Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce

When I hear the expression "food of the Gods" the first thing that pops into my mind is mango. Mangoes with their luscious flavor and bright orange color are among my very favorite foods.

A spicy mango sauce made with a roasted jalapeno, citrus and Crisco-Puritan canola oil with Omega-3 DHA is the highlight of my Caribbean chicken dish that is a finalist in the Crisco Live Smart Cook Smarter contest! Please follow this link to see all the finalist recipes and if you would be so kind...cast a vote for my recipe (Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce-Veronica, Connecticut). Voting ends this Sunday.

My recipe, one of five finalists in the contest, is a family favorite...not too spicy and not too sweet. Don't let the jalapeno in there fool you-while it adds wonderful flavor it does not necessarily have to add a lot of heat. After roasting the pepper and carefully removing the skin, use a sharp knife and remove all the seeds and all the membranes. Of course if you like a lot of heat just go ahead and leave some seeds and membranes in there.

Here is the recipe...the photo below is the one taken by the Crisco folks-what a difference a food stylist makes!!

Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cup diced mango
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 shallot, peeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons Crisco Puritan Canola oil
1 lb. boneless chicken tenders
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the jalapeño pepper on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Place the roasted pepper in a small plastic bag for at least 5 minutes to loosen the skin. Carefully remove the skin from the pepper and remove seeds and stem. In a food processor or blender combine the pepper, diced mango, orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, shallot and 1 tablespoon of cilantro; process or blend until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Crisco Puritan Canola oil and process or blend until well combined; set aside

3. Place the chicken in a shallow dish add the remaining lime juice and stir to coat; let sit for 15 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor combine the remaining salt, oats, coconut, cayenne pepper and black pepper; pulse 5 or 6 times until combined. Spread oat mixture onto a small plate or a sheet of waxed paper. Whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy.

4. Remove the chicken from the lime juice and pat dry. Dip each chicken tender first in egg whites and then roll in the oat mixture to completely coat. Place the tenders on a baking sheet and drizzle the 2 teaspoons of Canola oil over each tender. Bake chicken tenders in the oven for 20 minutes. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving platter.
5. To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of sauce onto a serving plate, top with two chicken tenders and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes