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Chicken Parmesan – with a twist!

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[dropcap1 color=”rosy”]C[/dropcap1]hicken Parmesan. It just ‘screams’ comfort food, doesn’t it? The breaded chicken, heavy marinara, pasta on the side which is obviously loaded with more parmesan cheese…all perfect for a snowy winter night. The end of January is a transition point for me. Yes, it is still chilly and snowy out, but the endless amount of eating from the holidays and comfort foods from the past few months seem to add up. Suddenly visions of snowmen and uggs switch to sand, shells, and swaying palm trees that seem to be calling my name. February and March…time to get to Florida for some much needed warmth and humidity. Along with that goes the shorts, dresses, swim suits….yikes! It was time to lighten up some of the classics that are still completely necessary to get through these remaining snowy months, but won’t hurt the waist line for sun bathing by the ocean. Ahhh…

A great place to start is with this recipe. You still get the comfort of the breaded chicken parmesan, but instead of a heavy marinara, pasta, and more cheese to go along with it you build a fresh salad on top. Not only is this better for you, but the dressing on the salad sitting on the warm chicken really kicks up the flavor. I promise, you won’t miss the pasta.

Another great quality of this recipe is that it is completely versatile. Easy to make on a week night for 2, or for company of 8 on the weekend. If you choose to make this for a crowd, have your oven at 200 degrees to keep the chicken warm while making additional servings. The ingredients are simple to work with, just buy the quantity that you need.

Lighten up - Chicken Parmesan
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Ingredients
  1. Chicken breasts, butterflied open and pounded to 1/4 inch thick. (Bonus if you have any aggression to get out...?)
  2. - 1 cup of flour
  3. - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  4. - 1/4 tsp pepper
  5. - 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a splash of water
  6. - 1 cup fresh Italian bread crumbs
  7. - 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
  8. - Good olive oil
  9. - Unsalted butter
  10. - Mixed greens
  11. - Lemon, zest and juice
  12. - Tomatoes, the freshest you can find. In the winter I tend to turn to grape tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Make a little assembly line next to your stove. Have the chicken pounded out and ready to go. On one plate, combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Next have the eggs and water ready. Lastly, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan. Roll the chicken in the flour, dip in the eggs, and cover with the bread crumb/parmesan mixture. Repeat for each piece of chicken you are serving.
  2. To cook the chicken, warm 1 TBS good olive oil and 1 TBS unsalted butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes per side. If you are making additional pieces of chicken, you will need to add additional olive oil and butter as you go along.
  3. To build the salad, begin with the dressing. Whisk together 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup of good olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with the greens.
  4. Plate your chicken, place some salad on top, top with sliced tomatoes and freshly shaved parmesan cheese.
Adapted from Ina Garten
Adapted from Ina Garten
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Come on spring!
Courtney

‘Cure A Flu’ Chicken Noodle Soup

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 A rather unpleasant text from M in Houston confirmed it. The flu had invaded our home. So, I began my normal routine of getting out the fluids and saltines, thermometer, comfy blankets and pillows on the couch and then braced myself for the day ahead. There is only one recipe I turn to on days like these. Chicken noodle soup. This isn’t your normal ‘boil a chicken in water’ chicken noodle soup. Some of the basic ideas are the same, but the volume is kicked up with garlic, lots of fresh herbs, and lemon. Ingredients I swear heal you faster and prevent those who are still healthy to not get sick…wishful thinking on my part? Anyways, make it. From scratch. I promise it’s not too involved and the process of making it, eating it, and knowing you have a nice warm pot on the stove for anytime you need it is comforting. And comfort is necessary when you or your loved ones are sick.

Cure a Flu Chicken Noodle Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 2 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
  2. 2 onions, 1 halved and 1 chopped
  3. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  4. 1 fresh bay leaf
  5. 2 TBS good olive oil
  6. 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
  7. 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  8. Salt and black pepper
  9. 1 quart good chicken stock
  10. 1/3 lbs whole wheat noodles
  11. 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
  12. 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  13. 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
  14. Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. In a sauce pot, combine first 4 ingredients with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then down to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a soup pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, around 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
  3. Remove the poached chicken from the liquid and add about 2 cups of the cooking liquid, pouring through a strainer, to the soup pot. Dice the poached chicken, then stir in the noodles along with the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add all the fresh herbs along with the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
  1. I do not like soggy noodles in my soup, so if you are going to let the soup simmer on low all day I would advise to keep the noodles separate and add to cook a bit before you dish up.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

I all ready feel better.

Stay healthy,
Courtney

 

 
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