Hawaiian Haystacks

My 16-year-old, the forever smart a$$ asked me, "Do they actually grow haystacks in Hawaii? And if so, do they actually harvest them and ship them overseas for people to eat?" Yes, these are regular conversations. Honestly, I'm a little surprised he can say it with a straight face.

Apparently Hawaiian Haystacks are a very popular food in Utah, probably much like Fry Sauce or Funeral Potatoes (both of which I could eat my weight in, by the way). When my boyfriend first suggested them, I thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever heard of. I'm very grateful I was willing to give it a shot, because I absolutely love them, and there's usually enough for leftovers. Feel free to swap out the toppings - but keep something from each color group to make the dish aesthetically pleasing. :) I've also heard of adding some shredded cheese, but obviously that's out for me.

This dish can be served over brown rice or quinoa. I imagine it would also be good over mashed potatoes, though that's a few more calories than I'm interested in. It's a GREAT use for leftover brown rice - just pull it out of the fridge and heat it up. If you're cooking the rice, make sure you start it around the same time you start baking the chicken so that everything finishes together.

Ingredients:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice

For the gravy:
2 c. hot water
1 c. coconut milk (I used unsweetened from the aseptic package)
3 chicken bullion cubes (or 3 tsp granulated)
1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp onion powder
1-2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 bay leaves
Ground black pepper (you won't need any additional salt here, trust me!)
2 T. arrowroot powder
Cold water

For the toppings:
Mandarin oranges
Pineapple chunks
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Craisins
Unsweetened, shredded coconut
Chopped green onions
Sliced water chestnuts
Sliced olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise, poke all over with a fork, and put into a mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over chicken, toss with tongs to coat evenly. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

While chicken is cooking prepare gravy. Combine hot water and coconut milk, bring just to a simmer (do NOT let it boil or the coconut milk will curdle). Whisk in the remaining ingredients except arrowroot and cold water. Let simmer gently until chicken is cooked.

Remove chicken from oven and chop into bite sized pieces. Stir into the gravy. Remove bay leaves. Combine arrowroot and just enough cold water to mix. Stir into gravy. If necessary, add a little more arrowroot/cold water until desired consistency is reached. Go easy - once it thickens, it thickens FAST.

Pour sauce over brown rice or quinoa, then top as desired.