Parmesan Chicken

I've always loved cooking, but I think I really got into cooking a few years ago after I got addicted to watching the food network.  I know everyone has their favorite food network chefs, but I would have to say one of my very favorites is Ina Garten (in case you're wondering, my other two favorites are Paula Deen and Tyler Florence).  Ina makes so many great recipes, and a lot of them are pretty simple.

I've been making Ina's parmesan chicken recipe (not to be confused with chicken parmesan) for a year or so.  It uses the same simple breading technique that I always use when frying up chicken breasts, and the cold salad greens with the lemony vinaigrette on top goes perfectly with the warm crispy chicken.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out to about 1/4 inch thick

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (I use panko and season it with salt & pepper)
Lemon zest from one of the lemons that you are using for the dressing below
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter (I always buy salted butter)
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 4, washed and spun dry (I usually use a mix of baby spinach and spring mix)

Lemon Vinaigrette-
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Whisk together all of the lemon vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. First, season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper.  Next, coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan (and I also shave a few strips of parmesan on top as well).