Coconut Curry Crusted Chicken Salad with Mango and Honey Mustard Dressing
This post was sponsored by Unilever as part of the Agents of Change Partnership. I was compensated for this recipe and post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
When I think back to my early days as a dietitian, I get a little cringey. There was a lot I still had to learn! My practice wasn’t aligned with Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating, as it is now, so I was still preaching weight loss, calorie counting, and other harmful practices.
I was also working with a mainly low income population, and there were so many ways my privilege was a barrier that prevented me from helping the patients I worked with in a way that was useful for them. I focused on education, thinking if only they knew what to eat, then my patients would be able to make healthier eating choices. I was oblivious to the fact that many had limited access to fresh produce, and lacked the time and cooking experience to prepare balanced meals. I wish that I knew that giving people resources is a lot more empowering than a lecture. Like, instead of telling people to eat their vegetables, let’s give them vegetables!
I’m so excited about what urban farms are doing, making nutritious foods more accessible and often providing cooking classes to give positive, hands on experience. We have a small urban garden in our neighborhood, and I love to see people drop by to pull up carrots or cut off a few leaves of collards while I’m out walking the dogs.
That’s why I’m thrilled to partner with Unilever to share this recipe for coconut curry crusted chicken salad with mango and honey mustard dressing, made with Growing Roots® organic coconut and seed bites. Two years ago, Unilever partnered with New Yorks “Building Healthy Communities” and Green City Force to support the creation of six urban farms in NYC. That partnership inspired Growing Roots®, a line of organic, plant-based snack bites and clusters, where 50% of profits to urban farming initiatives.
I think you should feel good about all your snacks, but this is one of those snacks you can feel extra good about. Not just because the bites are low in sugar, made with whole food ingredients, and an excellent source of ALA omega-3. But also because purchasing Growing Roots means helping to improve access to fresh produce in low-income communities.
Most importantly, they taste great! I much prefer savory to sweet snacks, so I love the unique flavor combinations in their bites. The Pineapple Coconut Rum is perfection over yogurt, and the Maple Bourbon and Cocoa Chipotle corn and seed bites are an addictively crunchy snack on their own.
I used the Coconut Curry coconut and seed bites for a crunchy, savory, and spicy coating for chicken in this salad. The bites also have turmeric and lemongrass, which makes the crunchy coating a lot more interesting than plain ‘ole fried chicken! You could enjoy these chicken tenders with the homemade honey mustard on their own as a main, but I love them over greens with juicy mango, creamy avocado and cashews for this tropical inspired salad.
Growing Roots is available nationwide on Amazon, where they retail for $15.96 for a variety pack with all four flavors.
Coconut Curry Crusted Chicken Salad with Mango and Honey Mustard Dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 lb. chicken tenders
½ cup flour
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 eggs
Olive oil spray
1 5-ounce bag mixed greens
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1 avocado, peeled, and sliced
1/3 cup toasted cashews
Dressing:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Prep 3 bowls for crusting the chicken. Place flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Beat eggs in another shallow bowl. Lightly crush Growing Roots bites in the bag (I lightly pounded it with a meat mallet), then pour into a third shallow bowl.
To crust the chicken, dip each tender into flour to coat, followed by egg, then the coconut curry bites. Place on a baking sheet covered with spray. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders. Spray the tops of the chicken tenders with oil, place in the oven and bake 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together dressing ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.
When ready to eat, divide lettuce between flour plates. Top with mango, avocado, cashews and chicken tenders. Drizzle with honey mustard dressing and enjoy.
More summer salads:
Chopped Heirloom Caprese Salad
Kale Tortilla Salad with Jalapeno-Lime Dressing
Mediterranean Millet Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
