Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

Now that I run a hospital kitchen and cafeteria, I’m always on the prowl for the next best recipe. Obviously the hospital patients are fed well, but items that sell well in the cafeteria amongst employees aren’t necessarily always…the healthiest.

Topping the popularity charts are all things salad. I think salad is a great lunch food and many people enjoy it. Between the salad bar and 2-3 “specialty” salads each week, we go through lettuce by the pound in seconds. Literally. We serve salads such as Chicken Caesar with a Twist, Fajita Chicken Salad with Cilantr0-Lime Vinaigrette, Blueberry Walnut Chicken Salad, Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad, Greek Salad with Greek Pork Tenderloin, and Thai Chicken Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing…just to name a few. Mind you, these salads also come in under $3 with the employee discount and the nutrition information is calculated and posted each day by yours truly.

Can we say…spoiled?

As you may have caught on, CHICKEN is also wildly popular. We generally prepare 20 pounds of chicken for the cafeteria that feeds roughly 100 people each lunch. Most people each chicken. New chicken recipes are always on my radar. Especially chicken recipes that are easy to make and are likely to be enjoyed by the masses.

Like…this recipe.

The latest issue of Cooking Light included this recipe which immediately caught my eye. Walnuts and rosemary happen to be some of my favorites. Walnuts for their crunch, price tag, and omega 3 content…and rosemary for its warmth and my ability to actually grow it in my garden. {Small victory}

When I posted this recipe on my Weekly Menu last week, my long-time reader, Lizzie, emailed with a subject entitled, “Spoiler Alert!” She was emailing me to let me know this recipe received two thumbs up from her. Of course I was all the more anxious to try.

As I was reading the directions before starting to cook, I was giddy with excitement when I saw that the chicken was coated in buttermilk + dijon before being dredged in walnuts and panko. I mean, c’mon. Doesn’t that just sound insanely good?

Because it was. x2.

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Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken from Cooking Light

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 (5 oz) chicken cutlets
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.

Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, whisking to combine. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and walnuts to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge chicken in panko mixture.

Arrange dredged chicken on wire rack. Bake at 425 F for 14-15 minutes or until chicken is done.

Yield: 3 servings.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 307 calories; 10.3 g. fat; 73 mg. cholesterol; 583 mg. sodium; 13.3 g. carbohydrate; 0.7 g. fiber; 38.0 g. protein

Result: This was incredibly, incredibly delicious — a favorite meal, no doubt! Why have I never thought to try buttermilk and dijon mustard on chicken before? From the buttermilk to the dredge, the flavors in this run deep. Don’t skip out on the walnuts or rosemary…they are what make this dish! I did extend the cooking time which is reflected above as my chicken was still a little pink after the recommended 13 minutes. Great recipe! Enjoy!

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Mr. Prevention is back from China and this coming week, though very busy…should be back to “normal”. It’s definitely nice to have my partner in crime and I look forward to today together!

No Weekly Menu this week 🙁 I will be working late on Monday night with a childhood obesity prevention and cooking program from 5:30-7:30pm, Wednesday is a meeting in Kalamazoo from 4-8pm, and Thursday I have diabetes programming from 6-8pm and I have a hockey game at 8:15. I will be cooking tonight (Mongolian Beef from last week’s menu) and Tuesday night is a surprise!

Be well,