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The Best Oven-Fried Chicken

We all know the perils of fried chicken. It's loaded with fat. The alternative is to oven-fry. Chicken is not really fried at all but baked in a hot oven.

A few months ago, one of my favorite magazines did a feature story on oven-fried chicken. I was disappointed when I saw the first ingredient, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. What's the point? What intrigued me most was the coating. I've always used crushed corn flakes with pretty good results. This recipe used Melba toast. I tried it and I liked it. For the kids, chicken tenders are dipped in eggs and rolled in crumbs. For the grown-ups, the eggs are seasoned with Dijon mustard, thyme, oregano, garlic, and cayenne. Chicken tenders are the thin strip of meat from the bone side of the breast. They are usually sold frozen in 2.5 pound bags.

Oven-Fried Chicken
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 2 adults and 2 children

Olive oil spray
1/2 of a 5-ounce box plain or seasoned Melba toast
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound thawed chicken tenders
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Set oven temperature to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a nonstick baking sheet with olive oil spray. Break the Melba toast into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to make the crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a pie plate. Mix the eggs and salt together. Dip the chicken for the children into the eggs and transfer to the crumbs. Press the crumbs into the chicken until coated on both sides. Place on the baking sheet.

Mix the Dijon, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne into the eggs. Dip the chicken for the grown-ups in the egg mixture and coat with the crumbs. Lightly spray the chicken with olive oil spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

GROWN-UPS
Calories 260; Calories from fat 35; Total fat 4g; Saturated fat 1g
Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 710mg; Carbohydrate 22g; Dietary fiber 2g; Sugars 1g; Protein 31g

CHILDREN
Calories 250; Calories from fat 30; Total fat 3.5g; Saturated fat 1g
Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 620mg; Carbohydrate 22g; Dietary fiber 2g; Sugars 1g; Protein 31g

Kristene Fortier,author of The Whole Family Cookbook lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Send questions or tips to pickykids@aol.com and while online visit www.healthykitchen.com. Save 20% on your copy of The Whole Family Cookbook: Two-Tiered Meals to Please Both Parents and Kids, by Kristene Fortier, ($14.95 Birch Lane Press) by calling 800-857-5600. You must request the discount when orders are placed.