Almond Orange Crusted Chicken

*Adapted from this recipe on allrecipes.com.

PREP: 40 minutes
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 oranges
2 egg whites
2 cups sliced almonds, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Ten minutes before you are ready to cook the chicken, put a baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat.
2. Finely zest the orange and set the zest aside.
3. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg whites until slightly frothy. In a large shallow bowl or on a plate, combine the orange zest, almonds, salt, and pepper. Put the flour on a large plate.
4. Place the chicken breasts in a zip-top plastic baggie and then use a mallet to flatten the chicken breasts so they cook evenly.
5. Remove the pre-heated baking sheet from the oven and spray with cooking spray.
6. Dip the chicken breasts, one at a time, first into the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg white, and then coat with the almond mixture and place on the baking sheet. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, turn and bake for 6 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is golden.

Serving Suggestions:
In the original recipe, Ellie Krieger recommends serving the chicken sliced over a fennel arugula salad. If using the orange for a salad, cut the top and bottom off the orange, sit the orange on one end on a cutting board and cut the entire peel and pith off by cutting downward following the shape of the fruit. Then, using a paring knife, remove each section of orange from the membrane. She suggests combining 2 Tbsp. each of olive oil and lemon juice with 1/8 tsp. each of salt and pepper to make a dressing for the salad. I made a spinach and spring mix salad , instead, with canned mandarin oranges and her dressing and it was delightfully fresh.

This is also delicious served with wild rice--my favorite is this one by Zatarain's.