Tuesdays Dinner: Jessica's Chicken Fingers

This is one of my favorite recipes from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. I adapted it a bit but it is really good and worth spending time making the veggie purees for the dishes. Half hour every weekend and you have enough purees for at least a few meals. Worth the time so your kids eat veggies - without knowing! My hubby doesn't even notice the veggies in the dishes and he likes them!

                     *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                        Jessica's Chicken Fingers

Recipe By     : adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Main Dishes                      Poultry

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      cup           whole wheat panko crumbs -- * see note
     1/2  cup           ground flaxseed -- ** see note
   1      tbs           freshly grated parmesan cheese
   1 1/2  ts            Kirkland Sweet Mesquite Seasoning -- *** see note
   1      cup           sweet potato puree
   1      lg            egg -- lightly beaten
   1      lb            boneless skinless chicken thighs -- cut in thirds
   1      ts            Kirkland Sweet Mesquite Seasoning
                        nonstick cooking spray
   1      tb            olive oil

In a bowl, combine the panko, flaxseed, parmesan, and seasoning with your fingers. Mix well.

In a shallow bowl, mix the sweet potato puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the crumb mixture to make an assembly line. I place both of them right next to the oil as it is heating up.

Sprinkle the chicken with the mesquite seasoning (it has salt in it). Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, roll it all around and coat it well.

Put a large nonstick skillet over MED-HIGH heat, spray with nonstick cooking spray and put the olive oil in too. It is only a tiny amount of oil and really helps the chicken brown. Put the chicken in, a few pieces at a time, and brown them well - 5-6 minutes per side - until golden and delicious. Remove to a wire rack put on top of a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet. When all the pieces of chicken are browned, put them back in the pan for a moment to re-heat.

Serve with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

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NOTES : Risa's notes:

* If you can't find whole wheat panko crumbs, Jessica also suggests plain panko crumbs which are easily found in supermarkets these days. I find whole wheat panko at Foodtown.
** Ground flaxseed is called flaxseed meal at the health food store but I buy whole flax seed at Shoprite, keep it frozen and remove some and grind it fresh each time I need it.
*** The original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder. I wanted to give the fingers a bit of a southwestern feel without chiles so I used the mesquite seasoning. You can season these any way you want.

RisaG