Pecan-Crusted Chicken Breasts

The cover of the Tri-City Herald's Food & Wine section May 20 will feature the other spring greens - chives, scallions and young onions. Inside you’ll find more recipes plus buying, cooking and health tips on a variety of food-related subjects.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

2 slices white or whole wheat bread, dried

1/3 cup pecans or walnuts

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 large egg

3 tablespoons canola oil (1 tablespoon for egg mixture; two tablespoons for skillet)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), pounded

1/4- to 1/2-inch thick

Lemon slices

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse the bread, nuts, cheese and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until fine bread crumbs form. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl and the egg in a third. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon canola oil and 1 teaspoon salt until frothy.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each breast into flour, then into egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then into crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick, oven-proof skillet. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over and put skillet in oven. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon slices.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 326 calories (47 percent from fat), 16.8 g fat (2.4 g saturated, 9.2 g monounsaturated), 96.3 mg cholesterol, 22.5 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g fiber, 204.4 g sodium.

Distributed by: McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.