BETTER THAN AVERAGE OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

WEEK TWENTY: RECIPES THAT WILL EVEN IMPRESS YOUR FUSS-BUDGET MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IMPRESSED WITH YOUR COOKING BEFORE.

Everyone loves fried chicken, but not everyone loves the fat and the calories you get when you fry it. Here is a guilt-free way to enjoy something you love and still get the great flavor you get when you fry your chicken. My mother made good fried chicken, but it wasn't as good as this plus it was a lot more greasy. She used to take the chicken pieces and put them in a brown paper lunch bag one at a time with flour and seasonings, shake it all up together and then fry the chicken pieces in hot grease or oil. I've tried this many times but was never able to get the chicken to be moist and tender and the crust was always too crisp and flaky. One of the nice things about this recipe is that the chicken has plenty of time to cook through and the crust is just the right crunchiness without crumbling when you try to eat it. You might even decide it's good enough to serve to your mother-in-law. Here is the recipe:

1 C. low-fat mayonnaise

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. chicken seasoning

3 T. water

Kosher salt or table salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper (preferably Tellicherry pepper)

4 chicken boneless chicken thighs or 8 chicken fingers with skins removed

Non-stick cooking spray or olive oil spray

2 C. Panko or Japanese bread crumbs with 1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

1. This is what the Japanese bread crumbs package looks like. You can usually find it in the foreign foods section of the grocery store.

2. This is the best kind of mayonnaise to use. I prefer this to the fat-free kind.

3. Tellicherry pepper comes in a grinder so you have to gauge how much you are using and go by the taste. I'm told that this is the secret ingredient to real Kentucky Fried chicken. Who knows?

4. This recipe uses chicken thighs but any kind of boneless chicken meat will work. Chicken fingers are especially good only they may require less cooking time.

5. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and chicken seasoning. Thin this with a little water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get the consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Roll the chicken pieces in flour, then in the mayonnaise mixture.

7. Last, roll the chicken in the Japanese bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Do them one at a time and completely coat both sides. Make sure you have plenty of bread crumbs on each piece of chicken.

Lightly coat a non-stick baking tray with cooking spray. Place the chicken pieces onto the cooking sheet and spray them with cooking spray or olive oil, whichever you prefer.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they are completely cooked and well-browned. Turn the chicken thighs over halfway through baking time to get them browned on both sides. Serve hot with your favorite side dish. Have something good for dipping like Ranch dressing. Serves 3-4. Enjoy!