If you’re wavering in that resolution to eat right and lose weight, EatingWell magazine comes to the rescue with its latest cookbook, “Healthy in a Hurry” (The Countryman Press; $24.95). Jim Romanoff and other editors at EatingWell focus their attention on main dishes and relegate sauces, side dishes and desserts to lists of serving suggestions in the back of the book. Dessert lovers may feel cheated with “recipes” such as Raspberries and Mangos (toss 1 cup each with 1 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle with almond slices). But, hey, what do you want? This is a diet book. None of the 150 recipes in the book takes more than 45 minutes to prepare. In keeping with the quick-preparation theme, the ingredients lists are fairly short and directions uncomplicated. Recipes include a respectable Chicken Tortilla Soup that is ready in 30 minutes and Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers that offer a more healthful alternative to the usual chicken nuggets. Asian and Latin flavors dominate the dishes and many of the recipes are accompanied by full-page color photos to let you know what to expect.
– Liz Atwood, The Baltimore Sun
ALMOND-CRUSTED CHICKEN FINGERS
Recipe and nutritional analysis from “Healthy in a Hurry.” Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Set a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil and process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.
Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
Per serving: 147 calories; 21 grams protein; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 49 milligrams cholesterol; 214 milligrams sodium
