i’m fan of chicken strips.  i like that you can eat them with a variety of dips and they always taste good.  i also like that you can get them at just about any restaurant.  chicken strips are always a safety net for me.  anyways, i’ve struggled with finding a really good chicken strip recipe that you can make at home, you know, sans the deep fryer, messy batter and extra fat and calories.  i think i’ve finally found it!

• 12-14 chicken tenderloins
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c dried bread crumbs
• 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1 packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat oven to 400°.
2. in a small bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.  in a larger bowl, mix together bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, ranch dressing mix, salt and pepper.
3. dip each tenderloin into the buttermilk/egg mixture and then place into bread crumb bowl.  cover each tenderloin well.  place tenderloins in a single layer on a greased 9×13″ baking dish.
4. bake in oven for 15 or until golden brown.
5. try dipping them in bbq, ranch or honey mustard!

enjoy!

these babies are the BEST pancakes i have ever had.  they’re so tender and perfect.  pancakes can’t get any better than this.  the key is in the buttermilk.  i’ve never understood why, but buttermilk always comes in pint size containers, nothing smaller.  when i make a recipe using buttermilk, i never use it all up.  i’m not going to complain about that anymore, though.  i’m going to make a batch of these.

they’re pictured above, served tom-style with peanut butter and syrup.

• 3 c all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c butter, melted

1. in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  in a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk eggs and melted butter.  keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
2. heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.  you can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!
3. pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend.  stir until it’s just blended together.  do not over stir!  the little lumps of flour do your pancakes good!  pour or scoop batter onto the griddle, using approx. 1/2 c for each pancake.  brown on both sides and serve hot.

enjoy!