I’m addicted to sesame -especially anything crunchy that has toasted sesame.
This naturally means I’m drawn to foods like the Sesame Oat Bran Sticks – or just Sesame Sticks – that are sold in health food sections of our grocery store. Am I the only one that thinks it’s odd that we have “health food” sections at grocery stores as if they’re saying the rest is just junk food? Perhaps it’s just me that’s odd. (Only perhaps?)
Occasionally I go to the international foods store – mainly to see the adorable three-year-old who rules the site on her pink tricycle. Her parents own the store, so their tot is often there chattering with people, like me, who need a “kid fix.”
The other night, I asked her what her favorite food was and she was quick to say “third shelf on the left.” Then she escorted me to the site where there were jars of Tahini paste – made from ground sesame. Ah, a sesame soul mate. I smiled in recognition. “Bring your bike next time. A pink bike,” she commanded. And she was off.
So… chicken. I often bake chicken and coat it with something crunchy to keep it moist. This time I grabbed the sesame sticks and made them into crumbs. The Hungry Girl would say to use Fiber One Cereal, which isn’t a bad option, but this had great flavor, as well as crunch. And it had sesame seeds.
Note: I just put the sesame sticks into a baggie and then beat them with my rolling pin. Sure I could pulse them in the food processor but this was easier to clean up and I got to work out my aggressions at the same time.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces of about 4 oz each.
½ cup flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 egg
2 TBS milk
1 cup sesame sticks, pounded into crumbs
2 TBS sesame sticks.
Optional: if you need more kick, add red pepper flakes to the crumbs or another herb, such as sage.
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Put flour, salt and pepper into a baggie.
Whisk egg and milk in a shallow bowl.
Place sesame stick and extra sesame seeds in a separate baggie. Beat to make crumbs.
Spray a baking sheet with Pam or use aluminum foil.
Pound chicken pieces until they are a uniform thickness. Pat them dry.
Dredge chicken in flour, then egg wash and then pop into baggie with crumbs.
Place chicken on baking sheet.
Bake about 20 – 30 minutes or until done.
An easy week night dinner. I added some frozen sweet potato fries, which I baked in a separate pan next to the chicken and then steamed some frozen veggies. This is a fool-proof process for cooking chicken or fish. The coating can be cereal, chips, crackers or sesame sticks! Make them your own.
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