Recipe: Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Sweet Potato Puree (Boca Raton Resort and Club, Florida)

PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN

FOR THE CHICKEN:
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 cup finely ground pecans*
1 cup fresh bread crumbs**
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
FOR THE SWEET POTATO PUREE:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE SALSA:
1/2 cup finely diced banana
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

TO COOK THE CHICKEN:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush each side of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of mustard. In a bowl, combine the pecans and bread crumbs and press the mixture onto both sides of the chicken.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil and saute the chicken for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the chicken to a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until it's cooked through.

TO MAKE THE SWEET POTATO PUREE:
While the chicken is cooking, in a pot of water to cover, boil the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until they're tender. Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them together with the butter and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

TO MAKE THE SALSA:
In a bowl, combine the banana with the peppers, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper.

TO SERVE THE CHICKEN:
Mound the sweet potatoes in the center of each plate, place the chicken on the potatoes, and garnish with the salsa.

*To grind the pecans: Put them in a food processor and pulse them until finely ground; do not overdo this step or the nuts will turn oily and pasty.

*To make the bread crumbs: Tear 4 slices of packages white bread and pulse them in a food processor until crumbed.

ABOUT PECANS:
The pecan, a member of the hickory nut family, is America's native nut, grown mainly in the southern states. George Washington planted pecan trees at Mount Vernon and is said to have carried pecan nuts in his pockets throughout the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson grew pecans in his gardens at Monticello. Pecans, like all nuts, are good sources of protein. The oil in pecans is high in polyunsaturates and the nut is very low in sodium. You can buy pecans in the shell, shelled in halves, and shelled crushed. Shelled pecan nuts can be ground in a food blender or smashed with a rolling pin. Shelled, especially ground pecans, are very perishable. They keep best tightly covered in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 4 servings
From: Boca Raton Resort and Club, Florida
Source: Good to Eat by Burt Wolf