Oven-Baked Chicken Fingers
Serves 4 to 5
600 grams chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless breasts cut into finger-size strips or nuggets)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. water
8 slices quality whole wheat bread (e.g., Healthy Harvest Organic)
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. pepper
60 grams finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
1. Marinate chicken in the mustard and water mixture in the fridge overnight or 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. Process the bread into crumbs using a food processor or blender. Tip into a shallow baking dish.
3. To the crumbs, add the butter, pepper and cheese and combine well.
4. Place a couple of marinated chicken fingers on top of the crumbs with one hand, keeping the other dry. With the dry hand, scoop crumbs generously on top of the chicken and gently press so that the crumbs adhere to the chicken.
5. Place coated chicken fingers on the baking sheet and then continue to coat remaining chicken. Don't overcrowd the chicken — it's important to have room between the chicken fingers so that they evenly brown on all sides.
6. Bake in the preheated oven about 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through and crumbs are beautifully browned.
7. Serve with cut vegetables and dips such as: barbecue sauce, sweet Thai chili, or honey Dijon.
Tip: Delicious hot or cold on their own, in a sandwich or on a salad.
Tip: Cooked chicken fingers freeze well. Defrost and heat in a 350 F oven to re-crisp.
Make-Ahead: Combine chicken fingers with the mustard marinade and freeze. As it defrosts, chicken will marinate. The crumbs can also be made ahead and frozen separately. Defrost prior to using.
Mandarin Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry
Serves 4 to 5
400 grams chicken breast cut into stir-fry strips or small cubes
600 grams Europe's Best Zen frozen vegetables
180 ml salad dressing/marinade (preferably Verry Berry Honey's Mandarin Sesame*)
125 grams spaghetti or linguine, cooked
1. Marinate the chicken in 60 ml of the marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat — stir-fry the chicken 4 or 5 minutes until cooked through.
3. Add the frozen vegetables and remaining dressing/marinade and stir cook until heated through.
4. Add a bit more dressing/marinade to your taste.
Tip: Keep quality frozen vegetable mixes in the freezer for quick stir fries or pastas – or add to ready-made soups for extra nutrition.
Tip: Make extra chicken – it's delicious cold in a salad or wrap.
Make-Ahead: Combine chicken with the marinade and freeze. As it defrosts, chicken will marinate.
*Verry Berry Honey's Mandarin Sesame was developed by Allium Foodworks and is available at many shops in St. Albert and Edmonton. Visit www.verryberryhoney.com to find one near you. A pretty good alternative is LiteHouse's Sesame Ginger or Thai Vinaigrette/Marinade.
– Recipes courtesy Elaine Wilson, Allium Foodworks, alliumfoodworks.com.
