This dish is emblematic of great home-style Southern cooking. Some say its origins are in Europe, where wiener schnitzel was invented, and there are some similarities. The connection ends, though, with the country-style sausage gravy with which we smother our pan-fried cutlets. Europeans serve their version with a humble (and lean) wedge of lemon. I retained the gravy but lightened it up dramatically—and instead of pan-frying the cutlets in bacon fat as they do in some parts of the South, I chose to bread and bake them.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 cup whole-wheat flour

　　2 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as lan's All-Natural

　　3 large egg whites

　　Four 3-ounce portions lean filet mignon, pounded about 1/3 inch thick

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　One 6-ounce link hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed

　　1 cup low-fat,low-sodium chicken broth

　　1 tablespoon cornstarch

　　1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with foil, and set it aside.

　　

Step 2

Put the flour in a shallow dish. Put the panko in another shallow dish. In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites until they are very foamy but not quite holding peaks. Dredge the steaks in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them in the egg whites to coat. Then dredge the steaks in the panko, coating them evenly.

　　

Step 3

Place the steaks on the wire rack and spray them with cooking spray. Season the steaks with salt and pepper to taste, and roast until they are golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sausage and stir it to break it up. Cook the sausage until it is just done about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 5

While the sausage is cooking, whisk the chicken broth into the cornstarch in a small bowl.

　　

Step 6

Add the cornstarch mixture to the sausage and bring it to a simmer. When the gravy has thickened slightly (after about 2 minutes), remove the pan from the heat.

　　

Step 7

Stir the yogurt into the gravy. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the hot gravy over the steaks, and serve immediately.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 420.0 calories

　　15.0 calories from fat

　　2.0g total fat

　　0.0g saturated fat

　　0.0mg cholesterol

　　105.0mg sodium

　　83.0g total carbs

　　3.0g dietary fiber

　　5.0g sugars

　　16.0g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　Now Eat This: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All Under 350 Calories by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by the Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.