Creative Eating Blog

I developed this recipe after analyzing the tried and true, ever-popular take-along…Waldorf salad. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Waldorf salad, but I wanted to think of a way to make it that’s different and yet still very tasty. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wanted it to contain desiccated coconut (because coconut is so phenomenally, spectacularly, incredibly good for you – not to mention yummy), but I still had a lot of blanks to fill-in. Since coconut was being incorporated into the recipe, I thought it should have an “island” theme (hence, the name), so banana cream pudding was perfect! Then, I thought of the available canned fruits that would be considered tropical, and the recipe that follows is ultimately what I came up with. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

13.5-ounce can of coconut milk
½ to 1 cup of desiccated coconut (the rubbery, sweetened stuff won’t work with this recipe)
3.4-ounce box of banana cream pudding
20-ounce can of crushed pineapple, with most of the liquid drained
24.5-ounce jar of mandarin oranges, drained
8-ounce container of Extra Creamy Cool Whip
~ Optional Ingredients ~
Finely chopped macadamia nuts or pecans
Miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Pour about ½ can of coconut milk into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Add the desiccated coconut and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
3. Add the dry pudding and again, mix well.
4. Add the crushed pineapple and mix well. Note: If you’re going to add the optional ingredients, now would be the time to do it.
5. Add mandarin oranges and gently mix.
6. Fold-in the Extra Creamy Cool Whip, and chill for at least two hours.

Enjoy!

Nanda said that you can use any kind of nut (or combination of nuts, except for pistachios), and you can even add dried fruit to the recipe. I’m thinking that sunflower seeds would be a good addition, too. As an added bonus, it looks super easy!

So, without further ado….

Peanut clusters

(2) 16oz jars of lightly salted roasted peanuts (can substitute other nuts, but not pistachios)

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

(1) 4 oz bar white baking chocolate

Place nuts in bottom of crock pot, place rest of ingredients on top. Cover, cook on LOW heat for 2 hrs. Stir, and heat another 15 mins.

Let cool in covered crock pot for about 30 mins. Spoon out onto wax paper till they harden.

Mmmmm…thanks, Nanda! I can’t wait to make these with cashews or pecans — I might even add some desiccated coconut, too.

Now, before you pooh-pooh me, the baked potato (and potatoes in general) have been much maligned by dieters and nay-sayers alike, so before I get to the meat and potatoes (pun intended) of this post, let me tell you this much: The French word for “potato” is, “pomme de terre,” which translated, means, “apple of the Earth.” APPLE OF THE EARTH. I think that’s beautiful; so beautiful, in fact, that I never forgot it in the almost 30 years since I’ve had a French class. The French get it…why don’t we? I can also tell you that:

– A potato contains more potassium than a banana.
– They’re easy to digest (so, if you’re having tummy issues, mashed potatoes are a good choice).
– They contain ALL 22 AMINO ACIDS to form complete proteins– this helps our bodies with meat and dairy protein absorption.
– They’re rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folic acid, quercetin, kukoamines, essential minerals AND antioxidants.
– Potatoes come in almost 600 different varieties.
– They’re also a good source of fiber if you eat the skin.

Among the most interesting information I garnered from researching the potato is the story of a man who went on a “potato diet” to protest the raw deal that potatoes get. This man, Chris Voigt, ate 20 potatoes per day for 60 days. He used oil and seasonings on the potatoes, but that was it, no other kind of toppings. Are you ready for this? His pre-potato diet bloodwork indicated:

Beginning weight: 197
Beginning blood glucose: 104
Beginning cholesterol: 214
Beginning triglycerides: 135

AFTER 60 days of eating nothing but potatoes, here were the results of his bloodwork:

60 day weight: 176
60 day blood glucose: 94
60 day cholesterol: 147
60 day triglycerides: 75

So, he LOST weight, and his blood sugar went DOWN, as did his cholesterol and triglycerides. Also, after 60 days, his ending blood pressure was 112/70. Click Here to see his website, if you want to read more about his story. Click Here to read an interview conducted with him through the Whole Health Source blog.

It’s interesting to note that the potato is a member of the “nightshade” family, which includes tomatoes and peppers. The potato is actually a “tuber” of this plant, which DOES produce a tomato-like fruit, but the fruit is inedible; in fact, the whole plant is pretty much poisonous (even potatoes are poisonous if they’re green, so don’t eat the green ones). But how funny is it that the edible part of the plant is UNDERGROUND?

I guess that the reason potatoes have gotten a bad rap is due to the number of “toppings” people are known to drown them in; ANYTHING to which you add greasy bacon, a couple of dollops of sour cream, butter AND cheese is going to lose it’s nutritional benefit and rack up the calories very quickly. So, cut down on the toppings and enjoy this wonderful (and inexpensive) gift from Mother Nature without worrying about your waistline.

