Delicious "cheat day" recipe

There's nothing better on a cold evening than enjoying a dinner of "comfort food."  We all have turned down such meals because of the high calorie, high fat content usually present.  Check out this "Eating Well" lighter version of fried chicken on your next splurge night and enjoy some comfort food with fewer calories to have to work off!

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 20 mins

Total: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

1/2 cup  nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)

1 tablespoon  Dijon mustard

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1 teaspoon  hot sauce

2 1/2-3 pounds  whole chicken legs, skin removed, trimmed and cut into thighs and drumsticks

1/2 cup  whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons  sesame seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons  paprika

1 teaspoon  dried thyme

1 teaspoon  baking powder

1/8 teaspoon  salt

  Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.

4. Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. 

 

Tips:
Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make "sour milk": mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours. 

 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 226, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 130 mg, Sodium 258 mg, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 34 g, Potassium 400 mg. Exchanges: Starch 0.33,Lean Meat 4,Fat 1.5
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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