Low Carb Nut Crusted Chicken Breasts with a MD Hot Peach Sauce

True Confessions.... I love everything and anything fried. There is just something comforting about a lightly floured, salt and peppered, crispy fried morsel that comforts this cook’s heart while hugging my southern roots. It reminds me of big family Sunday dinners with my Nanny, it reminds me of my mother teaching me the lost art of cast iron skillet cooking and how to control the flame to create perfectly fried chicken. Even now as I close my eyes I can hear the grease, feel the heat of the stove and hear years of tried and true home cook advice being passed onto me. This probably explains my love for cooking and need to share what I’ve learned... it’s a secret art that’s passed down through generations, it’s a sentimental memory of a moment frozen in time, it’s tasting the love in the food that was so carefully and expertly created by the women in my life. My low carb version of fried chicken breasts still uses those techniques and a few new ones I've learned along the way. For this recipe I used fresh Chicken Breasts from Bowman’s Butcher Shop located here in Harford County, soon to open their new location in downtown Havre de Grace. To be honest... I don’t know how I’ll ever eat chicken from anywhere else ever again! The freshness, the juicy meat... yes I said the boneless, skinless chicken breast was juicy... the overall flavor was amazing and made our meal a million times better! I suggest, no I’m telling you you need to try it for yourself, it’s a serious game changer for chicken to buy it fresh.

And seriously, I haven’t even talked about the MD Hot Peach sauce yet...this is a play on a combination of Hot Honey and my favorite peach dipping sauce. The Peach Syrup is made in small batches by Blackberry Patch. (you can find it on their website online or Richardsons Farm in Rosedale, MD area carries a large section of their syrups) Yes... I am born and bred in MD so I put Old Bay in just about everything and it works!

Even if I’m cooking a lot differently these days and working hard to be healthier, my desire to care for and feed those I love is still put into every dish I make as I hear my Nanny’s voice and my Mom’s advice guiding me along the way.

Nut Crumb crusted Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 cups Italian Nut Crumb mix (recipe below)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole or cut in strips

2 eggs

1/4 cup almond milk or regular milk

1/4 cup EVOO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TB butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut chicken into wide strips and try to even out thickness for even cooking. Whisk eggs and almond milk (or regular milk) together in bowl, will also use for dredging.

Pour out Nut Crumbs in a shallow bowl.

Place chicken in the egg mixture. Then place chicken in the nut crumb bowl and dredge the chicken until thoroughly coated. Dispose of all leftover crumb and egg mixture.

In a skillet add the EVOO and butter. Heat to medium/hot temp and add coated chicken. Cook 2-3 minutes on one side and flip, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Approximate Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 3 oz & 6 servings

Calories: 660

Net Carbs: 2

Total Carbs: 9.1

Protein: 20

Fat: 6.3

Fiber: 2.1

Sugar: .8

MD Hot Peach Dipping sauce

1/4 cup No Sugar added Peach syrup, I use Blackberry Patch

1-2 TB Old Bay Hot Sauce

Whisk together and let sit for 10 mins to marinate a bit. Whisking occasionally.

Approximate Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 TB & 4.5 servings

Calories: 25

Net Carbs: .5

Total Carbs: 10

Protein: 0

Fat: 0

Fiber: 0

Sugar: .5

Sugar Alcohol: 9.5

Italian Nut Crumb Coating

1 cup finely chopped Cashews

1 cup finely chopped Pecans

1 cup Almond Flour

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp roasted garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Optional: Grated Parmesan Cheese

Put all ingredients in a bowl (except Parmesan cheese) mix well. Use as needed, store in airtight container.

Dry storage for 4-6 weeks

Refrigerated for up to 6 months

Approximate Nutritional Information

Servings & Size: 16 1 oz servings

Calories: 134

Net Carbs: 3.7

Total Carbs: 5.3

Protein: 3.5

Fat: 12.1

Fiber: 1.6

Sugar: .6