Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

Oven-fried chicken can be a great alternative to pan or deep frying. It uses less fat and the results are just as crispy and juicy. The crunch in this recipe comes from the panko breading and the walnuts while the rosemary and Italian cheese add depth and flavor. Not to mention, baking at a high temperature makes this meal ready in a flash.

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine and modified by McCracken Egg.

Servings:
6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
6 - 8 (6 ounce) boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (I used a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, and Provolone)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish and whisk until combined.

Add chicken breasts to the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat, and covering them as much as possible.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add panko to the pan.

Cook panko for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Combine panko, walnuts, cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and mix until combined.

Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet and coat well with cooking spray.

Remove the chicken breasts, one at a time, and dredge in the breading until lightly and evenly coated.

Arrange the chicken breasts on the wire rack and coat them with cooking spray.

Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Tips:
Give the chicken as much time as possible in the buttermilk while you work. It helps to make it more tender and juicy.

Sometimes, it is cheaper to by walnut halves and pieces. If this is the case, just put them in a plastic bag and seal it. Use a meat tenderizer to gently crush them and then use for the breading.

Try lining your baking sheet with tin foil first. It makes clean up much easier.

Herb Roasted Salmon

I came up with this recipe because I had thawed some salmon but was out of some of my
ingredients that I would normally use. Then I discovered that I had some hollandaise that I purchased from Trader Joe's for just such a lazy occasion. So I decided that I had not had salmon with hollandaise in a while and I wanted seasonings that would compliment the hollandaise sauce. This was the result and it is delicious!

This is an original McCracken Egg recipe.

Servings:
4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
Hollandaise for serving, optional






Directions:
Preheat the oven to a low broil.

Make sure that the salmon is clean and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and lightly greased with non-stick cooking spray, vein side down.

Add the remaining ingredients, through the parsley flakes, in a small bowl and mix until combined.

Using a pastry or barbeque brush, spread the olive oil mixture evenly over the top of the salmon.

Broil on low for 8 - 12 minutes.

Turn the oven to a high broil and cook for another 5 - 8 minutes, or until cooked through.

Carefully remove from the oven and serve warm with hollandaise sauce.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

I love any kind of potatoes as a side. But sometimes mashed potatoes, or even baked potatoes, just seems like to much effort. So when I need an easy and quick potato fix, this is the recipe I think of. Fingerling potatoes have a great flavor and cook much faster. They are also perfect for roasting because the outsides get perfectly crisp while the insides are nice and soft.

This is an original McCracken Egg recipe.

Servings:
About 6

Ingredients:
1 pound fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes







Directions:
Preheat the oven to a low broil.

Wash and dry the potatoes.

Using a cutting board and chef's knife, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and quarter if necessary.

Put the potatoes in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the potatoes and toss and/or stir until all of the potatoes are evenly coated.

Place the potatoes, in a single layer, on a lightly greased baking sheet and broil on low for about 10 minutes.

Turn the potatoes and continue to broil on low for another 10 minutes.

Turn the potatoes once more and turn the broiler up to high for an additional 8 - 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the skin is slightly crisp.

Carefully remove from the oven and serve.

Beef Enchiladas

One of my brother's favorite dishes is my Mom's enchiladas. I have to admit that I am pretty fond of them too. However, I just had to change them up to make them the perfect dish for my family. Sorry Mom, yours are still great! While it may take a few pots and pans to get this dish going, it is pretty simple and fairly quick to prepare. Not to mention, it is great for leftovers.

This recipe was inspired by my Mom's Beef Enchilada's.

Servings:
8 - 10 Enchiladas

Ingredients:
Taco Seasoning (or 1 store bought packet), divided
2 - 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
1 - 15 ounce can refried beans, fat free if possible
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup water
12 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese
8 - 10 flour tortillas
Sour cream for serving, optional










Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sauce:
Begin heating tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning in a large skillet over low heat.

Refried Beans:
Meanwhile, begin heating refried beans in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until warm.

Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and 2 teaspoons of the taco seasoning.

Stir occasionally.

Beef:
Meanwhile, brown beef in a large skillet until cooked through.

Drain the beef and then add back to pan.

Add remaining taco seasoning, about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, and 1/4 cup water.

Stir well until evenly combined.

Enchiladas:
Dip one side of the tortilla in the tomato sauce to coat.

Place sauce side up on a cutting board or on the counter.

Add some of the bean mixture, about 1/8 cup.

Add some of the beef, about a scant 1/4 cup.

Add some of the shredded cheese, about 1 - 2 tablespoons.

Roll the tortilla burrito style, but leaving the ends open.

Carefully place in a 3 - 4 quart glass baking dish that has been greased lightly.

Repeat the process until the baking dish is full or you run out of tortillas. Note that they should fit in the dish so that they are touching without gaps, but not so tightly that they are squished together.

Top the enchiladas with the remaining tomato sauce evenly.

Top with the remaining shredded cheese evenly.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream.

Tips:
Heat everything at once. It makes the process go faster.

When your ingredients are ready, set them up in an assembly line so that it is easier to get to them while preparing the tortillas.