Name: Unfried Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk; 1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce or another hot sauce; 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half; 1 1/2 cups multigrain or whole wheat panko bread crumbs; 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 2 teaspoons ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon cayenne; 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 16 brussels sprouts, cut in half; 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 lemon, quartered

Image may contain Food Meal Dish and Plant

Unfried Chicken with Roasted Brussels SproutsStephen Hamilton

With tongue in cheek, I call this chicken "unfried." That's because I am well known for fried chicken, which may be the crown jewel of southern cooking but is a dish I avoid these days. I like unfried chicken just as much. The chicken is soaked in tangy buttermilk and then coated with flavorful breading, just like fried chicken. The difference is that it's baked. This dish was on the menu at LYFE Kitchen. I first prepared it when Oprah's movie Beloved opened. One of the many lessons I learned from Oprah is to offer people a choice at meals, and one of those choices should be a healthy one. To this day I honor that lesson in my home and my restaurants.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.