Mango Coconut Chicken by WWoB

Bloggies! Tonight is prom night (side note: Prom Night=horrible movie) and I?m just getting everything together today. Dress photos will ensue, and I want you to know that for the first time ever I got a manicure and pedicure. I feel like a real girl now!!

I hope tonight is fun. I have a feeling my shoes will not be on for more than ten minutes after dinner? I can?t wait to dance!

Do you have any exciting prom stories?

Today I have an amazing guest post for you by the talented Lauren of Whole Wheat or Bust! I drool over her dishes and really enjoy the nutrition tidbits. Here it is:

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Hey y’all! This is Lauren, from Whole Wheat or Bust! I am so excited to do a guest post for Mae, I have been following her blog since the beginning! And this was the perfect opportunity for me to experiment with some gluten free recipes. This dish is for chicken and brown rice with a mango-coconut reduction, perfect for a GF dinner for two!

Recipe: Serves 2

1 very ripe mango

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts

cinnamon

pinch of salt and cumin

1. Prepare the brown rice first since it will take about 45 minutes to cook. Bring 3 cups of water to boil and add 1 cup brown rice. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat. Let cook for 35-45 minutes, until soft.

2. Skin 1 whole mango and slice the meat from the seed. Chop 1/4 cup yellow sweet onion.

3. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp canola oil and add the mango. Heat on high heat for a couple minutes, until the mango begins to bubble.

4. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Mash the mango to a pulp with a fork. Scoot the mango and onions to the outskirts of the pan and lay the chicken breasts in the middle.

5. Cover the chicken with mango pulp and let cook for a few minutes, covered.

6. Flip the chicken to the other side and cover with mango pump again. Add the coconut milk, a shake of cinnamon, and a small pinch of cumin. Cover and continue to cook.

7. Once the chicken seems almost thoroughly cooked, reduce the heat to very low. Mash the mango pulp into the coconut milk and add more cinnamon and a dash of salt. Let it cook low and slow for 20-40 minutes, covered. It should become more thick, creamy, and sauce-like. If it gets too thin, add a bit more coconut milk.

You know it is done when the onions are soft, the sauce is thick, and you cant stand to wait a minute longer!

To serve, scoop 1 cup of cooked brown rice into a bowl. Top with chicken and mango-coconut reduction. Garnish with cinnamon and shredded coconut.

Enjoy!

Benefits:

Mango * high in vitamins A, C, K, E, and potassium, magnesium, and selenium. Also contains the antioxidant beta carotene, a carotenoid! Mangoes are high in fiber due to their pectin content, which has been associated with lower cholesterol levels and reduced risk for cancer.

Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism.

Chicken * A lean source of protein, B vitamins, and the calming amino acid tryptophan! (And now that I am an OChem master, I can draw it for you and the reaction that takes place in your body….if you want )

Cinnamon * In one study, after taking 1/4 – 1 tsp cinnamon daily for 40 days, all participants benefitted from a reduction of fasting blood sugar levels, blood triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol! It is very high in antioxidants and can help stabilize blood sugar levels, which will help prevent an insulin spike, and thus the storage of fat.

Brown rice * contains more fiber, magnesium, protein, E, thiamin, niacin, B6, folacin, potassium, magnesium, and iron than white rice! So why not?