Chicken Parm-a-mazing!

Good morning sunshines!

Happy freaky Friday! And, to all of you who have been working hard all week, we made it!!

Thank you so much for your great comments yesterday, I loved hearing from you guys! :)

The drive up to Michigan was really nice -- sunny and blue skies all the way! I jammed out to a little country, and got super excited for the warmer weather that is *hopefully* coming soon (hurrryyy!!).

I definitely got into my roadtrip snack pack.  I tried the Blueberry Muffin LARABAR for the first time and, I have to say, I didn't like it as much as the Lemon Bar flavor.  I'm going to try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip next (thanks for the suggestion Christina!). My sandwich, on the other hand, was DE-licious.  The only thing missing was something crispy (perhaps those Special-K chips??).  I will have to remember that for the trip back.

When I got in, we headed straight out for sushi, it was ahhhh-mazing.

Today, I've got another great weekend night-in recipe to share! This one is a simple, healthy twist on the classic Chicken Parmesan.  It's as easy as pie, and it tastes SO good.  It's a go-to recipe for me when I am having an inner-chef block.

I have also included my favorite recipe for roasted broccoli, which I usually serve with the chicken parm, because it is the perfect way to round-out the meal with some greenies.

Before you get going on the chicken, you'll want to get the broccoli in the oven to get roasty toasty.


Roasted Broccoli with a Kick: (makes 2 to 3 servings)

3 cups of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. basil
salt and pepper to taste

Step #1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step #2: Put the broccoli florets in a medium size bowl.

Step #3: Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time.

Step #4: Mix it all up until the broccoli is evenly coated.

Step #5: Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Step #6: Transfer the broccoli to the cookie sheet and spread it out evenly.

Step #7: Let the broccoli roast for about 15 minutes.

Step #8: Toss the broccoli a little, and let it continue to roast for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve & Enjoy! :)


Chicken Parm-a-mazing: 

Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (1 for each person you are serving, aim for 1/3 pound per breast)
**Note: This is extra delicious if you marinate your chicken breasts before coating, I have recently been using Lawry's Balsamic Herb Marinade -- it is perfect for this recipe.
Shake-n-Bake or Breadcrumbs (whatever floats your boat!)
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I try to do no-salt added, but the fire-roasted are also amazing!)
1 small jar of the marinara or pasta sauce of your choice
Sliced or Shredded Swiss Cheese (I try to get low fat deli slices for this recipe)

Step #1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (unless it already is hot from making the broccoli).

Step #2: Place your chicken breasts (if you didn't marinate them, you will need to moisten them with a little bit of water) and a reasonable amount of bread crumbs or shake-n-bake into a large ziplock bag.  Zip it up & get shakin!

Step #3: Once your chicken is well-coated, remove the breasts from the bag and place them on a greased (or PAMed) cookie sheet.

Step #4: Spread about 2 tablespoons of your marinara/pasta sauce on top of each piece of chicken.

Step #5: With a spoon, spoon out about 1/3 cup of the diced tomatoes (with a little of the juice), and place on top of sauce on the chicken.

So at this point, we should be here...

Lookin' good!

Step #6: Put the chicken in the oven for about 20 minutes (don't forget to keep turning your broccoli throughout this time if you're making that too!).

Step #7: Pull out the chicken and place 1 slice (or a small hand-full if using shredded) of the cheese on top of each chicken breast.  Put the chicken back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts -- you know the drill, make sure they're not pink in the middle).

Step #8: Take the chickies out, let them cool, and serve them up with the broccoli!

We recently ate ours with some delicious, warm whole wheat bread from the bakery (a little butter?? yes please!), yummm.

So there you have it -- another weekend-night-in-worthy meal that won't break the bank or your jeans size.

What should you have to drink with this dish? Why not try another wine club-approved choice, Gnarley Head CAB:

This stuff is REALLY good.  It won our blind taste testing for reds at the Christmas partay!

I hope you guys have a fantastic weekend with family, friends, pets, your couch, a glass of wine... ;)

**Something to comment about {to get your name in the pot for the giveaway!}: What do you do for dinner(s) on the weekends? Cook at home, or eat out at restaurants? {We tend to do both -- one night in, one night out!}**

xoxo

Jess