Sesame Chicken Salad in Wonton Cups

This is chicken salad with a twist! Aside from making it look like they're in miniature purses, the baked wonton wrappers also gave added texture and crunch to it. The mango garnish also provided a tangy contrast to the savory salad.

Despite the elaborate (bah!) appearance, this appetizer (which turned out to be our dinner) is very easy to prepare. Son even helped in making the wonton "purses."

What you need:

• 12 (3-inch) wonton wrappers

• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds

• 1 large boneless chicken breast

• 1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut diagonally into 1/2 -inch pieces

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tsps honey

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (Cayenne)

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Strips of fresh mango (for garnish)

• Green onions, chopped (for garnish)

What to do:

Boil the chicken for around the 10 minutes. Keep time, as you will need to add the green beans approximately 7 minutes after the chicken. Afterwards, drain, let cool and finely chop the chicken.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray miniature muffin pan with cooking spray. Press 1 wonton wrapper into each muffin cup, and spray again lightly with cooking spray. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack before filling.

First picture is before it went in the oven. The bubbly and wet stuff on the muffin pan
is the cookingspray. Second picture is when they were cooling on the rack

Place sesame seeds in a pan and toast on low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts popping, take it out off the pan immediately.

Place the finely chopped chicken in a medium bowl. Add green beans and remaining ingredients, and mix lightly. Spoon lightly rounded tablespoonful chicken mixture into each wonton cup. Garnish with mango strips and green onion.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Don't throw away the broth - it could be a delicious base for soup!
2. When adding honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray so it won't stick on the surface of the spoon.
3. Avoid using a cooling rack that you use for non-pastry items. It is better to have a rack that you use solely for pastries.
4. You can bake the sesame seeds instead of toasting it in a pan. Just put it in a shallow baking pan and stick it in the oven for 5 minutes.
5. Chopped fresh cilantro can also be used as a garnish!