Who says nutrition needs to get in the way of creativity or taste? Certainly, not me! This evening I prepared a dish inspired by a side of Pico de Gallo I enjoyed at Sam Diego’s in Plymouth a few weeks ago.
I find myself gravitating towards chicken these days as a primary source for protein. I’m keeping my carbohydrate intake to a minimum so I look for options to spice up my chicken. A local supermarket, Market Basket, offers a wonderful prepared “Pico de Gallo.” It’s found in the refrigerator case beyond the produce section and comes in a pint and quart size container. I find it will remain fresh in my refrigerator for about a week.
For this dish, I chose white chicken tenders over chicken breasts. These smaller pieces cook quicker and as I’m keeping my portions under control, I can have three of these and it’s still less than a typical chicken breast.
This is a very easy dish to prepare. Below is a list of ingredients followed by preparation.
Ingredients
Package of chicken tenders
Container of Pico de Gallo
Panko Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil
Pepper (fresh ground)
Sea Salt (fresh ground)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F (use convection setting if your oven offers for even cooking)
In a large Pyrex baking dish, arrange the chicken tenders with a little space between each. Generously add cracked pepper. And salt (limited) to the chicken. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle (lightly) with bread crumbs. Using a fork, generously add the Pico de Gallo over each of the chicken pieces. It’s okay if some of the mixture falls off the chicken – it will all be collected in the end.
Bake on center oven rack for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Note, check on your chicken to see if cooked ahead of the 30 minutes - ovens vary so it might cook quicker or take a few minutes longer. You can always put it back in but if you overcook the chicken it will be dry.
Sides
My first side, I used a bag of frozen riced cauliflower. A few companies are getting in on the act of offering "riced" cauliflower including Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Birdseye, and Green Giant. You can cook it right in the bag in your microwave.
For the second side, I stir fried a medley of vegetables. Pictured, I sauteed in olive oil: fresh asparagus, red onions, mix of sweet red peppers, and zucchini. To this medley I added fresh ground pepper, sea salt, thyme, rosemary, and dried red pepper flakes (this gives a hint of heat and I find it really adds flavor to my stir fry dishes.
Paring
I would pare this dish with a white wine such as a Pinot Grigio – my favorite is Santa Margarita!
Extra Pico de Gallo - what to do?
If you end up with extra Pico de Gallo, it makes a great omelet!
