Saturday, April 12, 2014

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Cutlet

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.
This is a wonderful dish which is quite simple to prepare.  It serves 4 people, so I find it perfect for feeding my family.  As with all such dishes, the basic quality of the ingredients is what defines the meal.  Seek out organic chicken for a much richer flavour.  I also use fresh Parmesan cheese and flavourful, high-quality extra virgin olive oil to really bring out an incredible convergence of flavours.
 
Parmesan cheese has a very high level of glutamate, and our taste receptors receive high-glutamate foods as a unique taste known as umami.  Sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness and umami make up the five known taste elements; as tastes they are truly separate from one another in how we perceive them.  I'd recommend going with the most flavourful Parmesan you can find for this recipe, it really helps make for that unique taste distinction.  With a thoughtful cheese selection you'll be serving your family or guests a truly memorable dish.     

Ingredients:
  • 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the Parmesan, the bread crumbs, the garlic powder and basil.  Add a dash of salt and a few grindings of pepper to the mixture, do so to taste.

Mix these ingredients together well and then transfer the mixture to a plate.  Proceed to dip a chicken breast in the beaten egg first and then dip it in the Parmesan mixture, turn the chicken breast as you do so in order to coat all the sides.

Coat all 4 chicken breasts in this manner.


Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.


Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a non-stick baking dish.  Drizzle them with olive oil and put them in the pre-heated oven.

Bake the chicken breasts until they are cooked through, about 25 minutes.
        

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

Here's the final result.  I like to serve these chicken cutlets with baked sweet potato and baked garlic broccoli.

Let me know how this dish worked out for you in the comments below.  
Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.
Bon appétit!


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