It’s funny how we all go through phases of what we crave and eat regularly. While I do make a lot of new dishes each week there are certain recipes that find there way onto my plate somewhat regularly. Oddly enough, this Spicy Szechuan Bean Curd always ends up in my monthly rotation. I also make a fair bit of pizza and this salmon with panko bread crumbs,
A recipe makes its way into my regular rotation for various reasons. It could be super simple to make. It could a good substitute for a fave dish at a restaurant. Or it could be something that I just crave. My weekly menu planning is usually culled together by things I’ve craved throughout the week, random dishes that pop into my head or something new and interesting that I’ve been wanting to make. There isn’t much rhyme or reason or strategy to it at all.
I always find it interesting to think back to some of my old go-to recipes. This recipe from for Fragrant Ginger-Lime Chicken Fingers immediately comes to mind. I used to make these a lot after I graduated from university and was living in New York. Which recent graduate doesn’t love chicken fingers? I loved that they were healthy, not pre-packaged and had a unique flavour combination. Also, they can totally be frozen for later use which is wonderful.
I hadn’t made these for at least 2 or 3 years when I had the craving for them the other day. So, I made them. They were as great as I remember them being. I even decided to make some sweet potato fries (in the oven) and a mayo-garlic dip to dip both the fries and the fingers in. Best. Decision. Ever. It was honestly just mayonnaise (which I typically hate), minced garlic and some crushed black pepper. Nothing fancy at all but such a great enhancement.
These chicken fingers are definitely as great as I remember them being.
Fragrant Ginger Lime Chicken Fingers
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup lime juice
6 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari (or regular soy sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 cup water
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1/8 cup black sesame seeds
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs whisked with 1/2 cup water
Canola or vegetable oil for spraying
Combine the garlic, lime juice, the 2 tablespoons ginger, tamari, sesame oil, cornstarch, and water in a bowl. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Once the chicken has marinaded, combine the bread crumbs, the remaining 6 tablespoons ginger, and the sesame seeds in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Set up a dredging station with the flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another and your breadcrumb mixture in the third. Dip each chicken strip in the flour (shaking off excess), then in the egg mixture and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the chicken on a lightly oiled sheet pan and spray with cooking spray (it gives it some colour). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown.
(Recipe via )
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This is fantastic. I am making them next week!