Pecan Crusted Chicken

I have some random scattered memories associated with the recipe I'm going to post tonight... You're warned they are random and the only thing they have in common is Pecan Crusted Chicken.

1. Three and a half years ago, my husband and I were on a trip to see my sister who was just about to have a baby (13 hour drive). We stopped at a convenience store (gas station, partial grocery store and fast food joint in a VERY small town.) I saw the book that this recipe came from and just had to buy it. We were just about to move 1300 miles away so my husband could go to grad school. Not the best time to be splurging on some recipe magazine found in a store. Can I just say I'm so glad I bought this book? It really helped me through the first month while I was unemployed as the recipes are more involved than the cover suggests (I've never completed their recipes in the 15, 30 or 45 minute times)!

2. The first time I made this recipe I burned the chicken... rather I burned the breading. The original recipe calls for frying it in 2 cups oil. Needless to say on our small oven the temperature control wasn't exactly perfect. Gotta love grad school housing!

3. Our local congregation ladies group had a 'service auction' and one of the services I said I'd give was a meal. When the meal was redeemed I had morning sickness (luckily it was one of my better days - I hardly ever actually vomited, mostly I just couldn't stand to think of eating anything) and was running behind (as I tend to do when I'm making a more elaborate meal for others... still working on that one!) {I highly suggest re-reading that last sentence without the items in (), it may make more sense. Just sayin'} We knew the couple that came over so it wasn't really awkward, but later I got to know her a lot better and she confided in me that she wondered if I was unhappy at them being there... I luckily got to confess that I had morning sickness at the time so she felt better about it. (At the time we weren't telling anyone we were pregnant until we hit the second trimester because we'd had a miscarriage a half a year before.) Oh and just in case you care to know, we had this as an appetizer. And I did not burn the breading as bad, although it was still a little too done for my tastes, but undercooked chicken is always a worse thing than overcooked breading.

4. Due to the issues I've had with overcooking the breading I decided to try baking these and use Panko (I like the crispiness) instead of fresh bread crumbs. I'd have to say that it worked VERY well and this is how I'll be making this dish from now on.

5. I just overcame a serious writing block to write this post.

6. #5 and 6 have nothing to do with memories of this recipe, just thought I'd make that clear.

7. Now for the recipe:

Pecan Crusted Chicken

(Adapted from Cuisine Weeknight Menus Vol. 2)

 Mix together 1-1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs and 3/4 cup crushed pecans.

 Next add the zest of one lemon and the zest of one orange.

 You'll also need 1 tsp salt. Mix well.

 Next, you'll need some flour with salt and pepper just toss some salt and pepper into about a half a cup of flour.

 Oh and chicken, did I mention the chicken? I use 2 or 3 chicken breasts cut into pieces. Dip the chicken in the flour.

 Then you'll dip the chicken pieces in an egg mixture (2 eggs and 2 tbsp milk, blended well.)

 Coat both sides.

 Then add to the panko-pecan mixture.

 Press the chicken into the crumbs to coat.

 Place each breaded chicken piece on a cookie sheet.

 Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

 Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes.

 Serve warm.

 We had it on a wonderful salad (the recipe comes with a delightful dressing recipe!). But I have to admit I ate the leftovers plain (and cold) the next day.

Enjoy!