Cajun Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers

I remember coming back from elementary school for lunch and my mom serving us warm and delicious chicken fingers.  As I watched the Flinstones on TV, I would devour them;  they were my favourite lunch as a kid (along with peanut butter sandwiches and gooey grilled cheese).  Twenty years later, I still love them :)

My friend P gave me this recipe.  She's an excellent cook and a big follower of the Paleo diet.  In order to cut down on carbs, the chicken fillets are coated with a mix of almond meal and spices instead of the traditional bread crumbs or flour-base batter.

I prefer to coat the chicken using the good old “shake and bake” method in a plastic bag.  You can also place the almond meal in a shallow dish and dip the chicken in the dry mixture.  

These filets are very versatile.  I like to prepare large batches of this recipe and freeze the filets.  You can serve them as finger food at parties with various dipping sauces:  Garlic Aioli, Honey Mustard or BBQ sauce or as a sandwich with fresh lettuce, juicy tomato, crispy bacon on a warm ciabatta bun.

Cajun Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers

Yields approximately 20 filets

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 egg, beaten
•  2 cups of almond meal*
• 2 tablespoons Cajun Spice Mix (see below for the spice mix blend)

*You can prepare your own almond meal by grinding raw almonds in a coffee grinder until you obtain a smooth powdery mixture.

Directions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the spices and almond meal.  Pour half of the mixture in a plastic bag.

Quickly beat an egg in a shallow dish.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch strips and lay them flat between two sheets of parchment paper.  Pound flat with a meat tenderizer.

Dip the filets in egg and remove all excess.

Add the chicken strips to the plastic bag, give them a good shake to coat.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

To freeze the chicken filets, place the baking sheet in the freezer and lightly cover with plastic wrap.  After a few hours and once the chicken strips have hardened, transfer them to a freezer bag.

Day of cooking:

Preheat oven to 425°F. 

Bake for 20 minutes, turning once in the middle until completely cooked.

Cajun Spice Mix

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground pepper 

2 tablespoons paprika

1 ½ tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients and store in an air-tight container for up to three months.

Bon Appétit!

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