Panko Crusted Chicken

Boyfriend and I went to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan about a month ago. I gained seven pounds. SEVEN! In two and a half weeks! It's insane. Granted, I think a lot of that was water weight - for some reason, drinkng water wasn't that important to me. Also, when I did drink something, it would be in the form of some sugary goodness, such as fresh milk with black sugar boba, or black tea with boba, or milk tea with boba ... it's a wonderful combination of a caloric sweet drink and empty carbs.

Extreme dieting when I got back. I lost eight pounds in a week - that's how I knew a lot of the extra weight was attributed to excess stored water. That meant little to no carbs, lean meats, veggies/fruits and NO pastries. It has been a sad time since I've gotten back - I love my cakes. Instead of cakes and pastries, I had to make do with healthy healthy stuff like this chicken. Luckily, it tasted pretty good - fried chicken without the deep frying.

Panko Crusted Chicken
Serves 2

2 bone-in chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups panko
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
nonstick or olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425F. Season chicken breasts with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Put egg in a shallow dish. Mix panko, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and remaining salt and pepper in another shallow dish.

Dreg each chicken breast in the egg, and then in the panko, pressing the crumbs onto the chicken. Put a wire rack into a baking sheet and set the chicken on top. Spray lightly with cooking spray; this will make the panko crunchy instead of soggy.

Bake at 425F for 15 mintues, then lower the temperature to 325F and bake for another 30-35 mintues, depending on the size of the chicken breast. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I made gai lan (chinese broccoli) with oyster sauce, and diced up some avocado, tomato and cucumber mixed with soy sauce and a hint of sugar, to serve with the chicken. So healthy.