Barefoot Bloggers: Parmesan Chicken

Another successful Barefoot Blogger recipe!

This yummy Parmesan Chicken was selected for us by Megan. And what an unbelievable choice... I am in absolute love with this meal.

First of all, could this have BEEN ready any faster?? My side dish of garlic carrots even took longer to prepare than this chicken.

Plus, I was completely blown away by the aroma and taste. It is astounding that something so ridiculously simple could taste and smell so elegant. I will make this again for sure; this would be such a great summery entertaining meal, even! YUM!

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
  

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin. (I cheated and bought thin-sliced breasts.)

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. (With apologies to Ina, serving salad on TOP of chicken seemed a little backwards to me, so I reversed it!) Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Yield: 6 servings