2018 Week 19 Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients 

1 head of cauliflower broken into chunks 

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse salt and pepper

2 cups shredded Parmesan

4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice — chiffonade

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  2. Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place cauliflower on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the cauliflower, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place mixture in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until cauliflower is just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the cauliflower after 15 minutes. When the mixture is cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!
  3. Prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat — your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.
  4. While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste. (I also added balsamic vinegar.) 
  5. Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with cauliflower, peppers and onions. 

Recipes adapted from Food Network. 

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