Now, for the recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Choose potatoes that aren’t bruised with the smoothest skin possible, then thoroughly clean them with a new toothbrush or a veggie brush.
3. Dry the potatoes, then poke holes in the skin with a fork or a steak knife (this allows air to escape so they don’t explode during baking)
4. Rub the potatoes with a thin coat of olive oil, then rub them with coarse sea salt or Kosher salt.
5. Individually wrap each potato in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Amount of cook time depends upon size (60-70 minutes for large potatoes; 45-55 minutes for medium).

I was torn between whether I wanted to make the gelatin-based mousse, or the egg yolk-based mousse. I will eventually have both methods under my belt, but for the time being, I opted for the gelatin-based. I’m actually having trouble finding pasteurized eggs, so that was the main tie-breaker between the two methods. As a side note, I know that, in this day and age, the risk of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs is infinitesimally small (thanks to refrigeration, a miracle of the modern age that allows us to enjoy our food longer and significantly reduces the risk of food illnesses), but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I scoured the Internet for recipes, and finally decided to use Alton Brown’s (“Good Eats”) recipe. Now, I’m not here to tell you that I thought this or that was wrong in his recipe – he’s the expert pulling in the big bucks – but I will point out where I had difficulty, so that you can be forewarned and plan accordingly.

Here’s the link for the recipe I used; take a gander at it, then come back here for the skinny: Alton Brown’s Chocolate Mousse.

The first red-flag in this recipe is in the ingredients: QUALITY semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used Nestle’s, because that’s all I had. I don’t like Ghirardelli, and I don’t often buy Hershey’s because I grew up on Nestle’s; it’s like I’m programmed to go right for the yellow bag every time. I’m sure Alton Brown (whom I really enjoy watching, by the way – he’s so informative and entertaining) has access to all kinds of quality chocolate for his recipes, but Li’l Old Me is on a budget.

The second red-flag, also in the ingredients: DARK RUM. I didn’t have any dark rum, so again, I used what I had on-hand – coffee liqueur. I could have probably even used my homemade vanilla. And when it comes right down to it, I could have probably just used water.

The third red-flag is in the instructions: A DOUBLE BOILER. I don’t have a double boiler. I actually tried to find one in Target, but they didn’t have any. What I settled for was a set of four, nesting, glass mixing bowls for $14.99 (much cheaper, I’m sure, than a double boiler). I started heating some water in a large sauce pan. While I was waiting for the water to come to a steaming simmer (not a boil), I added the coffee (I used my Toddy coffee concentrate), liqueur and butter to one of the larger glass bowls and put it in the microwave for 45 seconds, just long enough to start the melting process. Then I stirred-in the chocolate chips, and put that bowl on top of the large sauce pan. Voila! The instant Poor Gal’s double boiler.

Now here’s where I REALLY had problems with this recipe – MELTING THE GELATIN. Alton says to put ¼ cup of cream in a metal measuring cup and add the gelatin; you’re supposed to let the gelatin, “bloom” in the cream for ten minutes, then hold it over a low flame (or candle) while swirling the cup. First of all, I don’t have a metal measuring cup, so I settled for a one-cup glass dish with handles (it’s like a super, super mini-casserole dish). I wasn’t about to hold a glass dish over fire, so I rested it over a small saucepan with simmering water and gently stirred. Guess what? It was more clumpy than homemade gravy, so, I stirred it more to try breaking up the clumps. Guess what? I ended up with a congealed blob. I was afraid to keep stirring, so I went ahead and added that to my chocolate mixture. And that’s where I went wrong the first time; the first batch tasted good, but the texture was off BIG TIME because the gelatin never really melted. I had originally intended to make two batches, anyway (one dark, one milk, so I could layer them in the dishes), so I was determined to not make the same mistake on my second batch.

Thinking about making flavored gelatin (you know, Jello), I remembered that HOT water makes the gelatin dissolve, and COLD water makes the gelatin congeal (duh!). All he says in his recipe is to make sure that the gelatin doesn’t BOIL. So, the second time, I did the same thing I did the first time, only when it congealed into a blob, I continued to stir it over the simmering water. Eventually, it melted back to a liquid…Eureka! I kept feeling it to make sure it wasn’t getting hot, and it stayed a nice, luke-warm the entire time. In retrospect, I think that the cream should be closer to room temperature before adding the gelatin, and the next time I make this, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

So, there you have it. The second batch, milk chocolate, was delicious; the texture was just the teeniest amount off, which could have been the “quality” of the chocolate chips, now that I think about it. I spooned the first batch, dark chocolate, into 5-ounce glass bowls, filling halfway, then spooned the second batch on top of the first. I grated some white chocolate and sprinkled it on top for garnish. I’m definitely making this again, but next time, I’m doing three layers (dark, milk and white).

Chicken tenders are very popular with kids and adults alike, so this should be a hit with everyone. Add a variety of dipping sauces (honey-mustard, Jack Daniel’s) for a versatile appetizer or add side-dishes and make it a meal.

What makes this chicken tender recipe different is that: 1) It’s homemade from raw chicken, as opposed to being spongy, frozen and pre-cooked and 2) The coating is made from crushed potato chips.

