Recipe and food styling by Michelle Rabin | Photography by Paul Buceta
For finger-food lovers, chicken strips is one of those meals you just never outgrow. Traditionally, this deep fried favorite doesn’t exactly fit a clean eater’s healthy diet, but with a few tweaks you can enjoy it weekly as part of your muscle-building meal plan. We’ve ditched the flour batter for a slightly sweet and crunchy coating, then tossed them in the oven instead of oil. You’ll be getting tons of satisfying flavor, plus a muscle-building dose of lean protein and healthy fats at a low-carb cost. Pair them with a tangy slaw for the perfect post-workout meal!
Quinoa & Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers
Prep Time: 10 minutes • Total Time: 40 minutes • Makes 4 servings
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• ⅓ cup raw unsalted cashews, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 ½ cup puffed quinoa
• 4 small chicken breasts
• ¾ cup Dijon mustard, divided
• ¼ cup honey
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high. Add in cashews, coconut, and puffed quinoa. Cook until mixture turns light golden, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to allow mixture to cool.
2. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towel. Slice into 1-inch thick pieces, going across the grain.
3. Reserve ¼ cup Dijon mustard. Brush remaining Dijon mustard onto all sides of chicken slices. Roll each slice into quinoa mixture until all sides are covered. Set onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake chicken on center rack of the oven until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
5. Stir reserved mustard with honey to make a dipping sauce. Serve chicken fingers with green citrus slaw and honey mustard.
GREEN CITRUS SLAW
Prep time: 15 minutes • Total time: 45 minutes • Makes 4 servings
DRESSING:
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp plain Greek Yogurt
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp lime zest
• ½ tsp salt
SLAW:
• 2 cups savoy cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup cucumber, julienned
• ½ cup snap peas, julienned
• ¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup cashews, roughly chopped
1. In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients for the dressing. Combine cabbage, cucumber, snap peas, and onions in the same bowl and toss.
2. Let marinate in the fridge until cabbage goes limp, about 20 minutes. Remove from fridge and garnish with cilantro and cashews just before serving.
Like this? Then you’ll love this healthy Philly cheesesteak makeover.
