Orange-crumbed baked chicken packs health and taste benefits from so many of its ingredients it’s almost too much to believe it could also be a low-fat dish.
But it is, so it’s a good item to include in a family buffet or pack in a picnic basket for those on a careful diet.
The recipe has a good pedigree, shared with about 500 others in the third edition of “Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook” (Wiley, 2006, $29.95). Recipes are handily laid out in a sturdy ringbound volume, some shown in color photos, all with nutrition details, seasoned with sidebars of cooking and healthy-eating tips.
Beyond the stocks and sauces, through appetizers, pasta and pizzas, main dishes to desserts, there’s a chapter on holiday baking around the world – so that even traditional feast days can be free of diet guilt.
To add to the nutrition in this flavorful dish, the cookbook’s editors say, be sure to use whole-wheat crackers. And if you prefer, substitute lemon juice and zest for the orange.
Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F; spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, mustard and salt. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cracker crumbs, orange zest, shallot and pepper. Brush the chicken on both sides with the mustard mixture, then dredge in the crumbs, firmly pressing the crumbs to coat both sides. Place the chicken on the baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes; turn over and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Makes 4 servings (1 thigh each).
Nutrition information per serving: 179 cal., 4 g total fat (1 g saturated), 59 mg chol., 518 mg sodium, 20 g carbo., 3 fiber, 16 pro.
