Kids Menu: Crunchy Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Sauce
By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina
I always wonder why the most flavorful (and popular) dishes are the unhealthiest ones.There is something about eating fried food that satisfies not only the belly, but also brings happiness to the soul. In fact, even when I eat a light dinner at a sushi restaurant, I always end up ordering a roll filled with fried shrimp tempura. I began to analyze the situation and came to the conclusion that there is something special about "the crunchy" you get when you fry food.
A few days ago, I was talking with mi hermanita Angie, who is always finding ways to eat healthy. She's worried about her daughters- ages two and four- constantly asking for french fries and chicken tenders for lunch or dinner. Both girls eat fruits and vegetables without a problem, but they clearly love their fried favorites. So, Angie and I went on a mission: make a healthier version of chicken tenders that the kids would love as much as the fried ones. We tried different batters and baked a few pieces before we nailed the right combination of ingredients. Amazingly, our recipe made chicken tenders that not only tasted good, but also looked like original, fried dish! The key was to add crushed, organic, old-fashioned potato chips to the mix to get that perfect crunch. What we also discovered was that the same chips t gave the tenders the golden look of real, fried chicken. We paired our chicken with a sweet pineapple dipping sauce. The girls loved the chicken tenders so much, they kept asking for seconds!
Ingredients
(4 servings)
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup old-fashioned organic potato chips, crushed
8 oz. chicken breast, cut in stripes
½ cup fresh pineapple, boiled and crushed
Another kid-friendly recipe: Pizza al pastor
Directions
Preheat the oven at 370 degrees.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, and add a pinch of salt. Place the breadcrumbs in a flat recipient, and mix with the crushed chips.
Dip chicken strips- one at the time- into egg mixture and then coat with the breadcrumb dry mix. Repeat the process twice, and place on a baking pan. Once all the chicken tenders are ready, bake for 20 minutes and serve.
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE-
Cook the crushed pineapple in a small pan at medium-high heat, adding 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Let it cook for 10-12 minutes, and serve as a dipping sauce.
