1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3/4 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and hot sauce.
2. Gradually incorporate buttermilk, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings

1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 egg, beaten
6 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken strips in the flour, then shake off excess.
3. Dip chicken strips into the beaten egg, shaking off excess. Press into the grated Parmesan to coat, then place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake until a golden brown crust forms and chicken is cooked through to the center, about 20-25 minutes. Serve with desired dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Shannon made dinner tonight. It's been a while since we've really done any cooking together since I've kind of taken reign of the kitchen over the last 10 months. We had Parmesan Chicken Strips with Buffalo Ranch Sauce. Breading chicken with Parmesan instead of bread crumbs is one of those tricks we picked up while low-carbing and I must say I prefer it. Parmesan gets crispy just like the crumbs, except it also has a lot of flavor.

I'll let you in on a secret, the buffalo ranch sauce was actually hot sauce mixed with ranch dressing. However, since we made Ranch Dressing previously, I figured I'd include a from scratch recipe in case anyone's feeling particularly ambitious. These chicken strips would have been great with Basil Mayo as well, but the combination of hot sauce and ranch gives a nice illusion of eating Hot Wings in every chosen bite.

To accompany this, we had some pickles and carrots, as well as some Homemade Potato Chips. This time we made the chips in the oven instead of in a frying pan. Just drizzle with a bit of olive oil and pop in there until they crisp up.