Crispy Baked Chicken 2 Ways

   

     This month's Recipe Redux theme is "Two for One".  So basically, one recipe that can be used or eaten two ways.  I am a huge fan of leftovers because they are so quick, but I often don't want to eat the same thing two nights in a row. One recipe I love is my crispy baked chicken. The cornstarch and corn flakes help keep the chicken moist and crunchy just like fried chicken, without all of the calories and fat!  It is also the perfect recipe that can be cooked once, and then warmed up later or eaten cold on top of a salad.

Crispy Baked Chicken

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of chicken
• 1/4 cup corn-starch
• 1 egg plus 1 egg white, slightly beaten
• 1 cup crushed cornflakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions
1. Filet chicken, cutting chicken breast in half length wise. Pound with kitchen mallet to even out chicken breasts then cut in half again. You should end up with about 8 pieces of chicken.
2. In separate dishes add corn starch, eggs and crushed cornflakes mix with parsley and salt.
3. Lightly coat chicken breasts in corn starch, then coat with egg and then coat with cornflake mixture.
4. Place breast on baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes, flip then cook for another 5-10 minutes until chicken cooked through.


     This week I used the crispy chicken to make a quick chicken parmesan. Once the chicken is cooked I topped it with tomato sauce and mozzarella. I baked it in the oven to allow the cheese to melt then topped it with fresh parsley and served it over a bed of whole wheat spaghetti. Since the chicken was already cooked, I had dinner on the table in under 20 minutes!


Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4, 4 ounce pieces Crispy Chicken (see above)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• whole wheat spaghetti

Directions
1. Use cooked crispy chicken, top with 1/4 cup sauce and 1/4 cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to allow cheese to melt.
2. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve over whole wheat pasta.


      The next day I made a crispy chicken Caesar salad with the remaining chicken. I like my chicken cold on salads so I just pulled the chicken out of the fridge, sliced it up and put it on top of a bed of spinach, veggies and topped it with my homemade Caesar dressing. And it only took 10 minutes to prep the dressing and chop the vegetables and chicken!


Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
Caesar Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Salad

• 4, 4 ounce pieces Crispy Chicken (see above)
• 4 cups of spinach or mixed greens
• Veggies: tomatoes, peppers, etc
• 2 tablespoons Caesar dressing

Directions
1. To make dressing. Add all ingredients to a Mason jar or other bottle with a top. Shake to mix.
2. For the salad. Assemble spinach, top with chopped vegetables, sliced chicken and Caesar dressing.

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Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

After many weekends of escaping to the mountains to ski and enjoy all this lovely snow we have in New England, I finally had a weekend free to spend in the kitchen creating a healthy version of a classic take out food.

My Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice is inspired by my husbands love for Chinese Food. Although delicious, fried rice can be salty and high in calories and fat. For a healthy version, I cut down on the calories and bumped up the nutrients just by switching the rice for cauliflower and used lower sodium soy sauce and less oil to reduce the salt and fat. These simple changes cut down the calories from carbohydrates and fat by over half! A typical 1 cup serving of fried rice is about 230 calories while my version is only 100 calories a serving (not including the chicken).

Cauliflower is definitely a popular food these days because of its nutrient content and versatility in the kitchen. Cauliflower is packed with fiber and antioxidants and is low in calories and carbohydrates, working great as a substitute for rice, potatoes and even pizza crust! After making cauliflower rice I am addicted and so is my hubby!

As a pairing for the cauliflower rice I added baked coconut chicken. I used corn flakes instead of breadcrumbs to give the chicken the crunch and crispy texture of fried chicken without all the added fat. The coconut adds to the texture as well as give this dish a tropical feel and taste.  Considering how juicy and moist the chicken came out, I think it will be making a frequent appearance in my house!

   





This recipe is great because you can use just about any vegetables you have left over in the fridge or freezer. The only time consuming part is preparing the cauliflower and chicken, so if you are able to do some of the prep the night before you will save yourself some valuable time putting it all together.

Baked Coconut Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

Servings: 4 

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

Cauliflower Rice

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup snap peas
• ½ cup bean spouts
• 1 cup frozen mix vegetables
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• scallions, for garnish 

Sauce

• 1/3 cup light coconut milk 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for a bit of heat)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. For chicken: Mix corn flakes, shredded coconut, and salt. Set aside in a bowl. Add egg to another bowl and whisk. Filet chicken (cut in half lengthwise). Cut chicken into small chunks, and thin slightly with meat tenderizer (optional). Dip each piece of chicken into egg then cornflake mixture. Place coated chicken on a cookie sheet then bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. For Cauliflower Rice: While chicken is cooking prepare cauliflower rice. First remove stems from cauliflower, then in batches process florets in food processor. In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat add coconut oil and sesame then add onion, garlic and cauliflower and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then add in snap peas, bean sprouts and frozen mix vegetables and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Add in soy sauce and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle of your rice and add the eggs. Scramble eggs until cooked, then stir eggs into rice.
4. For Sauce: Mix ingredients in a small bowl then add into another saute pan to heat. Add in cooked chicken and coat with sauce.  

5. Serve chicken over cauliflower rice and top with scallions as a garnish.



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