I tried this recipe out a little while ago as another experiment in the search for good and balanced food that works for my needs as someone who is trying to eat more organic & vegetable-oriented, and for Mr. S.'s needs as someone who is working hard to negate diabetes and maintain optimal health. This ended up mostly a success, since we both LOVED the chicken fingers (they really were fantastic), though Mr. S. politely smiled through the sweet potatoes (to be fair, he isn't a huge fan of them in general). I liked them better reheated the second day with more salt & pepper and thought they were pretty good. We are DEFINITELY going to do chicken that way again.
Here, if you're interested, is the recipe for you to try and some of my prep photos:
- 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cute into 1/2" chunks
- 3 large cloves garlic
5 Tbsp ground flaxseed (I used Hodgson Mills whole ground golden flaxseed meal, which I'm thinking may have been a tad too fine, though it tasted amazing)
- 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg white (I used Better 'n Eggs)
- 1 Tbsp water
- 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders (I used Just Bare chicken, a cage-free, vegetarian-fed, hormone-free brand at Target)
- 1 Tbsp white whole wheat flour (I substituted some regular whole wheat flour I already had)
- 1 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp hot-pepper sauce
- 2 scallions, sliced (I did not use these, as Mr. S. would have run away if I had)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Coat with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes and garlic in 8" round or square microwaveable baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving small vent. Microwave on high (not my favorite way of cooking vegetables but hey), tossing mixture occasionally without removing plastic, 10 minutes or until very soft. (Continue below while they cook.) Remove and set aside, covered.
2. Combine flaxseed, poultry seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt on large sheet of waxed paper. Mix with fingers. (Yes, this really is the best way!) Beat egg white and water with fork in shallow bowl.
3. Lay tenders in single layer on flat surface. Place flour in small, fine sieve and sprinkle evenly and lightly on both sides of tenders. Dip each tender into egg white mixture, shaking off excess. Dip into flaxseed mixture to coat evenly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press any remaining flaxseed mixture evenly on top of chicken. (I didn't have any extra.) Drizzle evenly with oil. Bake 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. (I had to add more time to this, because we wanted them somewhat crispy like the photo in the cook book, but they didn't even brown that much. I also broiled them for a few minutes at the end to get them to the desired crunch level.)
4. Remove plastic from potatoes. Add dry milk, nutmeg, hot-pepper sauce, and remaining salt. Smash potatoes with potato masher to reach desired smoothness. For softer mash, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water. (I wish I had done that!) Sprinkle chicken and potatoes with scallions.
Servings: 4 / Per Serving: 319 cal, 26 g protein, 37 g carb, 8 g fiber, 8 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 452 mg sodium
