Fried Chicken

Alright dear readers, time to get to know one another a little better. I like fried chicken. Yes, I am still in the field of nutrition and I still like kale, but I will never swear off crispy poultry. Here's what gets me about the health gurus who would scowl at this confession: in general they need to work on keeping it real.

I agree that our food supply is greatly. . .no, dangerously tainted by the food industry. I oppose factory farming. I do not like vegetables from thousands of miles away. I think eating liberal quantities of foods grown in good soil a grand idea. And I also think the term "health food" conjures up the wrong images. This may be because frozen food brands calling themselves "Healthy Choice" taste about the same as the box they are sold in, and are about as good for you.

Or because mainstream junk food brands want you to think life is full of deprivation when seeking a healthy diet. I also think overly-health obsessed individuals would like us to think they are stronger than the rest of the population; some sort of super human who never falls victim to any cravings what-so-ever while their fantasies about pints of Ben and Jerry's would be enough to make most of us blush. Granted, they may not indulge, and rarely do I, but it's not because I am better than everyone else. It's because I truly understand the satisfaction of real food, not the overly sensationalized brief moment alone with a sleeve of Oreos. I can think past the affair and know how it will make me feel. Like crap.

How is it then that I can "get away" with eating fried chicken and still consider myself healthy? Or butter for that matter? Or pastured pork?

The answer is quality. When I make fried chicken (which in truth is pretty rare), I crisp free-range fillets in organic coconut oil. Stable at high temperatures (unlike the vegetable and seed oils used commercially for frying), and containing lauric acid, a antibacterial-antimicrobial property also present in breast milk, coconut oil is satisfying and nothing to feel bad about, a very different beast than the fried chicken at your local greasy-spoon. In fact, I think so highly of coconut oil, I try and incorporate it into my weekly diet on purpose to gain its many benefits. It's true.

So while we all strive to eat as healthy as we are able, I'd like to remind everyone that such a quest in actuality is more satisfying than a million pints of Haggen-Dazs stacked to heaven on a spoon. Quality food, even including occasional quality fried chicken, satisfies a true desire without compromising the vessel that houses our souls.

My advice: Eat well. Make some fried chicken. And keep it real (in every sense).

Fried Chicken:

*7-10 free-range chicken tender fillets, pounded thin

*refined coconut oil for frying (amounts will vary)

*1 egg

*splash of water

*1 cup natural panko bread crumbs or bread crumbs of your choice

*1 cup fine ground cornmeal or white wheat flour

*sea salt

*fresh ground black pepper

Rinse chicken. Place on a piece of parchment paper in a row. Cover with another piece of parchment. Pound each fillet with a meat tenderizer or heavy spoon until thin.

Whisk egg in a bowl with a splash of water. Set aside.

Stir together the bread crumbs, flour, sea salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

Place a small cast iron pan over medium heat. Coat with ample coconut oil.

Dip each fillet into the egg mixture before dredging in bread crumb mixture, turning to coat each side. Place coated fillets in hot pan being careful not to crowd the pan. Work in batches. Allow chicken to brown before flipping. Add more coconut oil as needed.

Transfer to a lined sheet while repeating with remaining fillets.

Serve with homemade honey mustard sauce and a big green salad.

Gluten-Free Vegan Nirvana Cookies

This recipe was passed on from my friend Dana and her sister. It is a new favorite. Unrefined coconut oil, maple syrup, walnuts and almond butter marry beautifully with your choice of diverse variations.

I call them nirvana cookies because each bite is a little piece of gastronomic enlightenment. Don't be surprised if you find yourself levitating a few inches above ground . . .

Nirvana Cookies:

*1 cup rice flour, coconut flour (or regular organic white whole wheat flour)

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 teaspoon sea salt

*1/2 cup almond butter, or favorite nut butter

*1/3 cup maple syrup

*3 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*1/3 cup chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Blend all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix nut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Add flour mixture to wet mixture. Thoroughly blend. Add nuts or seeds until fully mixed.

Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on baking sheet and gently press with fingertips to slightly flatten. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Serve with a glass of cold, raw, grass-fed milk (if you're not a true vegan that is).

Maple Popcorn

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year: a gallon of maple syrup from the small town of Wolcott, Vermont (thank you Nancy). A gallon is enough to have fun with, unlike most times when I'm only lucky enough to have a quaint half pint, which I hoard and selectively drizzle on special occasions only.

While winter pruning today outdoors, the thought of fairground kettle corn leapt into my brain. The sweet, salty, crunchy combination born from those dark kettles can't be beat. The thought did not go away. So naturally, I came home and did what any snack obsessed person in my situation would do, and hashed it out in the kitchen.

If I closed my eyes while I crunched on the perfect, sea-salted, maple concoction, I could almost hear the faint music from the ferris wheel.

Maple Popcorn: (serves 4)

*3 tablespoons refined coconut oil

*1/4 cup maple syrup

*3/4 cup popcorn kernels

*sea salt to taste

*The key to this recipe is getting the temperature just right. Too low and the corn will not pop. Too high and the maple syrup will quickly burn. A standard medium heat does well.

Begin by placing a large heavy pot (fitted with a lid) over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and a dash of sea salt. Allow to heat until gently bubbling. Add the popcorn and cover with a lid. Keep a close eye on the liquid. If it begins to brown, lower heat slightly.

Once corn begins to pop, keep the pot moving over heat to keep from burning. Once popping tapers off, remove lid quickly (keeping any condensation from dripping onto popcorn).

Immediately transfer to a large metal bowl.

Sprinkle with additional sea salt and enjoy.