Friday, September 18, 2009

Almond Breaded Chicken Breast, 2 ways!

I first just wanted to start by saying THANK YOU for the wonderful comments from my recent posts. It feels really good to know that people are actually taking the time to read my blog. It means a lot and I appreciate it! This week I've been working a shift till 10pm. Definitely something I'm not use to at all. I was really feeling it last night. Since I'm up early today, I wonder how long I'll last tonight at work? =P Any tips/advice on late night shifts when your not use to it and like to get up early.. I'll need all the advice I can get!! So please share if there is anything. LOL

Now on to something that is super delicious and one of my new favorite ways to make chicken! If you notice I like to go for simple a lot, but I want to make sure it can be healthy and will taste good too. Healthy and baking are hard for me to put in the same category but you know what I mean. Almond breaded chicken inspired me from a blog called The Inner Workings of a College Graduate by dipping chicken breast into egg whites and breading it in almond flour. I told you simple!!! It is also delicious. ;) Here is the original posting for the chicken, she had actually stuffed hers with a cranberry chutney and feta cheese. I didn't have feta and my mom is not a fan of smelly cheese, so instead I had a cranberry apple butter I topped it off with instead. Tasted like a turkey dinner. Now I can't wait for Thanksgiving!  

Almond Breaded Chicken (Adapted from The Inner Workings of a College Graduate)
Ingredients
Ground almond meal (I bought mine from Trader Joe's but you can make your own as well by pulsing in a food processor.)
Egg whites, whipped till they start to form bubbles
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet line with tin foil and spray with olive oil or oil of choice. To get the chicken ready in an assembly line from left to right have a bowl with the whipped egg whites, in the middle a bowl of almond flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and last should be the prepared baking sheet ready for the oven. The chicken takes 25-30 minutes depending on how thick they are.

I did go for seconds on chicken and green beans. ;)
 
I used 2 large egg whites for 3 chicken breasts. At first I didn't feel it would be enough but it was more then enough. Using egg whites as the glue for breading is great and I'll be using it more often when I don't have buttermilk in the house. As for the flour, I just loaded it in the bowl. I always want to make sure I have enough breading for the chicken.
On my chicken I drizzled cranberry apple butter from Trader Joe's, but any cranberry topping you preferred will be just as good. My sides were steamed green beans with a little butter and a brown rice medley from Trader Joe's that was steamed in my rice cooker. Like I said this is my FAVORITE way to eat chicken right now. It simple and delicious. Healthy too!!


So good I licked everything clean!

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Then the next day I used my chicken for an early dinner before work in a spinach salad.  
Almond Breaded Chicken Spinach Salad with Granola and Goat Cheese By Fallon
Ingredients
Leftover almond breaded chicken, sliced
Handful of fresh baby spinach
Crumbles of fresh goat cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette (This came from Trader Joes, if you have a homemade recipe that would work too and you should share it with me!)
Pecan Granola ( I used my homemade granola)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a large bowl pile a heaping serving of fresh baby spinach. Top with sliced chicken, and add crumbles of goat cheese. Drizzle a tablespoon of dressing on top. To garnish sprinkle on pecan granola and fresh ground black pepper. I had a side of Mary's Gone Crackers with my salad.


Great texture going on with this salad.
 
The granola sounds weird but it is so good! Why did I put granola on my salad? Well the other day I made a spinach salad with goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I was missing crunch.. pecan crunch. So I had raw nuts in my freezer I would of toasted up, but I already had toasted pecans in my granola. See where I'm going. The combination with my granola and the spinach salad was scrumptious. You have a wholesome, crunch from the oats and the nutty sweetness from the pecan, you can't go wrong!


  These crackers are awesome. I like the seedy crunch they have.
 
That is all I have for today!

Time for the gym.
Fallon

9 comments:

Peabody said...

The cranberry apple butter sounds like a nice topping to the chicken. I don't think I have ever seen that at TJ's. I will have to look for it.

Fallon said...

I picked it up last year around the Holiday season. Hopefully they get it in again this year because I love it! It was placed near their pumpkin butter, which is also really good!

Shelby said...

Sounds great - I think I would love the sweet/crunch with the chicken on the salad!

Anonymous said...

hope you had a nice gym workout!! i thought the last picture was chocolate chip cookies hahaha then i realized that they are actually mary's crackers ;)

Pam said...

I'll have to look for that almond meal the next time I am at Trader Joe's. This whole meal looks flavorful and so delicious.

Fallon said...

You will find the almond meal where the baking stuff is near the flours!

I've been eating this chicken almost every night. I can't get enough of it!

Anonymous said...

Oh my, judging from that cleanly licked plate YOU DID like it....

Katrina said...

Yum! Looks great to me.

Unknown said...

I'm not a meat eater but I do like the idea of breading something with egg whites and almond flour! Maybe I can do it with tofu?? ;)