By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC
Pastured ‘free-range’ chicken is the healthiest to eat. Those animals that have been allowed to live the life they are meant to, by moving around instead of living in a cage, will provide you the best nutrition for your body.
There has been a lot of controversy over the recent years about eating meat, animal flesh and what kind is supposed to be healthy or not. Chicken has generally been believed to be one of the best (which is why I supposed almost everyone of my clients focuses exclusively on poultry). I don’t personally recommend a diet strictly based on one thing or another, I believe we need a variety of healthy protein choice, vegetables in different colors and textures, healthy fats and the occasional good quality whole grain and fruit. It is up to us to choose the best quality that we can afford and a variety that will provide us with the spectrum of nutrients that our bodies need.
Since chicken has been the most requested protein choice, I have focused my menu on poultry options that are both healthy and fun. I like to eat, sharing food with family and friends is part of a communal experience that provides us with time to relax, renew and celebrate with others which is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. This particular recipe is one that is kid friendly as well as adult friendly and just plain fun! It is a healthy version of an old favorite — crispy chicken.
What I like to do to make sure it is juicy and delicious is to brine the chicken in buttermilk. The buttermilk imparts a tangy flavor and brining meat ensures it’s juiciness. You can flavor the buttermilk with spices if you want to go a step further or you can roll the chicken in a spice rub before the crumbs to add that extra layer of flavor, it all depends on how you like your chicken.
If you are not sensitive to gluten you can go straight for whole-wheat panko bread crumbs and you will have a healthy sanctioned choice for your crispy oven fried chicken!
If you are gluten sensitive, try these gluten free panko style breadcrumbs. They are not whole grain, therefore not a sanctioned food item. If you want to stick to the program strictly and eat only sanctioned food items — go for these brown rice crumbs, they are a whole grain and will give you the crunch you want for your chicken crust.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Low-fat Buttermilk
- s/p
- Panko style breadcrumbs
- egg white
- Preheat oven to 400*
- Cut your chicken into thin strips about 1" thick
- Brine your chicken in low-fat buttermilk overnight
- Take the chicken out and place on a sheet tray with a rack to drain
- Prepare your breading station:
- Place several egg-whites in a shallow dish and stir with a fork to break up
- (you can use egg whites from a carton, 30grams = 1 egg white)
- Place your crumbs in another shallow dish with whatever seasoning you prefer
- Dip your chicken in the egg whites and shake off excess
- Dredge in your breadcrumbs
- Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper
- Repeat until finished
- Place in the fridge for ½ hour to allow the crumbs to dry so they will stick to the chicken
- Use a coconut spray to coat the chicken before placing in the oven to ensure adequate browning and crunchiness
- Then bake in the hot oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked through
- You can place under the broiler for the last minute or two if your want more browning.
We like, use and recommend
US Wellness Meats for superior protein products.
First time using whole wheat panko… very nice!
There is something about a crispy chicken that speaks to the little boy in me, brings back memories of sitting around the kitchen table with my parents eating chicken fingers.
Never cared about what was in those, this recipe delivers that same feeling and taste but in a feel good format! YAY!