Saturday, February 19, 2011

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy....just lighter

This is yet another "comfort food goes lighter" recipe, and if you don't mind a few minor changes to truly unhealthy recipes, you'll love this one. I know the common feeling about comfort food is that if you're going to eat something that is comfort food, you might as well splurge. Well...I simply don't accept that excuse, and I strive to make menu choices that are comforting, healthy, but flavorful at the same time, and I heartily espouse my right to lighten foods that are heavy.

I served the chicken fried steak with simply steamed green beans and mashed cauliflower for maximum vegetable intake.
Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy (from EatingWell.com)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup half-and-half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place all-purpose flour on a large plate. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and paprika in another shallow dish. Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess; dip in the egg whites, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 pieces of the steak; cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 pieces of steak. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve the steak topped with the gravy.


2 comments:

  1. We have made this one and LOVED it! I agree about what you say about comfort food. So many people have rolled their eyes at me lately, saying if it's not the "real thing" they would rather not eat it. Really? Wow. This is an EXCELLENT recipe. I made mashed potatoes with it, but fresh green beans as well. I love your idea of cauliflower and will be trying that in the future.

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  2. I'm definitely a big fan of this lightened version. I've made it a handful of times. Mashed cauliflower is super good, and I sometimes include one small red potato so that there's at least a bit of potato flavor in there.

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