Pecan and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

I haven't had fried chicken in years.... years! It's not that I dislike it, because believe me, when I had no palette, I loved Popeye's/KFC. It's just that, well, nutritionally speaking, it's not the leader of the pack. I can imagine there are some outstanding fried chicken recipes out there, but for now, I'm happy with the following: Pecan and Rosemary Oven "Fried" Chicken.

I'll be honest, it doesn't taste fried. It does, however, taste a little bit like a Thanksgiving dinner. And the bonus? It's a light recipe! I know... awesome. So, definitely give this one a try, because it's truly a chicken dish that will make it into my routine.

What ya need:
1/4 cup low-fat butter milk
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 (6-oz) chicken cutlets
1/3 cup panko (these are Japanese breadcrumbs... use regular if you don't have panko!)
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (use walnuts if you'd prefer)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano if you're ritzy)
3/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cooking Spray

What ya do:
1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a dish,whisking together. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, Parmesan, rosemary, salt and pepper in a dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in the spice mixture. 

4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

It was crispy, flavorful, and like I said, tasted a bit like Thanksgiving, but summery? I don't know how to describe it! But... yummy, really yummy. You'll want to try this, really. It's simple and healthy! Give it a try instead of your regular grilled chicken!