Sunday, March 6, 2011

Chicken Parmesan

Also from the Healthy Family Cookbook, this recipe uses thin chicken cutlets and oven-baked chicken to cut the fat and calories.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups panko
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 large egg whites (6 tbsp store-bought egg whites)
1 Tbsp water
vegetable oil spray
6 (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, pounded 1/4-inch thick (you can slice thicken breasts in half horizontally and then pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to accomplish this).
2 cups tomato sauce, warmed (recipe follows, or use jarred)
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 3 oz)
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.  Combine the panko and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, 10-12 minutes.  Note:  This step can seem unnecessary, but it really does make things taste better.  Just do it.

2.  Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish, let cool, then stir in teh Parmesan.  Combine the lfour adn garlic powder in a second shallow dish.  In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.  You're basically making an assembly line of flour, egg white, panko.

3.  Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet. (DO NOT SKIP THE WIRE RACK--it is the secret to getting this chicken crispy on both sides without frying).  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken cutlets in flour (shake to remove excess), then dip into egg whites, and then coat with toasted crumbs, pressing on them to adhere.  Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared wire rack.

Busy parent note:  You can prep the chicken to this point, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

4.  Spray teh tops of the chicken lightly with vegetable oil spray.  Bake until the chicken registers 150-160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 8-10 mins (longer if you prepped/refrigerated the chicken, 10-12 min).

5.  Top each cutlet with 2 tbsp of the sauce and 2 tbsp of the mozzarella.  continue to bake until the cheese has melted adn the chicken registers 160-165-degrees, 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

Per serving (1 chicken breast prepared as directed):  330 cal, 10g fat, 3g sat fat, 80mg chol, 20g carb, 38g protein, 2g fiber, 750mg sodium. (8 pts plus per serving)

Sauce (this is the sauce used in calculating points.  A jarred sauce would change points value):

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1Tbsp minced resh basil
Salt and Pepper

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until mostly smooth, about 10 pulses (or use a handy dandy immersion blender).  Cook the garlic, tomato paste, oil, adn red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 min.  Stir in the processed tomatoes and cook until the sauce is thickened and measures 2 cups, about 20 min.  Off the heat, stirin teh basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Per 1/2 cup serving (included in pts above): 40 cal, 1 g fat, 0 sat fat, 0 cholesterol, 5 g carb, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 310 mg sodium, 1 pts plus.

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