Turkey tenders, a healthy remake on a childhood favorite

I recently renewed my subscription to Cooking Light because, while they do allow free access to their website and most of their recipes, I still enjoy actually holding and flipping through a magazine. In part, I think this is due to the fact that nearly everything I do these days is on a computer. At work, 90% of my time is starting at a screen. At home, even when I cook half the time I'm bent over a recipe on the laptop screen.  A run?  Well, it always starts with MapMyRun.com to choose a route.  You get the picture. Sometimes it's nice to do things in the old, technology free way.  The first issue of my new subscription arrived with a bang - two immediate standouts for recipes to try.  While the Pulled Chicken Sliders failed to prove itself blog-worthy, Turkey Tenders turned out to be quite the little gem!  As usual I've amped this recipe up a touch in the flavor department as CL tends to go a little lean on seasoning leading to bland food on occasion.

Ingredients

1 pound turkey tenderloin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg plus one egg white, beaten
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise; cut into 20 (2-inch) pieces. Place the flour in a large zip top bag. Place the beaten egg-egg white combo in a dish. Combine panko, cheese, garlic salt, and pepper in another dish. Dredge turkey in flour by adding a few pieces at a time and shaking until thoroughly coated; dip the dredged pieces in the egg, and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Add turkey pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side. Place turkey pieces on a broiler pan. If you don't have a broiler pan handy (or in my case clean) use a standard baking sheet lined with paper towel.

 Pan-fried and ready for the oven

Bake at 425° for 5 minutes. Turn turkey pieces over, and bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden. 


Serve with whatever kind of home style side you have handy or makes your mouth water.  I chose whipped potatoes, peas (leftover from my Paella adventure) and a quick pan gravy for the potatoes that is as healthy as it is tasty.