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

Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Recap of Savannah

Today's post is more about livin' large than livin' lean! What I mean by this is that for the past week, my experiences have been bigger than I could have ever imagined. The people, the places, and the memories we shared were incredible. Like I told Paula on Wednesday before the live event, "No matter what happens tonight, my life has been changed because of this." I sincerely meant it. No, I didn't walk away with the grand prize, but I definitely didn't lose a thing. Kraft, EQAL and Paula Deen have given me an incredible opportunity and a sneak peek into what is out there. I have big dreams now; clear dreams. Dreams that will become a reality by putting ideas into action. I am excited to celebrate one year with my readers and this blog. I am also very excited with what is yet to come!Stick around and see where this next year will take us.

Here are a few picks from my fantastic week in Savannah! Congratulations to the four winners: Mandy, KC, Caryn and Sheila. You ladies are wonderful! Once again, big thanks to Paula Deen, Kraft, EQAL and the Real Women of Philadelphia.

All my Philly Ladies!

They don't mess around with accommodations! Nice, right? First class all the way.

Just before the cook-off! We are ready!!

Me...in Paula's kitchen!!!

My biggest fan & hubby, Rudy.

What an amazing experience! I can't say it enough. The fun still continues, so please check out realwomenofphiladelphia.com and see how you can become a part of the action. Maybe your Philadelphia Cream Cheese creation will make it into the cookbook! Get cookin'!!

Paula Deen's Lean: Oriental Chicken Salad

When it comes to these warm summer nights, sometimes the last thing I want for dinner is something heavy or even hot. Problem solved! This light and delicious salad is just the perfect meal after a hot day. I watched Paula prepare this on Food Network and she even suggested it as a great snack when you want a little something, but not too much. Snack or meal, this Oriental Chicken Salad is must.

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups cooked boneless & skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts (or shredded iceberg lettuce)

1 1/2 cups snow peas

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil

5 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon SPLENDA

1/2 cup chopped celery

One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

DIRECTIONS:

Combine chicken, bean sprouts (or lettuce), peas, and scallions. Make dressing using oil, soy sauce, ginger and SPLENDA. Add to chicken mixture. Add celery and water chestnuts and mix well. Place in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

RESULTS:

My family absolutely loved this dish! My daughter was picking out the snow peas and eating those first. That is such a victory as a parent to see your child go for the veggies. I was thrilled!

Since my grocery store did not have good lookin' bean sprouts, I subbed the iceberg lettuce and it worked just fine. If you decide to make this and use the bean sprouts, I would love to hear how it turned out.

The crispy texture of the ingredients makes this salad so refreshing. It is light, but filling...without leaving you unpleasantly stuffed. By omitting the salt and using low-sodium soy sauce, I was able to decrease the sodium content. Overall, this dish is pretty healthy from the start. There wasn't much to do in order to lean it up.

Just one more plus about this recipe; it is fast! If you only have about 15 minutes to throw something together, this is a great option. Have left-overs? Store the remainder in a sealed container and have it for lunch the next day!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving): 195.67 calories; 10.27g fat; 8.95g carbohydrate; 18.57g protein; 2.58g fiber