Spice Rubbed Chicken Fingers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Tonight I made another recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook…this is a recipe my husband and I both love, so we do have it occasionally. I didn’t have enough cilantro to make the dipping sauce, and my husband requested ranch dip with it, so I didn’t make the accompanying sauce, but it is DELICIOUS, so I thought I would include the recipe for it. Also, I add a few more spices that the recipe calls for, so those are included below. I also always use more of each spice than listed.

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon “Emeril’s Essence” seasoning
Pinch of red cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 pound chicken breast tenders
½ cup cilantro
½ cup flat leaf parsley
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds
1 clove garlic
1 Serrano chile pepper, seeded
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Spring cilantro, garnish

Coat a grill rack or broiler pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill or broiler. (I use both, depending on season, this time I used the grill).

In a cup (or on a plate), combine the first 6 spices listed above. I also like to add a tablespoon of whole wheat flour, but don’t always do so. Cut two slits in each chicken breast, and spray the chicken with cooking spray. Next, coat each tender in the spice mixture, being sure to press the mixture into the slits. Place the chicken on a baking rack and spray again with the cooking spray. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds, garlic, chile pepper, and salt. Process until chopped. While the processor is running, add the lime juice and olive oil, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Pulse a few times until smooth. Pour the sauce into a bowl, stir in the water, and cover and chill until ready to serve.

Place the chicken on prepared rack and grill or broil, turning several times, for 15 minutes. Serve with the sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Like I mentioned before, I served this with a fat free ranch dipping sauce tonight, per my husband’s request. I served the chicken with a garden salad. To create the dressing, I used what little cilantro I had, chopped and threw into the food processor with white wine vinegar, garlic, a little bit of salt and pepper and streamed in extra virgin olive oil.

Per serving:
248 calories
13 g fat
2 g saturated fat
28 g protein
4 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
66 mg cholesterol
324 mg sodium