I’m not giving precise measurements for the ingredients here because you really don’t NEED precise measurements – I always “wing it.” I will say, though, the amount of each ingredient you use will depend on how much you want to make. Keep in mind that you can always mix more seasoned flour or crack more eggs if you run out.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Raw chicken tenderloin (defrosted, if frozen)
Eggs
Flour
Seasonings
Crushed potato chips
Good frying oil (peanut is ideal)

Instructions:

1. Add seasonings to flour and mix; I use my homemade seasoning salt and add extra onion powder and garlic powder. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat two or three raw eggs. Set aside.
3. Crush a bag of potato chips (I partially open the bag to let the air escape and crush them in the bag). If you want a coating with a finer texture, crush them in the bag first and then run them through a food processor. Empty crushed chips into a third container.
4. Get an assembly line going with the seasoned flour, egg and crushed chips (in that order). Begin coating the chicken tenderloins: Coat first with flour, dip into egg, then coat with chips. Lay each piece on a plate until you’re ready to fry.
5. Heat the oil in a large skillet or deep fryer (I use a skillet filled just under halfway and have my gas burner turned to the middle setting).
6. Carefully place the pieces in hot oil and cook for about 5 minutes (they should be golden in color), using tongs to turn halfway through for even color.
7. Remove each piece with the tongs, and place on a paper towel lined plate.
8. Serve with honey-mustard, BBQ or Jack Daniel’s dipping sauce.

Note: The coarsely crushed chips will result in a fried coating similar to KFC’s “extra crispy” coating. The fine, food-processor crushed chips will result in a fried coating similar to Shake-N-Bake. I’ve tried both ways, and I can’t decide which way I like better! Also, I haven’t delved into using flavored chips, but I bet that sour cream and onion chips would make a tasty coating; you could really get creative with this recipe if you were feeling adventurous….

BTW – I’ve also tried this with shrimp, and it’s equally as good.

All you need is:

1 cup of mayonnaise
½ cup of Dijon mustard
¼ cup of honey (preferably raw)

Mix all three ingredients, then taste. If it’s too spicy, add more mayonnaise in small increments until the taste is to your liking. Same goes for sweetness; if it’s not sweet enough, add more honey in small increments. And if it’s not spicy enough, add more Dijon mustard in small increments.

Tip: Stir the mayonnaise first to get it smooth and creamy, then add the rest of the ingredients; this will prevent unmixed lumps in your sauce.

That’s it; that’s all you need to do for this crazy-good dipping sauce!

As an added bonus, you can use it for salad dressing, too.

T.G.I. Friday’s Original Jack Daniel’s Sauce

1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup whiskey (favorite brand)
2 cups brown sugar
2 beef bouillon cubes
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

The only thing I do differently in this recipe is that I cut down on the Tabasco sauce; I just add a few dashes, enough to give it a little zip. And if I don’t have any Worcestershire sauce, I substitute soy sauce.

I’ve used this sauce for dipping chicken tenders and nuggets, fried shrimp, fish tenders and steak – it’s awesome on all of them!

For example, when I chop onion for a recipe, I have to mince it, otherwise, the kids turn their noses up at whatever dish it’s being used for (minced onion cooks quicker than chopped). It’s far easier to empty minced onion into a small bowl from a flexible mat than it is to empty from a stiff, thick board.

Chopping mats are also easier to store; I have ten large mats and four small mats, and they take up less space than ONE chopping board.

But I’m probably preaching to the choir because I’m sure you know all that. What you might not know, though, is that there’s still yet another use for flexible chopping mats, and thus the purpose of this post…arts and crafts. My daughter went through a Moon Sand stage where that’s all she wanted to play with, and I’m here to tell you: MOON SAND IS MESSY! It didn’t matter if she was playing with it on the table or on the floor; I was vacuuming Moon Sand ’till I couldn’t vacuum any more. So, I broke out my oldest, most worn mat and surrendered it to my little Moon Sand princess. Sure, the mat got Moon Sand all over it, but that was the idea – Moon Sand on a chopping mat is easier to clean than Moon Sand on the table and the floor.

Then, she got into a PlayDoh phase and after that, it was a painting phase and then came the glitter dust phase; the mats worked just as well for those crafts, too. And just like their use in the kitchen, they can be cleaned and reused. I just keep the mats with her craft bins, and I don’t have to worry about pieces of PlayDoh smashed into the carpeting, dried paint on my tablecloth (which is NEVER going to come out) or traces of glue and glitter all over the furniture. Another added benefit is that I can bend that mat into a funnel and save a lot of her glitter dust to use again. Can you think of an easier way to get spare glitter off of a table and back into its container? And who cares if permanent marker or crayon gets on the mat? I’ve only paid around $2 for it, so she can get as much marker or crayon on it as she wants to; after all, that’s the idea!

For a relatively small investment, you get numerous mats that can be used for numerous purposes – mats that last a VERY LONG TIME. I still have the very first mats I ever bought, and those are the ones that my daughter uses for her crafts. So, don’t throw those old mats away! Run them through the dishwasher and save them for craft projects; they’ll return the favor by saving the finish on your tables.

Until next time, eat…and craft…creatively!