Thai Chicken & Pineapple Pockets (GF & DF)
Thai Chicken & Pineapple Pockets
Category: Dairy Free/Gluten Free
Why you should make these asap:
Close your eyes (not really of course, you are reading). Imagine these flavors… pineapple, peanut sauce, coconut, cilantro, ginger… and now, imagine that paired with fresh veggies, chicken and stuffed into a tortilla. If the flavor combos aren’t enough to make you drool on the spot, then take this leap of faith and open yourself up to a new world of tasty. This recipe can be made with some key ingredient that are store bought which makes this a very quick meal to prepare. It feels indulgent, but isn’t super bad which is more than I can ask for when it comes to Thai food. Why don’t you just go ahead and indulge already?
The Story
(recipe below…)
Over time you'll see that I will find a reason to put pineapple in, and on, anything. It's not quite as bad as my potato obsession, but it's getting there. I haven't always had this obsession though - it's relatively new. And like all good obsessions, it starts in Hawaii.
A couple years ago for our honeymoon, we went to Hawaii where at every meal a piece of fresh pineapple was served. I would have been happy if they stopped there, but in an effort to really blow my mind, they started putting pineapple in different dishes and I’ve never looked back. Truly though, there is one particular meal that was mind blowing.
Pre-honeymoon we kept hearing about “the Road to Hana”… and I’ll just tell you right now, skip any controversial debates about how long it takes and whether it’s worth your time and definitely go if you ever get the chance. Our drive began with stopping by roadside food stands where we chewed on sugar cane and sipped fresh coconut water. As we drove along the windy road, we decided to stop at every waterfall we came across. We were really thriving. My husband cliff jumped and swung off of rope swings into waterfall ponds. It was paradise. But as the drive went on… and on… we were getting hungrier… and hungrier.
“… we developed tunnel vision for what we dubbed ‘The Road to Thai Food’.”
Along the way, someone told us to “drive to the end of the road and get the best Thai food”. We had no idea how far it was till “the end of the road” but honestly, Thai food had never sounded so good… and so we determined that we would drive till we found it. Aside from the occasional bite of roadside banana bread we were stashing up on, we developed tunnel vision for what we dubbed ‘The Road to Thai Food’.
We almost gave up a handful of times, but alas, up a hidden left hand turn, sat a food truck and trailer with old women cooking… Thai food! On the menu was Pineapple Fried Rice, and considering we were on a pineapple kick, we went for it. To say that this Pineapple Fried Rice was addicting, is an understatement. We drooled while we ate it and I’m pretty sure the only conversation we had during our meal was about how friggin good that fried rice was.
To be honest, I had never thought to put pineapple in so many different dishes before, and now it was all I could think of. Since returning from Hawaii, pineapple has made its way into many of our meals… one of them being these Thai Chicken & Pineapple Pockets. And while nothing compares to a pineapple filled Hawaiian adventure, sometimes you can be adventurous in your kitchen just enough to transport you back a smidge.
The Recipe
Ingredients
(2 servings)
THAI CHICKEN
Shredded Chicken (1 1/2 cups OR 1 chicken breast)
4 tablespoons peanut sauce (or to taste) (I use the organic 365 brand from Whole Foods, or make one with less sugar)
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened soft shredded coconut
1/4 cup shredded carrots (multi colored carrots adds to the pop)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted is best!)
1/2 teaspoon white rice vinegar
COCONUT caramelized pineapple
3 slices pineapple - fresh or canned (no sugar)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon tamarin (GF) or liquid coconut aminos
1/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 teaspoon ginger (fresh is great but powder will suffice if that’s all you have)
THE REST
1 cup Beans Sprouts
2 Siete tortillas (burrito size) - or any GF tortilla you enjoy
Small bunch if dandelion leaves OR another leafy green of choice
Lime for garnish
Salt/Pepper to taste
Instructions
Mix all Thai Chicken ingredients together and store in a bowl in the fridge till ready to use. (Overnight for extra marinating)
Take pineapple slices and blot out any excessive liquid with paper towel; dust with chili powder, salt and pepper; on non stick pan, over medium heat - add tamarin/aminos; place pineapple slices in pan coating with the tamarin/aminos. Sauté on medium/high for 3-5 minutes on each side till golgen crisp develops.
Take Pineapple out and dice up, then add back to pan. On medium/high heat, add coconut cream and ginger. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes (this mixture will heavily boil and bubble up - watch so it doesn’t burn. As you continue cooking, the cream will turn into an oil like consistency - keep stirring occasionally. You are essentially waiting for the mixture to thicken and caramelize the pineapple chunks. Eventually the bubbles will die down, and at this point remove the pam from heat. You can strain or blot away any excess oil. Set aside (this can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge).
Grab your tortilla and in large non stick pan, over medium heat, warm your tortilla according to instructions on package, and depending on the type of tortilla you use. Don’t get your tortilla crispy as you need to fold - you are looking for a warm/soft tortilla.
Lay out your tortilla and cut one small line from edge to center of tortilla so that you can section out and fold into a pocket (you can also just do a wrap style).
Assemble all ingredients into 4 sections (Bean Sprouts, Thai chicken, pineapple, leafy greens) as shown above and begin to fold over creating your pocket.
Drizzle with extra peanut sauce, garnish with lime and enjoy!
TIPS/CHEATS
Get a head start: Make everything in advance and store in fridge for easy lunches!
Make Less Work for Yourself: While you can certainly make your own shredded chicken breast, you can also buy a rotisserie chicken breast, or precooked chicken breast from the deli - sometimes you can find it already pre-shredded which is perfect!
Eat pretty food: I always feel like a pretty plate just tase a little bit better. An easy way to make a meal pretty is to add as much color as possible. For this dish, that means rainbow carrots and lots of greens! You may have to shave the rainbow carrots if you can’t find them shredded at the store, but it’s worth it if you have the time.
