Houston Brown's Healthy Cooking Corner

Houston Brown, Advisory Council Vice-Chair

I was 8 years old when my grandmother taught me how to cook. She stood me up on a wooden Coca-Cola box in front of her wood burning stove and taught me how to fry chicken. I've been cooking and learning about food ever since. 

Cooking and flying is all I ever wanted to do. After a career in the Air Force, I studied at both the Cordon Bleu Academy in London and the Culinary Arts Academy in Hyde Park, New York, culminating in a position as the executive chef for Marriott Hotels.

Several years ago, a life-threatening accident left me disabled. I was unable to work, and my health deteriorated. I became an insulin-dependent diabetic, which meant giving up my pilot's license. I also had severe arthritis and a bad heart. All of these conditions were made worse by my weight. 

Finally, one day I said "Enough!" With the help of my doctor at the Pike Market Clinic and the wonderful staff at my health club, I've made great strides. I've lost over 90 pounds, I'm off the insulin, and have been able to reduce the number of medications I'd been taking. I exercise three days a week one hour of weight training followed by swimming and water aerobics. When I first got in the pool, I couldn't swim five laps. Now I regularly do 80!

I am also very careful about what I eat. I cook all my own food using fresh ingredients no packaged food for me. Cooking healthy food is easy...nothing hard about it once you know how. However, I also know that making lifestyle changes, such as watching what you eat, isn't easy. That is why I want to share some simple cooking tips and recipes with the Seniors Digest readers. The Digest will periodically feature some of my favorite menu items, all scaled down to serve one or two people. 

Because my grandmother was an inspiration for me, I modified her fried chicken recipe to create a healthier "Southern Style Un-Fried Chicken." Un-fried chicken starts with removing the skin. If you are worried about sacrificing flavor, don't be.  Marinating the chicken in reduced-fat Ranch dressing infuses it with flavor while the breading mixture gives it crunch. You can store the low-salt, but very flavorful, bread mixture in a jar or plastic tub in your cupboard to have on hand.

H.C.B's Crispy Chicken Rub The Other Shake-N-Bake

1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Mix all ingredients together.

Southern Style Un-Fried Chicken

Remove skin from chicken. Place in a resealable plastic bag and add just enough reduced-fat Ranch dressing to coat the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag and coat it thoroughly in H.C.B's Crispy Chicken Rub. Place chicken in baking dish and cook at 400 for 40-45 minutes.