“Corey and I began creating great gluten-free recipes about five years ago,” says Corey’s mom, Dora. “After Corey was diagnosed with Autism, he was placed on a gluten-free diet. In the early years, we tried every gluten-free recipe we could find. But most were not kid-friendly. So, Corey ate his favorite two foods, chicken and rice, often. As with many autistic people, he was skeptical about any changes, including when it came to his meals. We slowly introduced variations to his two favorite foods, by adding coconut milk and mangoes.” - Corey Jackson Jr., Age 10, Georgia

Makes 4 Servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) package classic slaw
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can lite coconut milk
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can pear halves
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced mangoes
• 4 red leaf lettuce leaves  

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the slaw with 1 cup coconut milk, the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and the lime juice. Chill for 20 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 ⅓ cups water with the remaining 2/3 cup coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil over low heat. Add the vanilla and jasmine rice. Cover, turn off the heat, and let stand for 25 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken, flipping once, for about 10 minutes total, or until it’s cooked through. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the pears and mangoes with their juices and the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes.
5. Arrange a lettuce leaf on each plate, and top with slaw. Add some coconut rice and chicken. Top with the fruit sauce and serve. 

744 calories; 36g fat; 83g carbohydrates; 38g protein

Learn more:

• Check out highlights from the each Kids’ “State Dinner”
• View the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook