Coconut Chicken with Two Mango Salsas

Summer is just around the corner and nothing says summer quite like light meals. I can only do so many salads before I’m craving something with substance. Normally I turn to my grill, but it has been raining like crazy around here lately, so I haven’t been able to even do that.

But what says light and summer like fruit? It’s delicious and sweet, but often seen as more of a dessert than a main course. But could it be a main course? Absolutely!

Enter Coconut Chicken with Two Mango Salsas. It’s like child’s food meets a grown-up taste palate. Why two mango salsas? Having lived in South Texas for a number of years I grew to appreciate a variety of salsas at a meal.

So, here you have it: a meal that’s playful, light and incredibly tasty.

INGREDIENTS
Chicken Strips
6-10 chicken tenders
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup cashews
½ cup coconut flakes, sweetened
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp pepper

Mango Salsa – Pico de Gallo Style
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4-5 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Smooth Mango Salsa
1 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp honey
1½ limes, juiced
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Chicken Tender Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Toast the cashews in a pan over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes.
3. Place the cashews and coconut flakes in a food processor and mix until the ingredients have crumbled together and look about the consistency of bread crumbs.
4. Combine the cashew/coconut mixture with the flour, Panko bread crumbs, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne and pepper. Mix well in a flat glass dish.
5. Beat the two eggs in a separate bowl.
6. One at a time, take the chicken tenders and lightly dip in the dry spice/cashew mix. Place in the egg and return to the spice/cashew mix, pressing the mix into the chicken.
7. Place each chicken tender on a sprayed cooking sheet.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the outside turns a nice golden brown.

Mango Salsa Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine. The end results should look like a brightly colored pico de gallo, with large chunks.

Smooth Mango Salsa Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend on high for a couple minutes until it takes on a salsa-like consistency. There shouldn’t be any large chunks, but it also shouldn’t turn into a sauce.