Date Night #3

Friday night date night this week posed a bit of a challenge. I had no idea what to make. I asked Daniel if he wanted "The Lamb," seen here, or something new. He said something new so I could add it to my blog for all of you guys to see. So I turned on one of my many TiVo'd episodes of Barefoot Contessa to see what she was whipping up. Her recipe for Chicken Milanese IMMEDIATELY caught my eye and made my mouth water. It used to be one of my FAVORITE meals at the incredible Oyster House Saloon in Studio City. (It's not the most attractive place, but dear god it's DELICIOUS!!!) Every time my grandparents from Tucson came to visit, we went there for dinner. And, without fail, I ordered the Chicken Milanese. So I worked with my memory and the Barefoot recipe to create my own take on it. Basically, it's a giant chicken finger. What's not to love? I also served the mashed potatoes, and roasted onions with this meal. Perfection!!!

What you'll need:
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.
1 meat tenderizer mallet
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbs. kosher salt
1 tbs. pepper
1 extra-large egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. earth balance (vegan soy butter)
1 lemon, sliced thinly

1. On a cutting board lined with saran wrap, place the chicken breasts 1 inch apart, and cover with saran wrap. Bang the mallet over each piece, front and back, until about 1/4 inch thick. (You want them to be thin, so they cook quicker, and are much more tender after they have been beaten a bit.)
2. Set up a dredging station : 1. Flour, salt, and pepper on one plate 2. Cracked egg and water in a bowl, beaten. 3. Bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on second plate.
3. Pat down the chicken with a paper towel (this will let the breading mixture stick to it much better), and begin the dredging process.
4. Dip into flour on both sides, shaking off the excess, then dipping in egg, and finally the bread crumbs, coating evenly and thoroughly on both sides.

5. Heat a large non-stick skillet with 2 tbs. olive oil and 1 tbs earth balance (will make it beautifully golden brown), and cook chicken for about 2 minutes on either side, flipping when the first side is golden brown.

6. After chicken has been cooked, place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
7. Place two THIN slices of lemons on each piece of chicken while it's cooling on the baking sheet. The hot chicken will absorb just a HINT of the lemon, giving it an amazing flavor (NOT too intense, I promise!!!)
8. With lemon slices sill on the chicken (you don't have to eat them), put onto your serving platter.

enjoy :)