Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Spring Greens and a Lemon Vinaigrette

Crispy hot tender chicken topped with cool spring greens tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and freshly grated parmesan cheese – makes for a simply delicious meal. 

I do recommend using smaller chicken breasts because once you pound them flat they can become as big as a dinner plate!  

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (after pounding flat they become HUGE so try and use smaller breast)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 panko 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra shredded Parmesan for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 Tablespoons butter  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• spring greens (enough for 2 servings)
• lemon vinaigrette
• freshly shredded or shaved Parmesan
• lemon wedge

Directions

1.  Pound the chicken (I like to use a large baggie or heavy-duty plastic wrap) until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet, a rolling pin or even a heavy fry pan works.  Lightly salt and pepper chicken.

2.  Combine the flour, panko, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish (use dishes big enough to hold flatten chicken breast).  In a second shallow dish, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water.  Dip the chicken breasts on both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan (large enough to hold flatten chicken or saute one breast at a time using 1/2 butter and oil) and cook chicken breasts on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through.  If the breading is browning too quickly turn down the heat.  At this point, you can put the cooked breast in a 200-degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. To serve, place chicken breast on a plate, squeeze with a lemon wedge, mound the spring greens on top and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Yield: 2 servings  (This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled)

                                                                      

Proscuitto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast

I have a new favorite frying pan, cast iron.  I know, a cast iron is nothing new but it is to me.  I had one years ago but didn't like the fact that you shouldn't use soap to clean it and I could never get those bits and pieces off of the pan and it never seemed clean.  I wanted to try again so I purchased a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet from Amazon on sale for only $13.39.  I was also looking on how to clean cast iron and came across this chain link looking cleaner.  It's called the Ringer and cost $16.95.  I love it!  It cleans all the bits and pieces and the pan is clean.  I also bought the Lodge oil spray which I spray the pan to season after each cleaning.  I'm now a lover of cast iron for so many reasons.  It can withstand heat high heat which is perfect for foods that needs to be seared, and creates a beautiful browning effect.  It can be used both on the stove top and in the oven.  It's also affordable and will last a lifetime.  It really has become my go to fry pan.
Here is the recipe that inspired this purchase, Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts from Chrissy Teigen's Cookbook, Cravings.

  This girl can cook!!

The chicken is stuffed with goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic, thyme and bacon.  It's wrapped in prosciutto and then baked with cherry tomatoes.  What happens is the cherry tomatoes burst and the goat cheese mixture oozes out in the pan making a delicious sauce to spoon all over the chicken.  It's delicious!!

Garlic Herb Goat Cheese Ingredients:

2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

2 ounces fresh goat cheese

1 1/2 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leave, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped (I didn't use, not a fan of fresh oregano)

Kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon) and fresh ground pepper (1/8 teaspoon)

In a small food processor or  hand mixer combine the cream cheese. goat cheese, garlic and thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

The Chicken Ingredients:

2 slices bacon

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

4-6 slices prosciutto

2 tablespoons olive oil (I only used about 2 teaspoons)

1 cup cherry tomatoes (I used 2 cups)

fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a medium cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels. Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving enough to coat the pan. Let the skillet cool.

Place one piece of chicken between the two sheets of plastic wrap, then use a meat mallet to pound the chicken into an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper (lightly season as the prosciutto is already salty). Repeat with the second piece of the chicken. 

Spread each breast with half of the herb cheese. (This will seem like a lot of cheese but it will ooze out and make a sauce so use it all) Crumble the bacon over the cheese and roll up each chicken breast, starting from the shorter side. Then wrap each roll in prosciutto to cover. Brush each roll with olive oil and season lightly with pepper. 

Place the chicken in the skillet, seam side down, then scatter the tomatoes around the chicken. Throw the thyme sprigs (if using) and bake until the chicken is cooked and some edges of the prosciutto are a little crispy, about 30 - 40 minutes. 

Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, then slice each roll in half and make sure to include the tomatoes & juices on the plate. 

Serves 2 large or 4 smaller portions 

Adapted from Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat

This is how I clean my cast iron skillet...only using water I scrub any dried on food with the ringer.  Next, dry with a paper towel.  When your pan is completely dry, simply wipe it down with oil using a paper towel.  Now the pan will be ready to go for next time!

Butter Chicken

My husband and I love to go to a local Indian restaurant.  One of our favorite dishes is butter chicken. It's a dish of chicken in a mild creamy spiced curry sauce.  I never dreamed I could make it as good at home but when I came across this recipe from the blog Recipe Tin Eats, I had to try.  It's delicious!  The chicken has to marinate at least 8 hours but then it comes together super quick.  You have to serve it with naan (naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread) to sop up all the creamy spicy sauce.  

Ingredients:

Marinade

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala (blend of savory Indian Spices) 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder  
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 
  
• 2 lbs boneless chicken thigh or boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (I used chicken breast once and liked thighs so much more)

Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 cup tomato puree (tomato puree can be found next to the canned tomatoes.  It's different than tomato paste and sauce, so just make sure you get puree)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup heavy cream

To serve

• Rice
• cilantro (optional)
• Naan

Instructions:

1. In a bowl whisk together the Marinade ingredients.  Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, up to 24 hours.
2. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large fry pan.  
3. Place chicken mixture in the fry pan and cook for around 5 minutes, or until the chicken is white all over (it won't brown because of the Marinade).
4. Add the tomato puree, sugar and salt.  Stir well. Turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (don't cover).
5. Add the cream and stir until well combined and heated through.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves if using. Serve with rice.

This butter chicken recipe was slightly adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Someday I might try and make naan but until then I love this brand.  So easy, just lightly toast in the toaster.

You can find turmeric and garam masala at the grocery store but I really like Penzeys Spices.  I've been slowly replacing all my spices with Penzeys.  I think they make everything taste a little better.