Unfried Chicken

I am always looking for ways to make classics healthier, and Self sent me what looks like it could be a great recipe for a nice crispy, breaded chicken.

Unfried Chicken With Cabbage and Apple Slaw

Serves 4  

Olive oil cooking spray

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper  

1/2 cup light buttermilk 

2 whole bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz each), halved 

2 teaspoons honey 

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

2 Red Delicious or Gala apples, cored and thinly sliced crosswise 

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

6 cups shredded napa cabbage 

1 celery stalk, chopped

Heat oven to 400°. Place a roasting rack on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, parsley, sage, thyme, Old Bay, salt, pepper and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, turning to coat. Drain excess and dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to help coating adhere. Transfer chicken to rack. Coat chicken with cooking spray and bake until crispy, 30 to 35 minutes. Dressing: Whisk honey with whole-grain mustard, oil and vinegars in a bowl. Toss apples with lemon juice in another bowl; add cabbage, celery and dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Chill slaw 20 minutes before serving with chicken.

306 calories per serving, 9.7 g fat (1.6 g saturated), 23.1 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 31 g protein

Corned Beef & Cabbage II

Just in case I crave this outside of March and the Trader Joe's stuff isn't readily available, I figured I should bookmark a real recipe too.  I didn't make it this year, and I'm feeling a little cheated.  :(

Corned Beef & Cabbage
4 pounds lean raw corned beef brisket
3 tablespoons pickling spice (often included with brisket)
1 medium rutabaga, halved and cut into wedges
1 pound large carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds large fingerling potatoes
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cut into wedges
1/3 cup horseradish, drained (yeah, I'll be skipping this - yellow mustard for me please!)
1/3 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Place the corned beef in a large slow cooker and scatter the pickling spices on top. Layer the rutabaga, carrots, potatoes and leek in the cooker (in this order for even cooking). Add enough hot water (4 to 5 cups) to cover the meat by at least 1 inch, put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high, 7 to 8 hours.
Remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker and keep warm. Put the cabbage in a microwave-safe dish with 2 cups cooking liquid from the slow cooker, cover and microwave until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil another cup of cooking liquid in a small skillet until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Mix with the horseradish (horf!) and creme fraiche in a small bowl.
Slice the corned beef and serve with the slow-cooked vegetables, cabbage and sauce; reserve about a quarter each of the meat and vegetables and 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid for Corned Beef Hash.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Between this helpful recipe and Trader Joe's, I made my first ever corned beef dinner for St. Pat's. It wasn't as falling apart as I'm used to, maybe next time instead of cooking it on high for four hours, I'll go for low for 8 hours. Or maybe high for 6 hours. Decisions decisions.
In any case, the TJ's beef came ready seasoned - I just popped it into the slow cooker with a can of Murphy's Irish Stout and water until the meat was covered. That was it.
Once the meat was done, we let it rest for 20 minutes while I cooked the potatoes and cabbage in the reserved cooking liquid from the meat (I just transferred it to another pot and put it on the stove), as the recipe suggested.
Served up with mustard and dark beer, it was tasty, and a fitting toast to Miss Shaddy O'Shea, who I'll miss forever.