Paula Deen's Lean: Crispy Chicken with Creamy Orange Sauce

Fast family suppers are huge in my house. Between work, school and that beautiful element of surprise in our lives, it can be easy to give in to the "take-out temptation". Well, recipes like Paula's Crispy Chicken with Creamy Orange Sauce allow me to make a great tasting and healthy dinner for my family, without spending hours in the kitchen. The original recipe was taken from the March/April 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen (page 38). Look how easy this is! The perfect dinner for those busy weeknights. You are just going to love it!




CRISPY CHICKEN WITH CREAMY ORANGE SAUCE
Makes 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4 inch thick
1-1/2 cup FAT FREE half & half
3/4 teaspoon fresh minced thyme leaves
3 tablespoons SUGAR FREE orange marmalade
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs, grated orange zest


DIRECTIONS:
In three separate bowls, place flours, egg whites and panko. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, then egg, and finally in panko.


Warm a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is done. Wipe skillet clean.


Add half & half and thyme to pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for roughly 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in orange marmalade. Serve the sauce over the chicken and garnish with orange zest and fresh thyme sprigs.


RESULTS:
Incredible! The taste was wonderful and I was really impressed with how pretty it is too. One thing to note is that using half & half instead of heavy cream does cause the thickening process to take a little longer. If it doesn't look "thick", don't worry. After about 8 minutes, add the marmalade. It will take the consistency to where it needs to be.


There is a way to have breaded proteins in a healthy way. I think we hear "breaded" and automatically think "deep fried" or "fattening". That does not have to be the case. In this recipe, using egg whites and panko keeps the breading very light. Also, simply using a cooking spray instead of veggie oil keeps the fat down in the cooking process. Overall, the outcome is still a crispy chicken breast with a creamy orange sauce. The only difference is fat and calories. Try it and you will see what I mean.


ENJOY!!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving): 232.67 calories;  2.77g fat;  23.20g carbohydrate;  30.0g protein;  2.3g fiber