Parmesan coating, gravy make chicken pop | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Parmesan coating, gravy make chicken pop | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Parmesan coating, gravy make chicken pop

•	The tasteful truth about tomatoes

By Elaine Magee

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Recreate a lighter version of a restaurant entree at home by making Parmesan chicken with creamy sage sauce. The cream cheese and half-and-half sauce is seasoned with garlic, sage and parsley.

Q. I had the pleasure of eating a chicken entree at a restaurant, and I would like to duplicate it at home. It was a crusty chicken breast with some type of Parmesan cheese coating, and it was served with some sort of seasoned gravy. My whole family really enjoys your recipes each week; please help us with this request.

A. Let's call this lighter chicken entree Parmesan chicken with creamy sage sauce. (I have to call it something before I can try to reinvent it.)

To save fat and calories, I am only going to use a teaspoon of melted whipped butter per serving and a splash of white wine to moisten the Parmesan topping. I'm going to whip up a quick sage sauce using some light cream cheese and fat-free half-and-half along with some complementary seasonings, such as garlic, sage and parsley.

A serving of fried chicken with gravy contains about 400 calories, 20 grams fat and 135 milligrams cholesterol per serving.

PARMESAN CHICKEN WITH CREAMY SAGE SAUCE

For the topping:

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

3/4 cup panko crumbs

2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (add more if desired)

4 teaspoons whipped butter or less fat margarine (8 grams fat per tablespoon)

2 teaspoons white wine (beer or chicken broth can also be used)

For the chicken:

Canola cooking spray

4 boneless skinless chicken half breasts (not frozen)

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons light cream cheese

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be used)

1/4 teaspoon minced or chopped fresh garlic (or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes (fresh chopped parsley can be substituted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine Parmesan, panko, Italian herbs, and garlic powder in small mixing bowl.

Add butter to custard cup and microwave on low just until melted. Drizzle melted butter and wine over the top of Parmesan topping mixture and stir to blend well.

Coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish (or similar size) with canola cooking spray and lay chicken breasts out evenly in the dish. Cover the tops of chicken breasts with the crumb mixture. Give the topping a light spritz of canola cooking spray.

Bake uncovered 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout and lightly browned (cut into the thickest part of one of the chicken breasts to test for doneness or use an instant-read cooking thermometer; temperature should read 165 degrees minimum).

In the last 15 minutes of chicken baking, combine cream cheese with 3 tablespoons of the half-and-half in a small, nonstick saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.

When mixture is smooth, whisk in remaining half-and-half and the seasonings (garlic, pepper, sage and parsley). Heat sauce over medium heat for a few minutes, until hot. Remove from stove and cover the saucepan to keep warm.

Plate the chicken and spoon sage sauce over.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 272 calories, 35 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 5.5 g saturated fat, 3.2 g monounsaturated fat, 1.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 94 mg cholesterol, .2 g fiber, 418 mg sodium. Calories from fat, 33 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids, .1 g, Omega-6 fatty acids, 1 g. Weight Watchers points, 6

Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian; learn more at recipe doctor.com. A story on her new book, "Food Synergy" appeared in last Wednesday's taste section; find it in the back-issues section of www.honoluluadvertiser.com.

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