Back to work today, which meant finding a dinner that was quick and easy to prepare!  Throughout Christmas visits I spent a few minutes interrogating everyone about their favorite cookbooks, recipes, tips, and/or anything they were willing to share. (Is it obvious yet that I’m having far too much fun with this?)   My Aunt raved about this recipe that has become her go-to weeknight meal and said that it has been a crowd pleaser in her home.   The original recipe is posted here.  We mostly followed the script but did decide to only use half of the crust mixture measured in the original recipe. The result was a well-flavored juicy piece of chicken with a kick of a salad on the side and we both voted to keep it in the regular rotation.

Also, in doing some reading this afternoon I learned that panko crumbs are unique in that they are essentially white bread without the crust cut into larger pieces than crumbs.  I also learned that they tend to soak up less grease than breadcrumbs which partially accounts for why they create a crispier crust.

Ingredients: (Chicken/crust)

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
• 1/8 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon of italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
• Spicy Arugula
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients: (Dressing)

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon squeezed)
• 1 Tablespoon of diced shallots
• 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Steps and Notes:

1. Pound the chicken by placing it between two pieces of plastic wrap until 1/4 inch thick. Then, season it well with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare the crust mixture by combining the panko, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning and basil.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Dip one chicken breast into the egg (let extra drip off), then cover it in the panko mixture.
   • Here the recipe called for chilling the chicken in the fridge for 20 minutes. We were hungry so we skipped this step but plan to try it next time, though they still turned out well.
5. In a cast iron skillet cook until each chicken breast is golden brown – about 2 minutes on each side.
   • Again, I am SO excited to have a cast iron skillet…. but am still trying to find the best ways to clean it. Thoughts?
6. Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon, shallots, dijon, salt, pepper and oil.
7. Put the arugula into a big bowl and place the dressing on the side of the bowl. Then gently mix it.
   • I thought this was a strange step – putting the dressing around the bowl edge – but it did ensure even coating.
8. Serve the salad with shaved parmesan

Thoughts for Next Time:

• Ensure that the chicken is on the thinner side, ours was a bit thick and took longer to cook
• Saute some pine nuts to add to the salad
• Create a simple mustard dipping sauce for the chicken – everything is better with a sauce