Almond Crusted Chicken

By Natcha Maithai

There are 2 culinary things that became a lifesaver for me in getting lean. First is dry-rubbing. Second is the toaster oven. I can’t believe how much time (and electricity) the toaster oven saved me from all that pre-heating. Also, I love how I can just set the timer and walk away. With dry-rubbing, all I need is a spice rack with a good assortment of spices that remind me of home. I can do Italian one day, Mexican the next, Indian another and Japanese last. An upgrade to that is “crusting”. Traditionally, you would crust your food with bread crumbs. But since I’ve gone gluten-free (and for the most part Paleo), I tried crusting my meats with other things like nuts, nut flour and flax seeds and it works exceptionally well. 

Here’s a recipe example: almond-crusted chicken – made Italian

YIELD: 1 Serving

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken breast
4 – 6 tbsp. almond flour/meal or finely-ground blanched or raw almonds
2 tsp. of dried oregano
2 tsp. of dried basil
2 tsp. of garlic powder
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt or to taste
OPTIONAL:
1 tbsp. parmesan or nutritional yeast if you want it cheesy
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

PREPARATION:

Pound the chicken flat like you would with chicken parmigiana. I usually pound it down to half an inch, but it works with or without  pounding.

Mix the almond meal and spices.
Coat the chicken with the powdered mixture.
Spray the baking tray or coat lightly with olive oil just where you will put your chicken or line with parchment paper. Place the chicken down and spray the top of the chicken with olive oil.

Bake for 5 – 10 minutes until cooked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If the top is not crispy enough then turn on high broil setting for another 3 minutes.

Please note: if you are not pounding the chicken (which makes it cook faster), or if you’re cooking this in a conventional oven, then the times will vary. By our estimations 10 minutes on one side, then turned for another 10 minutes.

Serve on a bed of greens or pasta.

Follow/see more of Natcha’s unique recipes at: Frugalchow4abs.com