Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles

Memories of my mom making weekend breakfasts for me revolve around homemade Biscuits or Muffins.  Waffles were usually made only once in a while, and I can recall always wanting to order them when we went on trips.

To this day, a nice waffle is a treat for me when we go out to breakfast (which is rare) or we stop in a great restaurant on a road trip or vacation.  The last time I had waffles MGG and I were sitting in a quaint mariner style restaurant on the water in San Diego.  Sitting outside with a slight breeze blowing and a nice stack of steaming hot waffles arrive covered with berries.  Oh boy!  As I dig in the tenderness of the waffles melt in my mouth along with a burst of tart berries sprinkled with a little dusting of powdered sugar.  Heaven!

Lately, I've had wanderlust.  I've been dreaming of a tropical vacation with warm ocean breezes and the smell of flowers and suntan lotion in the air.  This constant dreaming inspired me to dig out my trusty waffle iron over the weekend and make some island inspired, Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles, until I can get to my dream destination. 

Waffles are really easy to make.  The mix up quickly with items that you usually have on hand.  To make this more tropical I added coconut milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, lime zest, and juice to my usual waffle recipe.  Just as I was finishing up MGG woke up and shuffled in from the bedroom to a plate of waffles and the smell of the tropics.  The waffles were so light and citrusy that you will be tempted to put them in your weekend breakfast rotation.

These are the perfect tender and fluffy waffles with a taste of the tropics folded in.  To make these more decadent sprinkle some shredded coconut on the outside and dust with powdered sugar, or some warm maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles

serves 4

2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbls sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups coconut milk (from a can)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tbls lime juice

1 Tbls lime zest
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Garnishes: shredded coconut, powdered sugar, maple syrup

Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer's directions.

In a large bowl add flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, coconut milk, eggs, shredded coconut, lime zest and juice.  Stir together until combined. 

Coat waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray.  Add batter to the waffle iron and close the lid.  Cook until the escaping steam stops and the waffles are golden brown.  Remove from the waffle iron and keep warm.  Continue with the remaining portions until done. 

Serve warm.  You may sprinkle some shredded coconut over the top of the waffles and serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or warm maple syrup.  

Simple Asian Salad

Yum

When I put a meal together I usually try and theme all the food around the same nationality.  The other day we decided to grill some Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  This spicy hot dish called for something cool as a side dish, so I decided to whip up a salad using a mix of Asian and other known vegetables.

In preparation, I headed to the local Ralph's grocery store to browse the Asian produce section.  I picked up Napa Cabbage to use as the base for the salad.  Napa Cabbage has a long shape and closely packed, pale green leaves attached to wide white stems.  It has a delicate mustard-like flavor which marries perfectly with other vegetables. 

Adding sugar snap peas, carrots, and small Japanese cucumber to the cart I had a good start.  I also added some sweetness to the salad with mandarin oranges.  I'm a sucker for those baby oranges!  Adding a little garnish or cilantro and chow mien noodles for crunch the Simple Asian Salad was born.

Top this off with you favorite Asian dressing.  We used Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad dressing, which I love.  It's lighter and a little more sweet than the typical sesame based dressing. 

Simple Asian Salad is the perfect side dish to spicy food.  I would also make a great lunch entrée.  You could even add chicken or beef to the salad for extra protein if you'd like.

Enjoy!






Simple Asian Salad

1/2 head Napa cabbage, chopped
4 oz. sugar snap peas (or snow peas), chopped
1/3 cup carrots, shredded
2-3 Japanese or Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 oz mandarin oranges
2 Tbls cilantro, chopped
handful of chow mien noodles for garnish
2-3 Tbls Girard's Chinese chicken salad dressing

In a large bowl add cabbage, snap peas, carrots, cucumbers and mandarin oranges.  Toss to mix.  Top with cilantro and chow mien noodles.  Drizzle salad dressing over the top and serve.

Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple

Yum

Still feeling the summer heat?  We are. 

Even though the season has officially changed to Fall we are still getting 100+ heat in Los Angeles.  Typical for this time of year, we don't really get the fall weather until late October.  So it's still grilling season!  We love that we can actually grill all year round.  Grilled meat is the best, isn't it?

This weekend I was looking through another of my cooking magazines by BHG and came across a recipe for Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  YUM!  You had me at satay!  So I decided to make this yummy dish with a few slight modifications for our dinner.  Modifications?  Oh yea, let's spice this baby up a bit.  Then Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple happened.

Serving this with a Simple Asian Salad, this dish was fabulous!  The chicken satay cooks quickly on a grill and has a sweet and spicy beautiful glaze.  Grill up some pineapple spears or rings to go along side and serve this over rice.  The perfect dinner, or make this as game day appetizers for a group of people.  Either way this chicken really rocks!  The glaze is perfect with the Sriracha sauce added for a little heat.  You can either adjust the temperature to your liking or omit it all together.  This glaze is what makes this dish special so don't skip it.

So break out your grill and keep the summer feeling going by making this Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  Your sure to love it!

Enjoy!






Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple


Ingredients:

2/3 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon Thai seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
6 pineapple rings
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
2 cups hot cooked rice (optional)
Fresh basil, shredded (optional)

Directions:

If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in water to prevent burning. 

For Thai sauce, in a small bowl combine sweet-and-sour sauce, snipped basil, butter, Thai seasoning, garlic, and Sriracha Sauce.  Set aside.  

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to medium heat. 

Brush both side of the pineapple rings with canola oil.  Place on a tray.  Thread the chicken strips onto 12-15 wood skewers accordion style.  Place on the tray.

Place chicken skewers and cook (uncovered for charcoal, covered for gas) 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally and brushing with sauce during the first half of grilling. Discard any remaining reserved sauce. Grill pineapple slices for 6 to 8 minutes or until warm and grill marks appear, turning once halfway through grilling.

Serve chicken and pineapple with hot cooked rice, if desired. Garnish with basil shreds.