Do you Panko?

Nope, it’s not a game like Bunco!  And it’s not the newest challenge on The Price is Right! 

Panko!  Isn’t that a groovy word!?  Say it!  It feels fun to say! 

Panko is Japenese bread crumbs.  I discovered Panko a year or so ago.  I had read about it on the internet on various food sites.  I’d heard them talk about it on Food Network.  But I had never seen it for myself.  I finally found some in my little town at the “bent and dent” store, of all places!  So I snapped some up.  And the box sat in my cabinet for a long time because for the life of me, I couldn’t come up with anything to use them for! 

Then I decided to try panko on some fish.  OH MY!  It opened up a whole new world for me!  I just sprayed the fish with a little non-stick cooking spray to make the crumbs adhere to the fish then ran them through the oven for a few minutes.  It was like having fried fish, but without the guilt! 

So that brings me to the chicken I made last night.  I Panko’d it to make it like fried chicken.  This is almost too simple to share!!!  Here’s what you need:

*  Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

*  Buttermilk

*  Panko

*  Spice of your choice

Did I mention it was simple?! 

You’ll need to spice up your panko, cuz panko doesn’t come seasoned for you!  Add as much or as little spice as you like.  I chose a garlic herb mix I found at Sam’s.  But any of the Mrs. Dash varieties would be good.  An Italian spice mix would be fabulous!  Some citrus zest and fresh garlic would be tasty!  The possibilities are endless!  Whatever you like best, USE IT!  Don’t be afraid to season! 

This is what I did:

Once you season up your panko, dip the chicken in the buttermilk and then roll it in the panko.  VOILA!  You’re practically done!  Lay the chicken in a baking dish sprayed liberally with non-stick cooking spray.  Pop it into a preheated 375° oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the chicken breasts. 

Mine looked a little something like this when it went into the oven:

YUM!  And double YUM!  I hope you enjoy!  Now tell me how you Panko!

Leftovers and a new dessert……..

We had leftover spaghetti tonight.  It’s always better the second time around.  I also had a few “new” things tonight.  A dear friend was hospitalized last week with what he was originally told was a heart attack.  So I made dinner for him and his wife tonight.  They got Panko-Crusted Oven-Fried Chicken, Tarragon Rice, Green Beans and White Sweet Corn.  A couple chicken breasts were left along with a few spoonfuls of the rice and corn after making their plates, so we added that to the mix!  And the good news is, the good friend did NOT have a heart attack after all.  So we were glad to hear that.  And glad to give Mr. Phil and Mrs. Becky some supper!

The BIG deal at dinner tonight was an amazing Weight Watchers-friendly recipe I made.  It’s called Viennese Angel Food Cake with Latte Sauce.  It was insanely delicious!  And absolutely NO GUILT!  That’s the best part!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did!

Viennese Angel Food Cake

with Latte Sauce 

1 package angel food cake mix
5 Tbsp General Foods International Sugar Free Café Vienna, powder
2 tsp sugar
1 cup fat-free skim milk
1 large egg(s)To make cake, prepare angel food cake mix according to package directions but stir 2 tablespoons of coffee powder into cake mix; bake as directed. Remove cake from oven and follow directions for cooling. When completely cool, slice into 12 pieces. To make sauce, combine remaining 3 tablespoons of coffee powder, sugar and milk in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Beat egg in a heatproof bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup of milk mixture into egg, beating constantly. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve sauce immediately over cake.

Yields 1 slice of cake and about 1 1/4 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Now, I made a little change to the sauce.  I used Splenda instead of real sugar.  Even though it only calls for 2 tsp. of sugar, that’s still 32 calories!  So I used the Splenda and saved those calories!  Enjoy!