Hazelnut-crusted chicken breasts with warm pear salad

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 Jars pear puree (baby food); 4 oz jars
⅓ cup Granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
½ cup Fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
4 Skinless boneless chicken breast halves
¾ cup Ground hazelnuts (filberts)
¾ cup Crushed corn flake crumbs
¼ cup Rice vinegar
½ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
4 Green onions; chopped
2 Firm pears; peeled, cored, cut in large chunks
2 cups Arugula or romaine hearts; bite-size pieces

Directions

In a heavy sealable plastic bag, mix puree, sugar, ginger, orange juice, salt and pepper. Add chicken, turn to coat; marinate in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours, turning once or twice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a flat pan, mix hazelnuts and crumbs.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Dredge in crumb-nut mixture, pressing so coating adheres. Spray a rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in a flat baking dish; arrange chicken on rack. Bake for 15 ~ - 20 minutes until golden, crisp and cooked through.

Pour marinade into a medium saucepan; add vinegar, pepper flakes and onion.

Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Lower heat, add pears and heat just until pears are warmed through; do not overcook. Divide greens among 4 serving plates; spoon pears on top with a slotted spoon and drizzle a little of the warm marinade mixture over. Place one chicken breast half beside each warmed salad.

NOTES : * Third Place, 1997 Oregon Fryer Commission recipe contest Recipe by: Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon* Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #784 by LBotsko@... on Sep 17, 1997

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