Slow Food Recipe

We should remember that the United States in not only the land of fast food chains but new ideas are also developed in the country. I would like to show a sample recipe to those of you who are aware of what they eat:

 Braised Coconut Chicken with Ginger
Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1Tb coconut oil
1 Tb olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks green garlic (mostly just the white/light green parts)*
11/2 Tb fresh ginger, minced
1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
handful cilantro

Green garlic is simply immature garlic -- often pulled when farmers are thinning the garlic crop in Spring (though more often now also being grown as a crop in its own right). Its flavor is milder than mature garlic, so if you don't have green garlic on hand, try using about 2-3 cloves of minced garlic.

::Prepare the green garlic by trimming the ends, cutting it lengthwise and then dicing into small pieces. If dirt is present, let sit in a bowl of cold water while you chop the onion and the red pepper. Swish once or twice and the dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Use a slotted spoon to remove the green garlic.

::Sauté onion in 1Tb coconut oil (can use olive oil instead) for 5 minutes, then add green garlic, ginger, red pepper and red pepper flakes. While vegetables are cooking, combine salt, coriander, cumin, white pepper and turmeric in a small bowl to create a spice mixture and rub on both sides of 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, reserving any leftover spice rub (you will add it later). Remove vegetables from pan.

::Brown both sides of chicken in oil in a heavy bottom, oven proof pan (I use my Le Creuset French Oven). Set chicken aside. Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock and scrape up the little bits of spice/chicken. Stir the vegetables into the stock. Add 1 can coconut milk (shake first to combine). Return chicken to pan, adding remaining spice mixture and spooning some of the vegetable/liquid mixture over the chicken. Bring to a boil.

::Cover and place in a 325º oven for 2 hours (or put in slow cooker on high for 4 hours). When remove from oven, shred the chicken using two forks. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve over sweet brown rice with Sautéed Savoy Cabbage.