I was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis for this next recipe. She made a polenta-crusted shrimp that looked crunchy and delicious, but I decided to use chicken instead. Think exotic chicken fingers. The recipe worked great and the flavors and crunch were all there. I am happy with Giada's recipes as always. The only thing is that you must be prepared for the crunch of polenta in this recipe. My favorite pizzas have loose polenta, or “cornmeal” at the bottom, so I love the crunchy, hearty taste of polenta. I'm a texture fanatic. I heard a tip from Giada to add some polenta to biscotti for added crunch; I will have to try it! If you're not a big polenta fan you can substitute breadcrumbs for the polenta in this recipe.

I also re-tailored the mustard and herb mayo Giada made to adapt it into a dressing for the salad. Both the chicken and dressing recipes were so simple, mess-free, and required little work on the chopping board. This salad fills you up and makes a great lunch for the next day. I hope you enjoyed Giada's recipe as much as I did. I adapted both recipes to make them a bit lighter, and cut down on the portions a little. If you like it, be sure to check out Giada's original recipe.

Servings: chicken serves 6-8
salad serves 3
Dijon Mayonnaise serves 15, 1 ½-Tablespoon portion

Ingredients:

chicken:

• 1 ½ lb chicken breast
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg beaten + 1 Tablespoon water
• ¾ cup polenta
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-4 Tablespoon olive oil
Dijon mayonnaise for salad dressing or dip:

• ¾ cups light mayonnaise
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon chopped green onion
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salad:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• handful cherry tomatoes
• ½ head romaine lettuce or half a bag

Please note: for total nutrient information for the Chicken Polenta Salad, please add one portion from each of the three separate recipes

Directions:

chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 475° F. Cover a baking pan with parchment paper. It will work much better than aluminum foil.
2. Prepare the chicken-coating station. In one pan or bowl mix the flour, salt, and pepper. In the next bowl, lightly beat an egg and water. In the last pan, mix the polenta, paprika, and dried thyme.
3. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture then into the egg, and finally into the polenta mixture. Shake off the excess in each step.
4. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until juices run clear and polenta becomes a little browned.

salad:

1. Combine all ingredients except the lettuce.
2. In a large bowl place 1 ½ Tablespoons of the mayonnaise mixture. Add the olive oil. Mix to combine. Then, add ½ head chopped romaine lettuce and mix until dressing coats all leaves. Add in tomatoes. Use a pepper mill to crack some fresh pepper and add a few drops more of lemon if desired.