Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers with Pineapple Sauce

So maybe it's the yucky rain we've been having lately or the fact that it has been a depressingly long time since I've had a vacation, but I've been in a really tropical mood! So I was excited for this tropical recipe suggestion, courtesy of my food muse, Craig - who requested coconut shrimp. Well I didn't have any shrimp but I did have chicken - so I created this recipe for baked coconut chicken fingers. I combined unsweetened coconut flakes with some breadcrumbs and curry powder for a crunchy, sweet and spicy treat.

Now you can't just dip these exotic chicken fingers in any old ketchup. I was trying to figure out a tasty sauce to compliment the coconut and Craig suggested pineapple sauce. I tried one batch my way - which was a complete disaster - so then I tried Craig's suggestion: fresh pineapple (canned will work), lime juice and some honey. The result was a chunky, sweet sauce that went sooo well with the crispy chicken fingers. We gobbled up the whole batch and I made another to last us a couple of days. It's not a Caribbean vacation, but it was definitely the dose of tropical I needed.

Read more for the full recipe!

Ingredients:
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (or Panko)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup pineapple chunks
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp honey

Step by Step Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a shallow bowl or dish, combine breadcrumbs, coconut, curry, salt and pepper
3. Dredge each chicken strip in egg and then toss with coconut mixture until totally coated
4. Arrange on a greased baking sheet
5. Repeat until you have coated each piece of chicken
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until coconut flakes are crisp and begin to brown
7. While chicken bakes, combine pineapple, lime juice and honey in food processor and pulse lightly until combined
8. Serve chicken fingers with pineapple dipping sauce!