I love take out fake outs. I’ve really enjoyed playing around with some of my asian food favorites to make them a little more healthy without having to miss out on the flavors I love. I keep working to find more recipes that I can make when the Chinese take out cravings come on, which is often. I’ve had lots of successes, like this orange honey chicken. However, I’ll be honest and admit there’s been one or two that I didn’t love. Those I won’t be sharing, but I especially love how this pineapple ginger chicken turned out so it was a must share.
Cooked pineapple is one of my favorites, especially when paired with chicken. Something about this combo makes me feel like I’m transported to an island and am getting to enjoy all the wonderful, fresh flavors. Pineapple is a great super food with so many health benefits (to learn more check out this article). Ginger is another flavor fave of mine. I eat the fresh kind that accompanies sushi like it is candy, but for this recipe I used the powdered version. Ginger is good for relieving digestive problems such as nausea, loss of appetite, and motion sickness. For any of you soon-to-be mama’s out there, it’s supposedly great for morning sickness, too.
What are some other take out fake outs I should try?
INGREDIENTS:
- 1.5 pounds of chicken, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons of water
- Nonstick cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray)
- 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil
- 1 cup of almond flour (or other gluten free flour option)
- 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot (optional, for thickening)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- salt + pepper
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup fresh pineapple preserves (I found sugar free)
- 1 cup of freshly cut pineapple
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup of coconut aminos (or soy sauce.. if you’re in to that)
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons of asian hot red chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons of arrowroot.
- 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease with coconut oil spray.
- In a large boil, whisk eggs and water together. Then, combine almond flour, arrowroot, paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, onion powered, salt and pepper in a large freezer bag. Dip the chicken in the egg wash (let the excess drip off), then put chicken in the bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated. Next, evenly place chicken on the foil covered baking sheet and spray lightly with coconut oil spray.
- Bake chicken at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, move the baking sheet up near the broiler and broil to desired crispiness (between 5 and 10 minutes), flipping halfway through. Monitor to ensure you don’t burn the chicken!
- While the chicken is baking, heat 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for about a minute. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients, whisking to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens (less than 5 minutes). Taste and add additional chili sauce, if desired.
- When the chicken is finished, toss with the sauce and serve over broccoli or rice.
