Recipe - Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken Breasts With Warm Pear Salad

3 Jars pear puree (baby food);
4 ounce jars
1/3 cup Granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
One half cup Fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon Salt
One half teaspoon Pepper
4 Skinless boneless chicken
breast halves
Three fourths cup Ground hazelnuts (filberts)
Three fourths cup Crushed corn flake crumbs
One fourth cup Rice vinegar
One half teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
4 Green onions; chopped
2 Firm pears; peeled, cored,
cut in large chunks
2 cup Arugula or romaine hearts;
bitesize pieces

In a heavy sealable plastic bag, mix puree, sugar, ginger, orange juice,
salt and pepper. Add chicken, turn to coat; marinate in the refrigerator
for 2 4 hours, turning once or twice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a flat pan, mix hazelnuts and crumbs.
Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Dredge in crumbnut
mixture, pressing so coating adheres. Spray a rack with nonstick cooking
spray and place in a flat baking dish; arrange chicken on rack. Bake for 15
~ 20 minutes until golden, crisp and cooked through.

Pour marinade into a medium saucepan; add vinegar, pepper flakes and onion.
Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Lower heat, add pears and heat just until
pears are warmed through; do not overcook. Divide greens among 4 serving
plates; spoon pears on top with a slotted spoon and drizzle a little of the
warm marinade mixture over. Place one chicken breast half beside each
warmed salad.

NOTES : * Third Place, 1997 Oregon Fryer Commission recipe contest

Recipe by: Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon*

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #784 by LBotsko@aol.com on Sep 17, 1997