Everyday Food . Recipes . Healthy Start: Chicken Fingers with two dipping sauces



	ingredients
	Chicken Fingers with two dipping sauces ½ cup low-fat buttermilk 2 teaspoons honey 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips 2/3 cups plain dried breadcrumbs 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for rack Coarse salt 3 tablespoons apricot jam 7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ½ cup crumbled blue cheese 1 scallion, thinly sliced Oven roasted asparagus 1 ½ pounds medium-thick asparagus 2 teaspoons olive oil Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Chicken Fingers with two dipping sauces

Serves 4 | Prep time: 20 minutes| Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

If marinating the chicken in a resealable bag, place it on a plate to catch any drips.

In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine ½ cup buttermilk and honey. Add chicken, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
Heat broiler. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate. Lift chicken from buttermilk; dredge in breadcrumbs, patting them in. Lightly oil a rack large enough to hold chicken in a single layer; place rack on a baking sheet. Arrange chicken on a rack, and brush chicken with oil.
Broil 4 inches from heat source (without turning), until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with salt.
Meanwhile, prepare sauces: In a small bowl, stir together jam, 6 teaspoons lemon juice, and mustard. In a separate bowl, stir together blue cheese and remaining ¼ cup buttermilk and teaspoon lemon juice; sprinkle with scallion. Serve sauces with chicken fingers.

Oven roasted asparagus

The intense dry heat of the oven concentrates and deepens flavor.

Preheat oven to 475°. Prepare 1 ½ pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with 2 teaspoons olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
Roast until lightly browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness).

RINSE AND SNAP
The tender tips can be especially sandy; holding bunch upside down, gently swish them in cold water. Then to snap off the tough woody bottoms, bend the stalk at the natural breaking point (where the color changes from white to green), 1 to 2 inches from the base.