Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders With Pineapple-Apricot Salsa

For the chicken

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups plain panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg

¼ cup whole or low-fat milk

¾ cup flour

1 pound thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the salsa

4 fresh pineapple rings (about 12 ounces; may substitute the flesh of 1 small mango)

½ medium red onion

½ small green or red jalapeño pepper

4 red radishes (optional)

6 stems cilantro

1 lime

½ cup apricot preserves

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place an ovenproof wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the panko and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from the heat; season (still in the pan) lightly with salt and pepper and let cool.

Whisk together the egg and milk in a wide, shallow bowl until well blended. Place the flour in a separate, similar bowl.

Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Cut each thin piece lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips. Dip each strip into the egg mixture, then the flour, then into the egg mixture again, then into the buttered bread crumbs; make sure the last coating is thorough. Place the coated chicken strips on the wire rack.

Once all the chicken is coated, spray it lightly with cooking oil spray. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (registering 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).

Meanwhile, make the salsa, combining the ingredients in a mixing bowl as you work: Dice the pineapple and finely chop the red onion. Seed the jalapeño pepper half, then mince it. Cut the radishes, if using, into small dice. Coarsely chop the cilantro leaves and some tender stems. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze in 2 tablespoons of juice. Add the preserves, then season lightly with salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate.

Serve the chicken warm, with the salsa.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving (using kosher salt, low-fat milk and half the egg mixture and flour): 510 calories, 32 g protein, 68 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 25 g sugar

Adapted from recipes on the 2Teaspoons.com and from "Simply Irresistible: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking," by Sheilah Kaufman (self-published, 2016 edition).