WIAW#14, Featuring Basil Crusted Panko Chicken Strips

Is it August already?! Time flies when you’re having fun, especially for those of us who share yummy treats and awesome eats on What I Ate Wednesdays!

Last month was incredibly fun with Jenn’s theme of “Food, Fun and Fitness” and the momentum is carried over to August with “Summer Staples.” One summer staple I’ve been enjoying are big bowls of healthy fruit disguised as lunch salads. Combinations of fresh fruits, veggies, yogurt, and even some protein powder make a wonderful midday meal that is packed with vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, protein, and deliciousness! It’s a mish-mash of raw foods and gut-friendly yogurt, so it’s also great for digestion. Plus, it’s low in fat…reeealll low! ;)

On to breakfast!

Post-workout breakfast was peanut butter jelly toast, coffee and fruit (recycled picture here):

Lunch was a fruit & veggie salad bowl (It’s been my favorite for the past couple weeks now!) If you regularly have a good supply of fruits and veggies, you can come up with some crazy combinations that taste great!

A mish-mash of fruits, veggies, and marinated tofu & cucumber…delicious!

This has got to be the most delicious and healthy snack I’ve made in a long, long time: 6oz yogurt mixed with a spoonful of protein powder, dash of cinnamon (for sweetness and flavor,) and a heaping half cup of fresh fruits:

Make your own yogurt bowl with any combination of yogurt and fruits (no granola needed!)

Dinner was inspired by Paula Deen’s recipe for “Oven Fried Chicken.” I reduced the cheese and oil and added miso paste for flavor (and some salt.) Instead of water and additional oil, I used lemon juice. Serve it up with Lemony Basil Pesto and steamed brown rice (don’t forget the chopsticks!)

With brown rice and Lemony Pine Nut Pesto, this dinner is complete!

Basil Crusted Panko Chicken Strips – serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup panko or crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 8-oz chicken breast, cut into 1/4″ think pieces
optional veggie sides: asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, or any veggie you like roasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix panko, cheese and basil. Divide in half, set aside. Mix olive oil, miso, and lemon juice. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat. Dip chicken pieces in half of the panko mixture, adding more from the reserve mix as needed. Place on silpat or cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray, leaving some room for veggies, if using.

There was enough room to squeeze in the asparagus. Perfect dinner for two!

Using your hand, toss veggies in leftover miso paste, add 1-2 tablespoons panko mixture and tossing well to coat. Place on cookie sheet with chicken or on a new sheet if not enough room. (leftover panko mix can be used in your favorite burger, meat loaf or meat ball mixture. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes (3-5 minutes longer if your chicken is cut into thicker pieces.) Serve immediately with Lemony Pine Nut Pesto.

What are some of your favorite fruits of the summer? Got any great recipes for potlucks, picnics or family gatherings?

 

What I Ate Wednesday #3, Featuring Furikake Panko-Crusted Ahi

Happy Wednesday, everybody! It’s my third attempt at WIAW sponsered by Jenn at Peas and Crayons, and I’ve enjoyed reading all the other bloggers’ pages to get new ideas and inspiration for future meals.

This past week of eats has included more meats than usual. Chicken tikka, barbecued chicken and some grilled bison steak were served up and enjoyed immensely! I still include some raw veggies for breakfast and lunch, as well as with the meaty meals, so haven’t gone too overboard with the change in diet.

Breakfast was a bowl of VeggieNook’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Green Smoothie served outdoors (I’ve been eating this pretty much every day, it is that delicious, and my husband likes it, too! ) Next week, I promise I will post a different breakfast picture:

For contrast, I have to include a picture of my husband’s breakfast:

Fresh eggs from my sister’s hens, jalapeno cheese hot dogs and half a strawberry. :)

Lunch was leftover tuna fish-stuffed sweet peppers and salad. I started eating the salad before I remembered to take a photo, but here’s a pic of the stuffed peppers:

Dinner was done Hawaii-style with Furikake Panko-Crusted Ahi (I think Justa’s panko-crusted fish got me hungry for this crunchy dish!) I served it with Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce because the fish itself only had flavor on the coating, but you can also make a good dipping sauce with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixed with 1 teaspoon soy sauce. There was extra panko mixture so I cooked up some chicken, too:

Anything panko-crusted is hard to resist!

And dessert was a slice of gluten-free Sweet Potato Haupia Pie, freshly posted yesterday!

For the Furikake Panko-Crusted Ahi, you can use any fish that is suitable for pan frying. I didn’t know which brand of panko to get around these parts, so my sister recommended Sushi Chef Panko found at Weis Markets (it comes in a black cardboard box, about the size of a cornstarch box.) It stayed nice and crispy and tasted very much like the panko I used to buy in Hawaii.

Furikake Panko-Crusted Ahi, serves 2
Be sure to steam some rice before cooking the fish.

2 ahi fillets (about 6-8 ounces total)
2 tablespoons furikake
1/2 cup panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 egg
1 tablespoon ice water
2 tablespoons flour
salt
oil for frying

Instructions:

Line a large plate with paper towels, set aside.

Place ahi fillets or pieces on a plate in single layer and rub with a pinch of salt on both sides. Set aside. Mix furikake and panko in a pie pan or dish. In another pie pan or small bowl beat egg and water. Pour oil into a large frying pan until 1/4″ depth and heat on medium high.

Meanwhile, dust fish with flour, coating all sides. Next, dip fish pieces into egg wash, one at a time, making sure all sides are coated. Transfer to panko mixture, turning to coat evenly.

To test if oil is hot enough, drop a small dusting of flour into oil,  it should start to bubble and sizzle. Add fish pieces one at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook fish pieces for 2-3 minutes on one side (or less if fish pieces are thin,) turning heat down to medium. Fry for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.  Transfer cooked fish to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce or mayonnaise-soy sauce mix (1 tablespoon mayo to 1 teaspoon soy sauce.)

Eat well!