Lime & Coconut Chicken

I’m baaaack! After THE most eventful 3 weeks of the summer, I’m back to having some normalcy in my life. I spent 5 days in New York with friends and family, packed a whole  apartment in 3 days, moved 2 twice, and am currently in the process of setting up my new place. All while trying the juicing fast and deciding to adopt a paleo/primal lifestyle. Phew. It’s been exhausting and fun, but one thing I’ve seriously missed is being able to cook. Along with finally having a fully stocked kitchen, I finally feel like I’ve done enough research to know what I should be putting into my body to eat as cleanly and nourishing as possible.

One of the staples of the paleo way of life is coconut. It’s an extremely versatile food and you can use coconut oil, milk, flour, etc in everyday cooking. The recipe below is a really yummy way to highlight coconut with lime and some heat. I served it with cauliflower “rice” and will definitely be making it again.

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• zest of 2 limes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 4 tbsp wheat-free tamari  (you can sub soy sauce or coconut aminos)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp pure, raw, unfiltered honey
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• pinch cayenne
• 1 small Serrano chili,
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Trim fat from chicken breasts and slice each in half. Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and using something heavy, lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.

Mix lime zest, cumin, coriander, soy sauce, salt, honey, curry powder, coconut milk, cayenne, and Serrano chili in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours.

Once you are ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat oil over high heat. Cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan. Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes. Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden.

Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve over rice with sauce on the side.

*I love sauce so this recipe makes a good amount of it. You can always half it to adjust to your taste.