Lemon Chicken Romano

 

Lemons remind me of a bright sunny summers day so I figured today is a good day for cooking with lemons.I have a bunch of lemons I need to use up. I had this idea to create a recipe similar to Chicken Parmesan but with a few alternate flavors. I first envisioned creating a Romano, oregano and white sauce version then decided a better and healthier option vs. a creamy white sauce would simply be fresh lemon – both the zest and juice. So it wasn’t just Chicken Romano anymore, now I decided to call it Lemon Chicken Romano. This is similar to the Chicken Parmesan recipe I made a few weeks ago .This recipe is definitely going to be added to my dinner rotation. It was easy and so delicious. I love the combination of the Greek/Italian flavors it is coated with. I also love the crispy and zesty exterior. If you’d happen to have fresh basil on hand that you’d like to use up, you can replace the fresh oregano with fresh basil, either way would be delicious but I would highly recommend giving the oregano version a try. The lemon, oregano, Romano combination is simply perfect in this entree. Also, that basil leaf on top is totally optional; I added it just for fanciness.

Ingredients

·         2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded to 1/2-inch thick

·         2 oz shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)

·         2 oz shredded Provolone cheese

·         1 free range egg

·         1 tbsp all-purpose flour

·         1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

·         1 1/2 oz finely shredded Romano cheese

·         1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

·         Zest of 1 lemon or 2 tsp

·         1/2 tsp garlic powder

·         2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

·         2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         Lemon slices or wedges for serving

You have to do

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle each side of the chicken cutlet lightly with salt (about 1/16 tsp per each side), let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Combine Mozzarella and Provolone cheese in a bowl, set aside.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together flour and egg until smooth. In a separate shallow dish, toss together Panko bread crumbs, Romano cheese, oregano, lemon zest, garlic powder and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 chicken cutlet at a time, dredge chicken in egg mixture coating both sides and allowing excess to run off, then immediately transfer to Romano mixture and coat both sides with mixture, while pressing gently to allow crumbs to adhere. Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken cutlets. Pour 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and vegetable oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 2 coated chicken cutlets and fry without moving them until bottom is crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes, then using metal tongs rotate to opposite side and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer fried chicken to a large plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
• Place cutlets on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle tops with Mozzaralle cheese mixture and transfer to preheated oven to bake until internal temperature registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 12 minutes (you can broil during the last 1 - 2 minutes if desired). Remove from oven and garnish with lemon slices or wedges, serve warm. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from lemon slices over chicken just before enjoying.
• freeze chicken breasts for 15 minutes to help slice easier, then lye breast flat and trim into two pieces through the thickness of the breast.

Chicken Parmesan

 

I was browsing from through the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated and was so excited to see they had published a recipe for Parmesan Chicken. Few days ago I ordered it at a restaurant ,I wondered it was an old soggy boot fried in a batch of oil that had been used far too many times, then covered with chewy cheese and covered in a flavorless red sauce or if it was really Chicken Parmesan. I think I ate two bites of it and that’s all I could manage. I won’t name the restaurant but yes indeed, they could learn a few things from Cook’s Illustrated Parmesan Chicken recipe.
I’m quite confident in trusting Cook’s Illustrated when it comes to recipes. Everything I’ve made from their magazine and cookbooks has been perfectly delicious. So, I was pretty excited to try out their technique and recipe for Chicken Parmesan. Yes I made a few changes of my own and I will list them below in case you want to stick with Cook’s illustrated recipe. but I didn’t fully use their recipe but they definitely got me on the right track. This was without a doubt the best Parmesan chicken I’ve ever had. I don’t need to tell you much more about it, like how it has such a perfectly crisp, golden, breaded exterior and a moist interior, with all the right flavors and just the right amount of gooey cheese – you just need to make it and then you’ll see what I’m talking about. I hope it becomes your new favorite.

Here  are the adjustments I made to cook’s illustrated recipe:
1/4 cup onions
1 tsp dried parsley
1 bay leaf  
They added 2 Tbsp basil after cooking sauce – I prefer to let it cook with the sauce
I reduced the amount of salt – they called for 3/4 tsp in the sauce and 1/8 tsp on each side of the chicken breasts
I replaced their 1/3 cup vegetable oil with 2 1/2 tbsp of both vegetable oil and olive oil
Provolone cheese was not used in their recipe, rather Fontina cheese which would also probably be delicious – the provolone was amazing though.

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Marinara Sauce

·         1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

·         2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         1 tsp dried parsley

·         1/4 tsp dried oregano

·         1 pinch red pepper flakes

·         1 (28 oz) can crushed Roma tomatoes

·         1/4 tsp granulated sugar

·         2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

·         1 bay leaf

·         salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken

·         2 (8 oz) skinless,boneless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded to 1/2-inch thick

·         2 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

·         2 oz provolone cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

·         1 large egg

·         1 tbsp all-purpose flour

·         1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

·         1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

·         1/2 tsp garlic powder

·         1/4 tsp dried oregano

·         1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

·         2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

·         2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         1/4 cup torn fresh basil

·         salt

You have to do

• For the sauce:
• Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot add in onions and saute for 1 1/2 minutes then add garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf and 2 Tbsp fresh basil, then add additional salt if desired and season with pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat and cover saucepan with lid.
• For the chicken:
• While sauce is simmering, sprinkle each side of the chicken cutlet lightly with salt (about 1/16 tsp per each side), let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Combine Mozzarella and Provolone cheese in a bowl, set aside. Adjust oven rack 4-inches from broiler element and preheat broiler.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together flour and egg until smooth. In a separate shallow dish, toss together Parmesan cheese, Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, oregano and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 chicken cutlet at a time, dredge chicken in egg mixture coating both sides and allowing excess to run off, then immediately transfer to Parmesan mixture and coat both sides with mixture, while pressing gently to allow crumbs to adhere. Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken cutlets. Pour 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and vegetable oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 2 coated chicken cutlets and fry without moving them until bottom is crispy and golden brown, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, then using metal tongs rotate to opposite side and cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes longer. Transfer fried chicken to a large plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
• Place cutlets on rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese mixture evenly over cutlets. Broil in oven until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 - 4 minutes (keep a close eye on it). Remove from oven and cover each cutlet with 2 Tbsp marinara sauce. Sprinkle tops evenly with remaining 1/4 cup fresh basil and serve immediately, adding additional sauce while enjoying, as desired.
• freeze chicken breasts for 15 minutes to help slice easier, then lye breast flat and trim into two pieces through the thickness of the breast.