Piña Colada Turkey Strips

Holy smokes. I have so much to write about. I really don't know where to begin! First off, these Piña Colada Turkey Strips are a hit! People came in from: outside, and downstairs as they were cooking, the smell was so inviting. I was inspired by Juli at PaleOMG and her amazing chicken strip recipe. And the recent purchase of a food dehydrator. Have you had a hard time finding dried pineapple without added sugar? I have. I wonder why; pineapple already has quite a high sugar content. I imagine with the majority of the western population having a sugar addiction, if you are in the food biz, the more sugar, the better your sales.

My mother reads to the end of the internet every day. I am so proud of her and my dad making the change to grain free, and predominantly locally sourced. My mom has done sugar challenges with me cutting down drastically on our sugar consumption. It could still be better.

My parents have a large garden, and recently have acquired some “house chickens.” Yes, you read that right. My parents who live in a 1500 square foot townhouse in a gated resort community, have 3 laying hens. 3 different varieties, they are heritage breeds so they coo instead of cluck. I have had the pleasure of meeting them, each has a unique personality: Mrs. Brown is the most social of the bunch, she loved to be stroked and coos at my dad. All 3 will eat out of your hand and are socialized. Beeker is the largest of the bunch and they suspect she may be a he.  Apparently, it's too soon to tell. But they have a contingency plan, if she turns out to be a he, they will send him to live on a farm. They have one lined up. Peppermint Paddy is the most anti-social of the three but was the was the most friendly with me. Maybe because we were wearing the same color; maybe because we are both motivated by food; maybe I am a chicken whisperer. Paddy climbed up on my arm and perched. The heat that came off the ass of that chicken was tremendous. Not something I had ever considered before, incubating an egg takes heat. It was uncomfortable how hot it got.

Mom and Dad bought the hens a new cage this last week, and they take them out daily for some sun and fresh air. Apparently, they can be trained and have the mental capacity of a 4-year-old. They can do card tricks, pick out colors, and other party tricks! Urban farm at my parents' house. The advantage is of course: fresh eggs. I am sure there is some entertainment involved as well. My parents have pet chickens, just like Gonzo from the Muppets.

Wow, I got off topic. The point of that story was: I was going to borrow my parents' dehydrator when I last went to visit, but it was broken, but my dad had a line on one for cheap. It's not fancy, but it seems to work and at a low enough temperature that the food is still considered living or raw. Dehydrating at a lower temperature does take longer, but the food supposedly retains more of its nutrients. (I still need to research that, and I'll let you know what I learn).  Plus I get dried pineapple without added preservatives and sugar! Yay! There are different methods of drying if you don't have access to a dehydrator, I'll post more on that!

Piña Colada Turkey Strips are already sweet and salty, no need for dip, but if you really want to…  try our Piña Colada guacamole.

Piña Colada Turkey strips

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• Author: Holley - www.ThePrimalDesire.com
• Total Time: 35 minutes

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Description

Piña Colada Turkey Strips (inspired by PaleOMG chicken fingers)

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup dried pineapple ground
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp coconut cream
• 1 turkey breast cut into strips (or 2 chicken breasts)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a shallow dish beat egg and coconut cream together.
3. In a second shallow dish combine salt, almond meal, coconut and pineapple (I put all ingredients in a food processor and pulsed).
4. Place a pan on medium heat and melt coconut oil.
5. Take turkey strips individually and bathe them in the egg mixture.
6. Immediately after toss them with the almond meal mixture until well coated.
7. Gently lay in the pan and brown both sides.
8. Place on a rack covered baking sheet (you can put directly onto a sheet, but then they should be turned halfway thru baking).
9. Bake for 35 min.

• Cook Time: 35 min
• Method: Oven