Egyptian-Spiced Chicken

We both liked this. D said it was easy to make. It seemed to be fast because he made it after a trip to the gym. We had with rice. We were supposed to have with zucchini but I forgot to put it on the grocery list.

Egyptian-Spiced Chicken

This spice blend, known as dukka (DOO-kah) in Egypt, combines sesame and cumin seeds plus nuts, and often other spices. The blend gains a roasted note when the spices and nuts are toasted. Then a little salt on the chicken brings out the robust flavors of the blend.

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place first 3 ingredients in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Place nut mixture, thyme, and peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder; pulse mixture 15 times to coarsely chop.

3. Place nut mixture in a shallow pan; place egg whites in another shallow pan. Dip chicken in egg white, and sprinkle with salt; dredge in almond mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half)

CALORIES 317 ; FAT 14g (sat 2.2g,mono 6g,poly 4.5g); CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 58mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.8g; SODIUM 274mg; PROTEIN 44.9g; FIBER 1g; IRON 3mg

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2009