Buffalo Chicken Strips

The time comes about once a year that I'm willing to eat meat off the bone. I made a public proclamation against ribs two years ago at Mardi Gras, and I haven't had a rib since. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, just not so much when I eat. And there's something slightly savage about holding a bone in your hand and gnawing meat off it. I'm just not going to do all that for a small portion of meat. Not. A. Fan.

Despite my staunch stance, I do love the flavor of some traditional bone-in dishes. Buffalo wings probably being my favorite. I love the tangy buffalo sauce combined with the cool, creamy flavor of ranch or blue cheese. It's simply mouth watering.

But buffalo wings don't have a reputation for being the healthiest, considering my beloved buffalo sauce is comprised of 50 percent butter and 50 percent hot sauce. My arteries feel thick just thinking about it.

So, about a year ago (in the heat of my Bridal Boot Camp), I was thrilled to find this Buffalo Chicken Strip recipe in my MRC (Metabolic Research Center) monthly newsletter. It has made a regular appearance in my kitchen ever since. It gives all the amazing flavor of traditional chicken wings, subtracts the bone (woot, woot!) and saves some calories since it's butter-free. There's also an MRC ranch dip that's delicious, but I don't have that recipe on hand. I'll get it to you another time.

For now, enjoy these strips and the calories you're not consuming!

Buffalo Chicken Strips

Chicken strips
Finely crushed melba rounds
For the marinade, combine 1 tbsp. water with equal parts of Dijonnaise and Frank's Hot Wing Sauce

• Coat chicken pieces in hot sauce marinade
• Coat with crushed Melba rounds
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until done.

Pointers:

• I use Gray Pupon instead of Dijonnaise. They're essentially the same, but whatever mustard you have in your fridge will work.
• Everything in MRC World involves Melba Toast! Feel free to use whatever breading you prefer. I always make it with Melba, but I think the next time I'll try Panko crumbs.
• You should be able to find Frank's Hot Wing Sauce at your grocery store with all the other wing and barbecue sauces. You're going to love it. There's only 23 calories per serving! The bottle looks like this:

Enjoy digging in ... with a fork!