Crispy Herb Chicken with Vegetable Hash

While we don't eat much meat, Mark and I both occasionally get a craving for crispy chicken.  I've made it different ways in the past, but we both really liked this version.  Here, the chicken is coated in a garlic,  herb, and yogurt mixture before being tossed in panko and Parmesan cheese.  The result was chicken that was super flavorful, moist, and crispy! And because we like dipping sauces, we made this Greek yogurt dip to go with the chicken.

Recently on Modern Family, Phil was making fun of Claire for always making sure half of their plates were covered in vegetables.  Mark and I had to laugh at this because, as Mark said, "you do that too!!"  One good reason to make half your plate vegetables is it means more food for not that many more calories.  So for this meal, I made up a veggie and sweet potato hash and sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.  It definitely helped to round out this meal.  A big salad would be great as well-- you could even put the chicken on the salad.  But at this point in the winter, I was feeling warm vegetables.

This is definitely comfort food, but is relatively healthy!  Enjoy!

Crispy Herb Chicken with Vegetable Hash

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crispy Herb Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, sliced into tenders
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
• Greek yogurt dip (optional)

For the Vegetable Hash:

• 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, scrubbed clean and chopped into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons italian herb seasoning (or a mixture of basil, oregano, marjoram)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 ounces mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
• 10 ounces kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1)  For the chicken:  Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and add the olive oil, yogurt, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Let all the air out and close the ziploc bag.  Massage everything together and into the chicken.  Put the bag into the refrigerator.

2)  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or a baking mat and fit with a wire rack.  Set aside.  The wire rack will help keep the chicken crispy on all sides by allowing air to move underneath the chicken.

3)  Mix together the panko, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper and buttermilk powder in a large bowl.   Set aside.

4)  For the veggies:  While you wait for the oven to preheat, add the sweet potato and 1/2 cup vegetable broth to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until  most of the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes are mostly soft, but not completely cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

5)  Finish the chicken:  Once the oven has preheated, take the chicken out of the refrigerator.   Working one chicken tender at a time, coat with the panko mixture and then place on the wire rack.    Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes, until chicken is brown and the internal temperature is 165F. The length of time will depend on how big your tenders are.

6) Finish the veggies:  Once the sweet potatoes are mostly cooked, push them to the edges of the pan and add the olive oil to the center of the pan.  Once heated, add italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and mushrooms to the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown.  Add the kale to the pan and stir as best you can.  Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth to help it along if necessary.  Once the kale is wilted, stir to combine, remove from heat, and taste.  Add additional seasonings if desired.

7)  Serve chicken with Greek yogurt dip (or another dip) if desired with vegetable hash on the side.  Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese over the vegetable hash if desired.  

(recipe for chicken adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)