Light Parmesan Chicken and sweet potato fries

Many of my friends, have been making lately “Parmesan Chicken”.  Simple recipe, and looked really delicious, but my was the huge amount of butter, in which it is cooked. I have been trying to lighten up my cooking,so I have been looking into alternative cooking methods. I started surfing in internet a bit,and found several recipes without butter. Then I remembered how one of my friends from India, once made chicken breasts ,which she marinated first in yogurt overnight. Results was, that the meat became extra tender and juicy. Maybe this would work?
I am also not big fan of white bread, which almost all of the recipes call for breading. Finn Crisps..I have them at home always. Without those expat Finn would be so lost! I need my sour rye bread in for or another! (Alternative is Panko)
I had an idea, why not try Finn Crisp crumbs for breading? So I threw half a package in blender,which was plugged in the wall. And of course I did not have lid on because I did not even think it could be on!! And the result..Well…Let me put it this way.. Finn Crisps hurt when they hit you and fine dust is bitch to clean.. ( Hubby had been using blender last time and after using it he had just put it back in the storage! I could have killed him..Again 😀 ) Here is my recipe:
INGREDIENTS
  • 0,5 l greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh crushed rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into stripes
  • 2,5 dl breadcrumbs or Panko
  • 1,5 dl grated Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place cut chicken breasts stripes in large ziploc bag and add  yogurt, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Zip shut and shake bag to evenly distribute marinade. Place bag in fridge for 20-30 minutes or overnight.
  2. Heat the oven 200c°. Line a baking sheet with foil or baking paper.
  3. Place The breadcrumbs and cheese into a shallow large bowl and whisk to combine. You might want to add little garlic and onion powder into the mixture. This is up to you. Set aside.
  4. Once chicken is done marinating, remove from bag and place on a large plate. Pat off excess marinade from the chicken, you don’t want it too wet! Sprinkle chicken with a bit more salt and pepper and dip into the Breadcrumb -cheese mixture, tossing to evenly coat. Place the chicken onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken. Spray the top of the chicken with a bit of olive oil cooking spray.
  5. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until chicken is and golden brown and juices run clear. Garnish with fresh chopped basil, herbs, or additional cheese if desired. Note: baking times will differ depending on the size of your chicken breasts or strips.
IMG_4554
This is the end result. Meat was really tender. In my opinion you can play with the yogurt marinate as much as you want. Add different spices and herbs. Hubby and Kiddo loved this. I made yogurt dip from rest of the herbs to be served on the side. Nothing fancy.. Hope you enjoy my version of parmesan chicken 🙂
Here is how to do Sweet Potato fries :
 INGREDIENTS
  • Sweet potatoes. I’d plan on at least one per person. Medium-sized sweet potatoes with smooth, firm, evenly toned skin usually make the best sweet potato fries.
  • Olive oil. A couple of tablespoons or so. Enough to lightly and evenly coat the fries.
  • Salt, pepper and spices. Use what you like. Garlic and cumin are my favourites.
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 200c°. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry-shaped pieces. Try to cut them into similarly sized pieces so the fries will bake evenly.
  2. Toss the uncooked fries into a mixing bowl or a plastic bag, or just onto your baking sheet. Pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil, enough to lightly coat the fries. Season with salt, pepper, and spices.  Mix/shake to distribute evenly.
  3. Pour the fries directly onto a dark, non-stick baking sheet for best results (lining with aluminum foil produces mixed results and parchment paper can burn in the hot oven). Arrange your fries in a single layer and don’t overcrowd, otherwise they will never crisp up.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the fries so they can cook on all sides. I find the easiest way to flip them is with a metal spatula. Section by section, scoop up about ten fries and flip them with a quick turn of the wrist.
  5. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the fries are crispy. You’ll know they’re done when the surface of the fries change from shiny orange to a more matte, puffed up texture. It’s essential to bake them long enough, otherwise they won’t be crispy. Don’t worry if the edges are a little bit brown; they will taste more caramelized than burnt.

6 Comments Add yours

  1. Ema Jones says:

    Chicken is my all time fav! Perfect treat 🙂

    Like

    1. Hannele says:

      Mine too. I have been trying to cut down with the fat. Worked nicely. I will try some variations with the spices next time.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ema Jones says:

        Chicken is lean meat, so no issues with it 🙂

        Like

  2. Anonymous says:

    Hello from Cyprus 🙂 Just laitoin kanapalat jogurttiin, kun muistin sun versios parmesankanasta, ja tulin vakoilemaan mitä mausteita laitat. Kiitos vinkeistä! T: You know who, kot-kot 😀

    Like

Leave a comment