feed both of us with 1 chicken breast and 1 sweet potato I am also linking up with Thrifty Thursday.  Stop by for more money saving ideas.