Potato-flake fried chicken

I LOVE fried chicken, but hate how greasy and nasty I feel afterward. It still doesn't stop me from getting cravings every few months or so and hitting up Popeye's or KFC!

Anyway, this is a recipe I found many years ago on the Weight Watchers message boards. I've also seen the recipe floating around online a few places.

It's very easy, requires less than 5 ingredients (not counting seasonings), and tastes like you're cheating.

A few things though:

I only use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I tried it with breasts once and it didn't taste as good.

If there is a little bit of fat still on the thighs after I buy them, I don't trim it off. I actually think it's important to the recipe. It contributes to the "fried" effect.

I've never used the same seasonings twice. This is a very versatile recipe and can be adjusted for whatever your taste-buds are craving.

Now on to the recipe!

1.5 lb. boneless, skinless thighs
1 packet instant mashed potato flakes (I like to get the flavored ones, like garlic)
"butter" spray (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
whatever the hell kind of seasonings you want

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Take a deep dish or plate, empty potato flakes into it, and then dump in whatever seasonings you're craving.

Spray both sides of each chicken thigh with butter spray (maybe 1 or two sprays per side) and then dredge through the flakes.

Put the flaked thighs on the baking sheet. If I have leftover flakes I'll sprinkle them over the thighs. Then spray cooking spray on top of the thighs.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked.

Makes about 4 servings.

Tonight I used Cajun seasoning, rotisserie chicken seasoning, and paprika.

I feel like chicken tonight . . . chicken tonight!

That was from an ad in the 90s or something, wasn't it?

Whatever, chicken is quick and easy to make during the week and lends itself to different flavors. One combo you will NEVER find on my table is fruit and chicken. That's just ew.

Tonight's dinner started off last night when I marinated some boneless skinless chicken breasts in a spice paste made of ginger paste, minced garlic, a huge heaping spoon of tandoori masala and a just-as-heaping spoon of some new spice mix called "Kitchen King Masala," which looks like a nice yummy mix of different Indian spices.

Today after got back from getting my hair chopped off, all I had to do was preheat the oven to 400 F, then bake the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 25 minutes. These breasts were huge (get your mind out from the gutter), so I had to check a few times to see if they were cooked through.

Result? Not bad at all, although next time I need to make slashes in the chicken so the marinade permeates through some more. And add some salt. A few squeezes of fresh lime juice really made everything taste great. As you can see, I was attempting to be good by having some salad and a low-carb tortilla on the side. Which is fine, except that I ended up scarfing a bunch of my husband's Cheetos later on while watching TV. *SIGH* Oh and next time, I think just half a breast would be enough for me, since these were mutant-sized pieces.

First bento of 2009!

It has been wayyy too long since I've done a bento!

I packed some yummy leftovers from yesterday's New Year's lunch -- can't wait to eat!

Left: whole wheat mini-pita on bottom, tossed salad of green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion slices.

Right: chicken seekh kabab, potato samosa, red onion slices and lime wedge

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great holiday season!

We had our 2nd annual New Year's Day lunch yesterday -- lots of good food and fun with our friends. The picture looks a bit weird because I had to stand on a chair to get a pic of everything on the table. :)

Starting from the top left corner and going clockwise: baked chicken eggrolls, haleem toppings (minced red onion, minced ginger, limes, minced green chilis), naan, chicken seekh kababs, potato samosas, salad, sausage rolls (chicken andouille sausage encased in puff pastry). Not pictured is the chicken haleem, chocolate chip cookies, and mango pie.

The lunch was a potluck, I did everything but the naan, samosas, and desserts. The kababs and eggrolls were store-bought, so won't take credit for them!