Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Tropical Salsa

Mmm if you haven’t had macadamia nuts, you are missin’ out. I LOVE macadamia nuts, and my love for them grew even more when I visited Mauna Loa in Hawaii. This chicken is deliciously enrobed in a macadamia nut crust and topped with a refreshing tropical salsa just in time for summer!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Tropical Salsa

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 cup pineapple, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped (Depending on how sensitive your onion tastes are, you can use any type. I used yellow since my husband doesn’t care for red onions.)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (depending on how spicy you like salsa, you can omit the seeds)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 lime, cut in half, juice divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly cut in half (you’ll have 4 pieces)
• salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 can light coconut milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover a small baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick olive oil cooking spray.

Place the mango, pineapple, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, white vinegar, juice of half a lime, and cumin in a small bowl. Toss to combine, and place in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on each side.

Place the macadamia nuts and panko in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely crushed and well incorporated into the bread crumbs. Dump this mixture on a plate. Pour the coconut milk a small bowl.

Dip each piece of chicken into the coconut milk and then into the bread crumb-nut mixture, be sure to shake off the excess at each dipping.

Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet, squeeze some lime juice on top of each piece (with the remaining half of the lime) and spray with cooking spray again.

Place the sheet in the oven, and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

Serve warm with the prepared tropical salsa on top.

Enjoy!!

“I eat everything, that’s a problem. I don’t have discipline. My favorite dish is the Caribbean. Meat, rice, lots of grains. But I do like to do exercises. Lately, I’ve been having capoeira classes and lots of cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging and cycling.” – Ricky Martin

Coconut Curry Tilapia

I realized last week that I haven’t made Asian food in a while for dinner. I particularly enjoy Thai food. This is a light fish dish with a Thai coconut curry sauce.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Coconut Curry Tilapia

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless tilapia fillets
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 (13.5 ounces) can of light coconut milk*
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (can substitute another soy sauce, but fish sauce really makes this dish)
• 1/2 cup jasmine rice, cooked, for serving

* Pint-sized tip: To avoid wasting the remaining coconut milk, you can place it in a sealed plastic (ziplock-type) bag and store it in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator before you use it in your next recipe!

Directions:

Preheat oven to the broiler setting, and line a small baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray to avoid sticking.

Place the tilapia fillets onto the baking sheet. Using 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, rub each fillet on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium sauté over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the lemon zest, ginger, and curry paste in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then lower the heat to low. Slowly pour in the coconut milk, and mix until fully combined. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and stir. Allow the sauce to reduce by half, stirring every once in a while to avoid sticking.

While the sauce is reducing, place the tilapia in the oven for 5-7 minutes to cook.

Serve the fish with jasmine rice and a generous amount of sauce.

Enjoy!!

“Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.”
– Chinese Proverb