Moo's Stuffed Lettuce

This is a little recipe Moo created. It's simple and not very precise...on purpose. It's all about the combining of flavors. Experiment, enjoy. This is delicious palate pleaser.

Chicken thighs, boneless
Chicken broth
Curry powder
Sour cream (or yogurt)
mayonnaise
Flake coconut
Boston lettuce leaves, select the largest without tears
Chutney
Macadamia nuts

Cook boneless chicken thighs in chicken broth and curry powder. When done, allow to cool. Then chop up chicken and mix with sour cream (or yogurt) and mayonnaise and flake coconut. Roll this mixture in Boston lettuce leaves. I hold the rolls closed using toothpicks. In a small bowl, combine sour cream (or yogurt) and chopped chutney and coconut cream. In another bowl, combine chopped Macadamia nuts and toasted flake coconut. Pipe top of lettuce bundles with sour cream mix then dip into the chopped nuts/coconut mix.

Moo's Beer Puffs w/Coconut Chicken Filling

Here's a versatile appetizer. You can come up with all kinds of fillings. I've included Moo's coconut chicken filling. The filling alone is a real palate pleaser.

Puffs Batter
1 cup beer
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), cut into small pieces
1 cup flour, sifted
4 eggs
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 T milk

Filling
Chopped chicken
Angel Flake coconut
Coconut cream
Mushrooms or nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a large cookie sheet. Put beer in saucepan with salt and add butter pieces. Bring to boil (you want to watch heat carefully so that butter melts at same time beer starts to boil). Add flour all at once. Add nutmeg. Remove from heat and add eggs (one at a time and stirring in between). Stir until dough forms into a ball (about 2 minutes). Drop dough from a teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheet. Combine glaze ingredients and brush on each puff before popping into the oven. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let puffs cool on racks. Fill with desired filling or freeze in plastic bags until ready to fill and serve.

Moo's Coconut Shrimp

You're going to love these shrimp. They are a palate pleaser you have got to make. Like a lot of health-conscious people, I don't eat much fried food these days. That's not to say the taste isn't a real palate pleaser. And there is the rare occasion and the right food can tempt. Moo used to make this one a lot...back in days when we all ate more fried food. You might come up with a way to take this taste and prepare it without the frying. In any case, I don't deep fry any more, I saute in the skillet with a little olive oil.

24 jumbo shrimp, clean and flattened
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 bag flaked coconut, slightly toasted
2 eggs
4 T coconut cream

Marinade
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Dipping Sauce
To taste combine orange marmalade, hot Chinese mustard and Curaco.

Clean and flatten shrimp then marinate overnight. Line cookie sheet with wax paper and combine flour, salt and dry mustard on the wax paper. Spread toasted coconut on another cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine eggs and coconut cream. Heat a deep fryer, skillet or wok with olive oil. Dredge shrimp in flour. Then egg mixture. Then coconut. Deep fry (375 to 400 degrees) to a golden color. Serve with dipping sauce. Note: if you do 30 shrimp or more, double the flour and marinade mixtures.