Southern recipes provide fast meal

Fried chicken, sweet potatoes and tomatoes, traditional Southern comfort food, need not be loaded with fat.

This recipe for Oven Fried Chicken with Hot Pepper Sweet Potatoes bakes the chicken in a hot oven. Dipping it in buttermilk, cheese and herbs gives the chicken a crisp, tasty coating similar to that of the original dish.

Using buttermilk keeps the coating light. I buy buttermilk powder in the supermarket (look for cultured buttermilk blend) and mix what I need. The powder keeps for a long time in the refrigerator.

Sauteed sweet potatoes accompany the chicken. This dish can be done in minutes by cutting the potato into cubes and sauteing the cubes. Hot pepper sauce flavors both dishes. For extra heat, serve sauce as a condiment. It brings out the full taste of the chicken and allows each person to adjust the degree of heat.

This meal contains a total of 571 calories per serving with 19 percent of calories from fat.

Here’s some helpful hints:

  • Place foil-lined baking sheet in the oven while oven preheats to shorten cooking time.
  • Skim milk can be substituted for buttermilk.
  • Buy good quality Parmesan cheese and ask the market to grate it for you or chop it in the food processor. Freeze extra for quick use. You can quickly spoon out what you need and leave the rest frozen.

Oven Fried Chicken and Tomato

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup buttermilk

Several drops hot pepper sauce

1/4 cup fine corn meal

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil spray

2 tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place in oven to warm. Pound chicken flat with the bottom of a saucepan or the palm of your hand to 1/4-inch thick. Place buttermilk and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl and add chicken. Mix together cornmeal, thyme and Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove chicken from buttermilk and roll in cornmeal mixture to coat both sides. Cut tomatoes in half and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove baking sheet from oven and spray with olive oil spray. Place chicken and tomatoes on baking sheet and spray to coat top of chicken and tomatoes with oil. Place on top shelf of oven for 10 minutes. Remove and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 341 calories, 46 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fat, 18 percent of calories as fat.

Sauteed Hot Pepper Sweet Potatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup fat free, low salt chicken broth

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Several drops hot pepper sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a nonstick skillet large enough to hold potatoes in one layer over medium heat. Mix oil, broth and garlic together and add to skillet. Add potatoes making sure they are in one layer. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 230 calories, 5 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fat, 19 percent of calories as fat.