Orange Chicken Fingers

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 8 ounces snow peas, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, about 8 ounces, peeled and julienned, or 2 1/2 cups storebought shredded carrots

For the chicken fingers:

• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 4 cups (3 1/2 ounces) crispy rice cereal
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into tenders 4 by 1 1/2-inches, about 18 pieces

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup low-sugar orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Make the salad: In a large bowl whisk the vinegar and honey until combined and then whisk in the sesame oil. Add the snow peas and carrots and toss well to coat. Set aside for the flavors to blend while the chicken and sauce cook.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and lightly mist with nonstick cooking spray.
Put the sesame seeds in a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Put the cereal in a plastic storage bag and crush with a rolling pin or heavy can until coarsely crushed. In a shallow bowl combine the toasted sesame seeds, crushed cereal and orange zest and lightly season with salt and pepper.
In a second shallow dish, beat the egg whites with the teriyaki sauce. Dip each chicken tender in the egg mixture and then the cereal mixture, pressing to coat well. Place on the rack and mist the chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until the crust is golden and the chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepot heat the marmalade, teriyaki and ginger over medium heat until melted and well combined. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve the chicken with some of the sauce for dipping and the salad.
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Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 274; Total Fat 4.6g (Sat Fat 0.8g, Mono Fat 0.4g, Poly Fat 0.4g) ; Protein 30g; Carb 27g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 66mg; Sodium 357mg

Notes

We lightened chicken fingers by coating them with a crunchy breading of crushed rice cereal and baking them. Paired it with a sweet tart low-sugar orange dipping sauce and crisp pea and carrot salad with a touch of honey and sesame oil, it becomes a complete meal.