Walnut and Rosemary Oven "Fried" Chicken

Keeping to your New Year's resolution to eat healthier?

Typically my resolution starts out with a bang and peters out somewhere between February and March.  Snacks and sweets start to sneak in there.  Being a professed ice cream-oholic it's soooo hard to put that stuff down.  

But I still try.  Each day is a new start and our motto is one day at a time!  This dish fits the bill with healthier eating.  Who doesn't love fried chicken?  I grew up on the stuff.  I mean we ate it all the time.  Mom's fried chicken was the best.  Crunchy and tender.  I can see it cooking in those cast iron skillets right now.  Mmmm memories.  Well this chicken is oven fried instead of deep fried which really cuts down on the fat.  That's such a good thing.

It gets it's crispy coating from panko crumbs, and to ensure they crisp in the oven you spray just a little cooking spray on them.  This will give you the crunch that's similar to pan fried chicken.  The addition of rosemary and walnuts just adds flavor to the dish and give it a little twist.  You can really taste the rosemary and it's makes the dish special so don't skip this part.

We both loved this dish!  Serve it with some mashed potatoes, vegetables, or a nice salad.  It's a healthier way to eat chicken.  So make some oven "fried" chicken tonight and save the real thing for a special occasion.






Walnut and Rosemary Oven "Fried" Chicken
serves 4

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbls Dijon mustard
4 chicken cutlets
1/3 c panko 
1/3 c finely chopped walnuts
2 Tbls grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper 
cooking spray


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add panko to the skillet and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown. 

Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.  Set aside.
 
In a breading dish or pie pan combine buttermilk and mustard.  Stir to combine.  To another breading dish add the panko, nuts, Parmesan cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  

Add chicken to the buttermilk mixture and turn to coat.  Add chicken to the panko mixture and dredge on both sides to coat. 
 
Arrange chicken on the rack and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve immediately.






Source:  Cookinglight.com