Buttermilk? But of course

When I first started preparing healthier meals, I was surprised to see that buttermilk often appeared as an ingredient in chicken recipes. I guess I assumed that buttermilk wasn't the healthiest ingredient on the block.

However, buttermilk is in fact somewhat good for you. It is chock full of vitamins, minerals, probiotics and protein. I've seen a few articles on this - here's an interesting one for your reading enjoyment. (PS - I am obviously not a nutrition expert - I simply found info online. Don't assume this is 100 percent correct.)

That brings me to tonight's meal: Buttermilk Pecan Chicken with spicy red roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. The boys also ate Alexia biscuits.

Buttermilk Pecan Chicken
Source: October 2010 issue of Health magazine

Ingredients:
- 4 8oz chicken breasts
- Lowfat buttermilk
- 1c toasted pecans
- 1c panko crumbs

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Place four 8oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Flatten each piece to 1/3-inch thickness using a meat mallet.
- Place chicken in a large bowl.
- Pour 1c low-fat buttermilk over chicken, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Place 1c of toasted pecans and 1c panko in a food processor, pulse until fine.
- Transfer mixture to a large dish.
- Remove the marinated chicken breasts from buttermilk, shake off excess buttermilk and evenly coat chicken with breading mixture.
- Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake 25-30 minutes until crispy.

Serving size: 1 8oz chicken breast.
Per serving: 307 calories; 10g fat (2g sat, 5g mono, 3g poly); 126 cholesterol; 47g protein; 4g carbs; 1g sugars; 1g fiber; 138g sodium.

Spicy Potatoes
I have no clue where this is from - I just have the recipe on a piece of scrap paper. Therefore, I also don't know the exact calorie count - I assumed 100 cals for a 5oz serving.

Ingredients:
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- About 1/2 dozen small red potatoes

Directions:
- Wash and quarter potatoes.
- Add all seasonings, mix together.
- Place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake at 425 degrees for approx. one hour or until the potatoes are baked to your taste.

Reviews  
The chicken was really fast and easy to prepare, but I wish it came out a little crispier. The 8oz serving size seemed really big - I cut the portion down to 6oz for me. The potatoes were spicy enough for our taste and added a little flavor kick to accompany the chicken. I didn't even try to add broccoli to my husband's plate. My son, who doesn't like potatoes (what?!) ate his entire serving of chicken and broccoli, and commented, "Eating a potato is NOT going to be the highlight of my day."