A Savory Recipe: Rosemary Walnut Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

The roasted veggies above consist of
asparagus, carrots, and sweet potatoes

After making this, it looked so pretty and tasted so good I decided to share it with anyone and everyone (who reads this blog, that is). The original rosemary walnut chicken recipe is from Cooking Light magazine, so it's very healthy, but I've adapted it or added notes about substitutions you can make when you don't want to go out and buy a bunch of stuff you don't already have. I paired it with roasted vegetables -- one of the easiest and most delightful ways to get your veggies in -- which is something my mom has perfected and I've taken into my repertoire.

Rosemary Walnut Oven-Fried Chicken

• ¼ c. low-fat buttermilk OR ¼ c. milk with 1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar(stir thoroughly)
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 6-oz. chicken cutlets (or use bone-in chicken, thighs are a good size but other cuts work too)
• 1/3 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) – substitute saltines if no panko
• 1/3 c. finely chopped walnuts (I ground in coffee grinder) and then leave some larger pieces for good texture
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• ¾ tsp. minced rosemary
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• Cooking spray

1.       Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.       Combine buttermilk and mustard in shallow dish. Coat chicken pieces in buttermilk.

3.       Mix panko, nuts, cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper in shallow dish. Make enough to coat all your pieces thoroughly. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.

4.      Coat a roasting pan or a wire rack over a baking sheet rack with cooking spray and arrange chicken on it. Coat chicken with cooking spray (this makes it crispy).

5.       For boneless chicken cutlets - Bake for 13 minutes or until done. For bone-in chicken thighs -  Cover with foil and bake for approx. 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Remove foil 10 or 15 minutes before it’s done.

Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets: 287 cal., 9.4 g. fat, 42.7 g. protein, 6 g. carbs.

Roasted Vegetables

Good vegetables for roasting: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus.

Cut vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Toss with olive oil and spice of choice (good options are thyme, rosemary, oregano, or basil – for cauliflower, using curry works remarkably well).

Spread vegetables evenly on a foil-coated baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, onions), 10 minutes (broccoli and cauliflower), or 5 minutes (asparagus).