Chicken Parmesan

     Have you ever eaten a meal in a restaurant only to feel like you have been cheated? This happens to me every single time I order a pasta dish somewhere, because I know that I can make it better, and for 1/3 of the price. My sister taught me how to make this Chicken Parmesan, which would rival the best Italian restaurant's dish.  Plus, you can control the calorie count and the cost :) It is great served with the classic bruschetta & simple summer salad on this blog.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thick

1 box whole-wheat fettucine noodles

1-2 large cans Classico Garlic & Onion sauce (depends how much sauce you like)

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese + 1 tbsp for sprinkling

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

Mozzerella cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Place tbsp oil into saucepan and put onto medium-high heat. At the same time, fill a large pot with water and place on stove on high heat.

3. Whisk egg + 1 tbsp milk in a shallow dish 

4. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt & pepper in a medium-sized bowl.

4. Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture, then into bread crumb mixture to coat well. 

5. Brown chicken breast, coated, in frying pan for about 4 minutes per side. Be careful not to burn. You may find it helpful to add another 1 tbsp oil about halfway through.

6. Put pasta sauce into 8x8 cooking dish and place chicken breasts on top. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese onto each. Bake for another 6 minutes, until cheese has melted & chicken is fully cooked.

7. Meanwhile, cook fettucine noodles in pot of boiling, salted water. If you place the noodles into the pot     10 minutes before the chicken is cooked, the timing will be perfect.

8. Drain noodles, and top with sauce & 1 chicken breast. Sprinkle with parmesan & parsley for garnish. Serves 4.

  

classic bruschetta

I recently ran a poll asking people to name their favourite type of food. The overwhelming majority picked Italian. So in honour of those who love Italian, here is a classic bruschetta recipe. It is heart-healthy and makes the perfect start to a feast from Italy.

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes, seeded & diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp basil, preferably fresh

2 cloves minced garlic

crumbled feta or goats cheese

1 small baguette

Directions: Combine tomatoes, olive oil, basil & garlic in a small bowl. Slice baguette cross-wise to form slices about 1/3" thick. Place 1 tbsp of bruschetta mix onto each slice, and top with crumbled cheese of your choice. Broil on top shelf of oven for about 2-3 minutes, watching very carefully so that it doesn't burn.

Meals Around the World

I love to take photos of your food adventures whilst travelling around the world. Here are a few tidbits from the past year!

Deep-fried fish cakes in the Dominican Republic.

This photo was taken in Punta Cana, the D.R. on our honeymoon
Cayo Coco, Cuba at an Italian restaurant with my girlfriends.