A few nights ago it was just my daughter and I for an early afternoon, pre-hockey practice dinner and I wanted to make something light and easy but still a little bit special for the two of us. I had a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts on hand and a bag of baby arugula that I knew I wanted to use, but I didn't want to make the chicken in the same old way that I usually do. Happily for us, I knocked a bag of shredded coconut out of the side door of the fridge as I was taking the chicken out and then I remembered about a coconut-crusted chicken recipe that I'd been meaning to make for some time. If only I weren't such a procrastinator!! We've been missing out on this tropical treat for far too long!! If you like coconut you're going to love this!

I'm a coconut lover--I love Mounds bars, coconut cream pie, coconut cake, macaroons...you make it with coconut and I'm there. But I haven't really explored the savory use of coconut all that much. Here it's used as a subtle coating along with panko breadcrumbs and cornflake crumbs to add a crunchy sweetness to the chicken that's unusual and delicious. I'm now a savory coconut lover too!

And these chicken strips are pretty healthy and low in calories too, because they're baked--not fried. You simply dip the chicken into egg whites and then coat with the coconut crumb mixture before baking them. Super east!

The salad is a breeze to make. My daughter and I love toasted pine nuts so I added them to the arugula along with some chopped scallions and dried cranberries. And this is totally versatile too. Sub in whatever veggies you like, use different lettuce, add some shredded cheese--whatever--it's all good! Then I just dressed this with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

The chicken is crispy, slightly sweet, not greasy at all and pairs really well with the slight peppery bitterness of the arugula. The crunch of the pine nuts, sweetness of the dried cranberries and tang of the scallions also round this out nicely. We both loved this and it was light yet nourishing enough to have my girl zooming around the ice with a bit of a tropical flair!!

Baked Coconut Chicken and Arugula Salad

Makes enough for 2 with a nice amount of leftover chicken

Prep Time:  10 minutes; Bake Time:  About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken tenders

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup panko

3 tablespoons cornflake crumbs

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup egg whites (I used 3 eggs)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders

For the Salad

1 bag baby arugula

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1/3 cup chopped scallions

For the balsamic vinaigrette

I normally don't measure when I do this--it's just by eye, but if you feel you want to measure it out, here are the approximate ratios.

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

pinch of sea salt

pinch of black pepper

For the Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a shallow bowl, or large plate, combine the coconut, panko, cornflake crumbs and a pinch of the salt together well. In another bowl, beat the egg whites.

3.  Season the chicken on both sides with the kosher salt and pepper. Then dip into the egg whites and then into the crumb mixture, making sure to coat each piece well. Transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly spray the chicken with the vegetable spray and bake for about 15 minutes, then turn chicken over and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

4.  While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad. Place the arugula into a large bowl. Add the pine nuts, dried cranberries and scallions. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and toss. Then add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Divide the salad between the plates and top with two pieces of the chicken. Serve immediately.

5.  Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. It tastes great cold too!

Enjoy!

The Kellog's Cornflake Crumbs are wonderful for a healthy alternative to fried chicken.  You still get the crunch and moistness.  I just use the recipe on the box as it's simple and easy enough to fancy up with change in seasonings.  It's one of those dishes people think takes all this time, when really you slapped it into the oven and watched some Netflix.