SIBO Friendly Warm Hawaiian Papaya Chicken Salad

When you go away for a couple days and come home to a very ripe papaya, it’s time to get creative. Chicken and coconut seemed like a natural combination, inspiring me to brand this recipe as “Hawaiian” (and give me a fierce piña colada craving, dammit…) 🙂

Ingredients:

• 2 leftover grilled chicken breasts* cut into thin strips
• 1 papaya (the larger, long variety shown at right)
• 5 small sweet baby red peppers (shown at right)
• 1 TBL coconut oil
• 2 TBL honey blended in 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 cups fresh arugula
• 2 tsp unsweetened, dried, flaked coconut
• 2 tsp dry roasted macadamia nuts, chopped (or peanuts)
• Kosher salt and white pepper

Directions:

1. Slice baby red peppers in half lengthwise, de-seed, and cut into thin strips.
2. In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, sauté peppers in coconut oil.
3. While they cook, peel, seed, and dice the papaya.
4. When peppers begin to soften, add papaya along with a pinch of kosher salt.
5. Continue to cook, shaking the pan regularly to cook evenly.
6. When papaya is partly cooked, add the honey/water mixture and chicken, tossing the pan to coat the ingredients with the honey.
7. Cook chicken and papaya, tossing the pan regularly, for 4 minutes.
8. Add the arugula, tossing the pan to coat with the hot ingredients and sauce, until the arugula is wilted.
9. Turn the hash onto a serving plate, garnishing with a sprinkling of coconut flakes and nuts.

*If you don’t have leftover chicken breast on hand, add a little extra time to pan-fry or grill some before starting this recipe.