Spice Rubbed Chicken Fingers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

This is the first of many South Beach Diet recipes I will be posting.  The spices on the chicken has a mellow heat to it.  As for the "dipping sauce," it dances around on your tongue with the heat from the serrano pepper and the bite from the cilantro.  The parsley gives it a mellow cool fresh flaver.  Does that make sense???  As you can see from the photo I had mine with just steamed broccoli.  When I make dinner for my guys I do serve a starch/carb, ie potato, rice or pasta.

Spice Rubbed Chicken Fingers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

•1/2 teaspoon chili powder

•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

•1/8 teaspoon salt

•1/2 pound chicken breast tenders

•1/4 cup cilantro sprigs

•2 tablespoons parsley sprigs

•2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds

•1/2 clove garlic

•1/2 serrano chile pepper, seeded (wear plastic gloves when handling)

•1/16 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon lime juice
•1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•1 tablespoon water
•Sprig cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Coat a grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or broiler.

In a cup, combine the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cut two 1/2"-deep slashes in each side of the chicken tenders. Rub the spice mixture over the chicken, pressing it into the slits. Place the chicken in a baking pan and coat completely with cooking spray. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds, garlic, chile pepper, and salt. Process until chopped. While the processor is running, add the lime juice and oil through the feed tube, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container, until the sauce is smooth. Pour the sauce into a bowl. Stir in the water, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Place the chicken on the prepared rack and grill or broil 6" from the heat, turning several times, for 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170°F and the juices run clear. Serve with the sauce and garnish with the cilantro.