I'm not sure what it is about this recipe but my family always think this is a "fancy" restaurant-inspired recipe. Let's keep it our little secret that it is a fast weeknight recipe that can get thrown together with minimal ingredients or efforts with results that rival an Italian restaurant entree.
Weeknight Restaurant-Inspired Italian Chicken
Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 zucchini, cubed
1 medium red or green bell pepper, chopped into chunks
2 teaspoons dried basil or 4-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, Italian style (I love using the basil, oregano, chopped tomatoes)
Instructions:
1. In a pie plate or dinner plate with edges, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off extra flour.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, turning once, until golden brown for about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
3. Mix remaining oil and garlic in the pan and cook until fragrant no more than 30 seconds. Add zucchini, pepper and basil, cooking for about 2 minutes until tender but still slightly crisp. Add tomatoes and mix.
4. Return chicken to mixture in pan and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are tender for approximately 6 more minutes.
This is great served over pasta, with garlic bread and a chopped kale salad.
Recipe serves four.
