A quicker way to get the same delicious French flavor in this dish.  Many thanks to my brother for the inspiration and guidance in this recipe - based on what he enjoyed eating during his two recent years spent in France.  The more traditional method is to boil a whole chicken on the bone in a broth first, before adding the vegetables, then serving with the bechamel sauce over rice.  This method is faster, and tastes very similar, since the same spices are used in the broth.  Yum. 

A delicious meal - vegetables, chicken over rice with the tasty bechamel sauce on top. 

Poule au Pot

In a large pot, place the following: 

3 carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 parsnip, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 lb. red, thin-skinned potatoes, coarsely diced (if small, just slice each in half)

1 celery root & stalks, peel bulb, dice (I prefer to use only 1/2 the tops/stalks/leaves)

1 onion, coarsely diced with 3 whole cloves pressed into the onion

2 tsp freeze-dried diced garlic, diced OR 2 cloves garlic, each sliced in half

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried ground thyme

1 Tbsp freeze dried parsley OR 2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

~10 whole peppercorns

Cover with water, about 1" above all the ingredients.  Heat over medium-high heat to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for ~90 minutes.  

Add and simmer for the last 15 minutes of cooking: 

1-2 cups roast chicken, coarsely diced

While the vegetables are simmering, cook rice of your choice to serve.  I love a nice brown jasmine rice.  The long simmer time in this recipe makes it easy to make a brown rice which requires ~45 minutes to simmer and 15 minutes to rest before serving.  

Whip together an easy bechamel sauce after you add the chicken.  This will be served over the vegetables and chicken. 

Bechamel sauce:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt: 

3-4 Tbsp butter

Add: 

1 cup broth from vegetables above

3/4 cup milk

pinch salt

pinch fresh ground pepper

In a separate bowl, mix together: 

1-2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup cold milk

Once broth/milk is bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture, whisking/stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly and bubbles for a minute.  Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.  Remove from heat. 

To serve your poule au pot: 

In a wide, low-sided bowl place a scoop of cooked rice.  Use a slotted spoon to serve a mixture of vegetables and chicken from your large pot.  Remove any bay leaves or cloves that end up in the bowl.  Top with a spoonful of Bechamel sauce.  Enjoy! 

Each bowl looks beautiful - and different. 

These delicious coconut macarons are more similar to typical almond-flour made macaron than the heavier-styled coconut macaroons often found at supermarkets.  They won't end up with the "foot" of a proper almond macaron, but they will end up with a deliciously delicate crispy exterior and soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior.   I used to sometimes buy large versions of these sorts of coconut macarons when I lived in Boston years ago.   In fact, you CAN make larger ones, too.  They'll just need extra baking time and will end up a little more of the pale brown overall.  I never realized how easy they were to whip together, and I wish I'd made these sooner!  Such a light, fun treat when you have some extra egg whites in your kitchen.  Enjoy! 

Two fresh coconut macarons sandwiched with homemade chocolate ganache

Delicious, light coconut macaron cookies, fresh from the oven.  

Coconut Macarons

This makes one tray of macarons, maybe onto two trays depending on spacing/size piped. Size of cookies completely depends on how you pipe them.  Yes, you can easily double this recipe!  

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Line one or two baking trays with parchment paper. 

In a very clean mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks, scraping occasionally to make sure all the sugar is well incorporated: 

2 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

Sift together the following and then fold into the egg whites carefully with a spatula, gently folding over and around to avoid deflating the egg whites:

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup sifted coconut flour

(You want to fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites to avoid deflating them.  If you deflate the egg whites, your macarons will fall flat.) 

Scoop your batter carefully into a large freezer ziploc or piping bag.  Snip off the corner (~1/4" - 1/2") and carefully pipe circles of batter onto a parchment-lined pan.   You can use a finger dipped in water to gently smooth the stops if you prefer them a little smoother.  

Freshly piped out coconut macarons, ready to rest before baking.

Let the cookies rest for 20-30 minutes before baking.  Bake at 300 F for between 8 - 12 minutes, depending on size.  If you make larger ones, you may want to let them bake closer to 20 - 25 minutes.  You will want to just barely see the lightest touch of browning around edges and/or tops for your little cookies.  Overcooking will result in crispy macarons rather than the crispy outside and chewy interior that you want.  

Fresh from the oven - just a touch of browning starts happening around the bottom edges.  

Let rest a few minutes on the baking pan before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool.  Leftovers can be stored in a tupperware on the counter for a couple days, but they're best eaten within a day.  Enjoy! 

Coconut Macarons (Macaroons) Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!