Light Hearted Chicken

Okay, just to be clear, this does NOT require you to eat chicken hearts. Rather, it is a low-cal version of a favorite, and well worth the work, so you can feel light hearted about making it for someone you love and eating it as well!

It's from America's Test Kitchen, a light version of breaded parmesan chicken.

Make the tomato sauce first. I always forget, and I'm always waiting for it to finish.

Chicken Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts, cut in half (as if you're butterflying them)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 oz. grated Parmesan
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Egg Whites
1 Tbsp water
3 oz. Skim Mozzarella, shredded

Tomato Sauce Ingredients
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or squished through a press
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
1/8 tsp chili pepper flakes (like you put on pizza)
Fresh Basil (or dried, but use a lot less)

Tomato Sauce:

Put the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse them about 10 1-second pulses.  In a saucepan, cook the garlic, tomato paste and pepper flakes in the olive oil.  When the tomato paste turns dark, (about 10 minutes), add the chopped tomatoes.  Let this cook over medium heat until the sauce is reduced -- about 20 minutes.  After it's reduced, take it off the heat and add the basil for flavor.

Once you have that cooking, NOW you can start on the chicken.  OR you can use your own favorite jarred sauce and skip that altogether.

In a frying pan, mix the olive oil and Panko crumbs.  Stir over medium heat until the Panko is nicely golden.  Here are the before and after shots. (The after shot has the parmesan ... keep reading)

Take that off the heat and let it cool.

Get out three shallow dishes.  In the first, put the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In the second, whisk the egg whites with the water. In the third, put the cooled Panko and the parmesan cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 475 (I know it's hot -- it's so they'll be crisp).  Prepare a pan with sides by covering the inside with foil.  Then use a rack to keep the chicken off the floor of the pan (again, so it's crispy).  Spray the rack with Pam olive oil version.

Dry the chicken with paper towels, salt and pepper them.  Dredge the pieces in flour first, then the egg mixture, and then put them in the Panko.  Pat them to make sure the crumbs stick.  Lay them on the wire rack. When all are ready, spray the top of each piece with Pam olive oil and then put them in the oven for 15 minutes.

At 15 minutes, take them out.  Put 2 Tbsp of the tomato sauce on each piece.  Sprinkle about 1/3 cup mozzarella on top (I didn't have any so I used provolone slices -- that's why they look so uniform) Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the basil.  Serve with a fresh green salad and the extra sauce for those who like more.

Dinner's ready!