Chocolate Chip Cookies...with a Twist

I received some coconut flour in my June Foodie Pen Pals box and had to make something with it right away. I'll preface this by saying that I didn't read much about coconut flour before beginning this journey which may have been a bad idea. 

Coconut flour is much higher in protein and fiber than white flour, but it's also much more dense so you need to add a lot more liquid to your recipe. Instead of doing this, I just took a recipe I found online, catered it to my needs, and went for it. 

I ended up with good cookies (made better with a little cookie butter spread on top), but they were incredibly dense and had a distinct difference when compared to regular chocolate chip cookies. I'll definitely make them again, but I'll follow the directions and only use coconut flour as 15-20% of my flour. Whoops. 

I adapted my recipe from this one. 

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup coconut flour 

dash of salt

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients (except chips) with standing mixer until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scoop by the tablespoon, roll into a ball and flatten out onto cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Pork Tonkatsu w/ Watermelon & Tomato Salad

Last night, I went to a friend's house and she made this great recipe. I'm still craving the salad. 

find original recipe here

Salad
2 cups bite sized cubes watermelon
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups (lightly packed) baby arugula
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

Pork

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper
2 large eggs
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 4-oz boneless center-cut pork chops, pounded to 1/8" thickness
6 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

Combine watermelon, tomatoes, arugula, and parsley in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil, 1 tablespoon mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Set salad and dressing aside.

Whisk eggs and 1 tablespoon mustard in a medium bowl. Combine panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a large plate. Season pork lightly with salt and pepper. Dip in egg mixture, then in panko, pressing to adhere.

Working in 2 batches, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook pork until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, adding 1 tablespoon vegetable oil after turning. Drain on paper towels.

Toss salad with dressing; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve pork with salad with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

So good! Only takes 30 minutes from start to finish, and I apologize in advance if you still crave it the next day. Yum.