Crispy Pecan Chicken

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Send us an email to reciperehab [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com to submit a recipe for a makeover!

Recipe may vary from photograph Photo: Mark Thomas, jupiterimages

Chicken is one of the most popular meats in the world, and you can find fried chicken recipes in nearly every culture. You might be surprised to know that in a recent poll, fried chicken was No. 4 on America's list of top 10 comfort foods. It's no wonder KFC coined the term "Finger Licking Good." Unfortunately, two fried chicken breasts have around 42 grams of fat, 10 grams of which are saturated. Eating foods high in saturated fats can increase your LDL (bad cholesterol), which can gunk up your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease.

I was determined to find a way to provide all the savory crispiness of fried chicken that won't do any damage to your health and waistline. To start, I've removed the skin and lightened up the batter to create a recipe with only 2 grams of saturated fat. Pecans were my nut of choice, not only for their crunchy texture, but because according to a study published in the September 2003 issue of the American Journal of Nutrition, adding pecans to your daily diet will help in clearing the arteries, thus lowering cholesterol levels.

This new creation tastes as good cold as it does hot, so it's perfect to pack in a cooler and take along on a picnic or have as leftovers the next day.

Ingredients

4 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

2 cups Special K Protein plus cereal (or another plain bran flake cereal)

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1 tsp lemon pepper

3/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Place a chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten with a meat mallet to 1/2-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining breasts.

2. Place the chicken in a glass bowl and cover with the buttermilk. Turn the chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate for six to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

3. Put the cereal in a food processor and process into coarse crumbs. Alternatively, you can put the cereal in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or with your hands. You will have approximately 1 cup of crumbs. Put the crumbs in a shallow dish and add the pecans, lemon pepper, poultry seasonings and salt. Stir to combine.

4. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake off the excess. Dip the chicken in the cereal mixture, turning to coat both sides well.

5. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Coat the tops lightly with cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is crisp and gold on the outside and is cooked through. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Nutrition Content Per Serving:

357 calories, 21g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 41g protein, 13g total fat, 2g sat. fat, 686 mg sodium


Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipe that needs a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.