I was going to marinate some chicken to grill to go with it but I started late and there wasn't time for the chicken to really soak up the flavor so I changed the chicken plan. Faith actually hates chicken served in any form other than chicken nuggets so I was trying to think of a way I could make her enjoy it more. I reached for my panko but there wasn't enough left. Why do I do that? Why didn't I toss the box and why did I leave it in the cupboard again last night?
Anyway the funny thing is I didn't care for the salad much at all but I loved the chicken last night. I will not be blogging about the salad after all. I will give you a link in case you are curious though.
I first tenderized my meat with this handy little tool I have had for years. If you don't have a tenderizer you can poke some holes in your chicken with a knife. It really helps it absorb all the flavor you are adding and keeps it nice and moist.
I started with some whole wheat flour and coated my chicken really well on all sides.
Then I picked this balsamic tomato seasoning to top the chicken. For something similar look for a seasoning with lots of dehydrated vegetables like tomato, garlic, onion, and green onion. You can always add regular balsamic vinegar too. I also gave each chicken breast a dash of pepper.
I melted a couple tablespoons of Earth Balance in the bottom of a 9 X 13. You can skip this step but it adds some flavor and helps keep the chicken really moist. I put this in the oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes I took it out of the oven to add a can of these. I LOVE the flavor of fire roasted tomatoes. You should try them!
I poured them all over the top of the chicken but left that one breast plain. Faith hates tomatoes and they are actually bad for her reflux so I don't make her eat them plus I knew she would ask for ketchup to dip this chicken in and that is plenty of acid for her belly. I am sick of reflux by the way! I put this back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
I did not top it with cheese at this point just to save a few calories because I had eaten to many nuts and crackers yesterday. But you should if you want the real chicken parm kind of feel. Top the whole dish with some fresh parmesan or mozzarella during the last 5 minutes of cooking or so but don't add another 5 minutes of cooking. This chicken was soooooo moist. Miles thought the tomatoes were a bit salty this time for some strange reason but he said the chicken was very good and moist.
I served it with my flop of a salad and some fresh grapes and strawberries. Faith even said as she was forcing her first bite down the hatch, "These taste like chicken nuggets!" That little coating of flour did the trick! Plus that is a great way to not have a ton of extra calories but still get the feeling that there is a breaded chicken breast in there! I used to do this all the time with white flour and tons of butter and lemon pepper. Every time I think of lemon chicken all I can think of is the show Raymond. Poor Debra. I feel bad for her. No more white flour and loads of butter anymore but this was delightful and I am glad it worked out or there would have been nothing to blog about for a while!
Here is the asparagus salad. Now before I completely trash this dish I must say that I am not a huge asparagus lover. I do enjoy it but it isn't my favorite vegetable so maybe if you really love asparagus you might enjoy this salad. I did love the added protein it contained with the beans and the dressing was good. Here is the link if you would like to give it a try. Shaved Asparagus Salad
I am off to St. Cloud with some friends for a girls day to celebrate my dear friend Julie's birthday. A stop at Sam's will be necessary for some more dates!!! I love those medjool dates.
Clean Chicken Parmesan
4-5 chicken breasts
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. Balsamic tomato seasoning (or your alternative)
2-3 tablespoons melted earth balance or butter
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 -1 cup grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese
dash of pepper for each chicken breast
Directions:
Trim chicken breasts to equal sized portions. Pour flour onto plate and coat each breast on all sides. Make sure to cover it well. Top each breast with a dash of pepper and balsamic tomato seasoning. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and pour can of tomatoes over all. Bake for 5 minutes and then add cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
No comments:
Post a Comment