Saturday, February 1, 2014
Lazy Chicken Parmesan
I really do not know how I would get by in the kitchen without boneless skinless chicken breasts. They are definitely a freezer necessity due to their versatility in taking on flavors from many types of food, they thaw in the microwave in no time flat and they have a really quick cooking time too. I spent the day in Shipshewana, IN yesterday, one of my favorite shopping and perusing jaunts, and arrived home late, tired and supremely starved. Fortunately for me, I had about 1 cup of the "no cook tomato sauce" I made for pizza just the other night, a bit of fresh mozzarella leftover from pizza as well and a frozen chicken breast. While the real deal chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite meals, I was not about to break out a breading station and trash my kitchen late last night in pursuit of a perfectly golden brown sauteed piece of chicken. I did, however, crave a tasty meal and still wanted those same chicken Parmesan flavors. The result was my lazy mans (or womans in this case) chicken Parmesan.
I thawed the boneless skinless chicken breast in the microwave without cooking the edges and placed it between two pieces of parchment paper. I pounded the chicken breast with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1/4 - 1/2 inch and placed it in a small baking dish, uncooked. On top of the raw chicken breast I poured over the chunky tomato sauce and topped it with sliced fresh mozzarella and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. After covering the dish with aluminum foil, I placed it in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I removed the foil and let it cook, uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until the top was bubbly, brown and the chicken was cooked through.
I needed something to soak up the tomato sauce so, I also prepared a bit of linguine according to the directions on the packet. To balance out the carb count, I quartered and sliced some fresh zucchini, purchased at a little market in Shipshewana that afternoon, and just briefly sauteed it in a little butter and olive oil. After a sprinkle of sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and a new shaving of Parmesan cheese, I was finally ready to eat.
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