Crispy, crunchy and light: three words I word use to describe this dish. I combined two of my favorite panko chicken dishes into one. One from Ina Garten and the other from The Erie Grill in Pittsford, New York. I used to have no problem making a dinner that involved multiple steps using the oven, the stove; but I'm definitely not in that season right now. Bring two kids in the mix, a husband who may be home late, I just don't have the time to cook like I used to. I can still make delicious meals though. I just have had to do some tweaking. So this is a recipe that you can prep while the kids are resting or even prep the night before. The chicken is roasted in the oven and it comes out just as crispy. You could even make the dressing the night before and clean the lettuce too. This dish makes enough for 4,
Ingredients:
4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup of panko
½ cup grated parmesan
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp of garlic powder (optional)
Olive oil
A package or large handful of cherry tomatoes
Washed salad greens of your choice
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 Lemon
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp various herbs finely chopped (I used mint, oregano and thyme. I also used a mini chopper to mince the herbs)
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper, pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼-inch thick. I used a measuring cup to do this, but you could also use a rolling pin. Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water in a large shallow bowl. On a second dinner plate, combine the panko, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, dusting off the excess, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and finally dredge both sides in the panko mixture, pressing lightly. Meanwhile, on a small rimmed baking sheet or oven proof pan, combine the tomatoes, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and salt/pepper.
Place the chicken and the tomatoes in the oven. Take the tomatoes out after 15 minutes and allow to cool. Cook the chicken for 30 minutes.
While the tomatoes and chicken are cooking, make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, herbs, and salt/pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Toss the salad with the lemon herbed vinaigrette. On a dinner plate, place the salad along with the chicken on top. Scatter the roasted tomatoes around the plate and squeeze some fresh lemon on top of the chicken, with a few sprinkles of flaky salt.
