Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Coconut Rice, Spicy Chickpeas, & Banana-Dandelion Honey Sauce

Dandelions are everywhere this time of year... why not make something useful out of them? Like this lovely banana-dandelion honey sauce and substituting dandelion honey for a sugar cube for a fun take on an Old Fashioned!

RECIPES

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN BREAST WITH BANANA-DANDELION HONEY SAUCE

Ingredients

2 Skin-on Chicken Breasts

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Banana, Thick Sliced

1 Cup Dark Chicken Stock

3 Tbsp Dandelion Honey (or 2 Tbsp Honey)

3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (leaves)

2 Tbsp Butter

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Dry the chicken breasts. Leave in open air for 10-15 minutes to allow skin to dry and take the chill off the meat. Heat a thick bottom sauté pan. Add the vegetable oil. Keep temperature as high as possible but do not allow oil to smoke. Season chicken breast. Sear chicken skin side down for 6-8 minutes until skin is brown and crispy. Turn chicken over, reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Dump any excess oil. Add 1 Tbsp butter to the pan. Just as butter begins to brown add the banana and sauté gently for 1 minute. Add chicken stock to the pan and allow to reduce. Just before serving, gently re-heat the sauce and add 2 Tbsp cold butter. Swirl the butter to finish the sauce. Add the fresh thyme leaves just before serving or right on top of the chicken.

COCONUT RICE

Ingredients

2 Cups Jasmine Rice

1 ½ Cups Water

1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk

1 tsp Salt

Instructions

Bring rice, coconut milk, salt & water to a boil and then reduce to very low heat with a lid. Continue to cook on very low heat until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep covered until ready to serve.

SPICY CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

1 Can Chickpeas – Strained (reserve chick pea water)

4 Cloves Garlic, Rough Chopped

4 Tbsp Olive Oil (more to taste)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp Hot Sauce

½ Cup Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Heat a sauté pan. Add olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until the garlic begins to color, 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and pepper flakes. Continue to cook on medium to high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add hot sauce and broth and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

DANDELION HONEY OLD FASHIONED

Ingredients

2 oz Your Favorite Whiskey (Rail Bourbon from Western Reserve Distillery)

1 Tbsp Dandelion Honey (or two sugar cubes)

3 Dashes Orange Bitters

Orange Peel Garnish

Instructions

Mix together whiskey, bitters and dandelion honey. Stir in rocks glass. Add orange peel and ice. Stir and enjoy.