Chicken in a Curry-Pistachio Crust

(low-sodium)

Ingredients

  • Small pot boiling water
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios

  • 1 tsp curry powder—mild or hot, depending on preference

  • 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

  • 1 tbsp dried parsley

  • 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
  • 1 egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water in a shallow bowl

  • Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. To remove the skins from pistachios, drop shelled nuts into boiling water. Remove from pot from heat and let them soak for about a minute. Drain nuts and wrap them in a dish towel. Rub gently until nuts pop out of skins. Spread nuts in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven (can use a toaster oven) for 10 to 15 minutes. Nuts should be dried and crisp, but not brown.

When nuts are cool, put them into a sandwich-sized plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add curry powder, breadcrumbs, and parsley. Shake the bag to mix all ingredients and spread out on a plate or waxed paper.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut chicken into 8 strips. Dip strips into egg white and coat all sides with nut-crumb mixture.

Arrange on a cookie sheet that has been lightly oiled with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and nut crust is lightly browned. Serve with bottled chutney.

Serves 4

(Not including bottled chutney) Each serving contains about 265 calories, 9 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 10 g fat, 136 mg sodium, and 2 g fiber.