Lighter Chicken Parmesan

This lighter version of Chicken Parmesan was well worth trying.  I served it for some guests and they loved it.  Very brave of me since I hadn't made it before!  I didn't change a thing and will definitely be making it again.

Lighter Chicken Parmesan
from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Kitchen 

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each)
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
2 cups tomato sauce, warmed (store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Place the chicken on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your hand on top and use a sharp knife to cut the breast in half horizontally, to make two thinner chicken cutlets. (Don't worry if they're not perfectly even, mine never are!) Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or skillet to pound to 1/4-inch thickness. 

Preheat oven to 475 F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

Add the panko and oil to a 12-inch skillet, and stirring frequently, toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a wide, shallow dish and allow to cool briefly, then add the Parmesan and stir. In a second shallow dish, mix the flour and garlic powder. Finally, add the egg whites and water to a third dish, and beat with a fork until frothy. 

Pat the chicken dry then season both sides with salt and pepper. One at a time, dip the cutlets in the flour, then the egg whites and the panko mixture. Press the panko onto the chicken to completely coat. Transfer the cutlets to the wire rack you sprayed earlier. 

Spray the tops of the cutlets with cooking spray then bake for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken registers betwen 150 and 160 F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven, and top each piece of chicken with 2 tablespoons each of sauce and mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through (160-165 F), about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil before serving. 

http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/03/lighter-chicken-parmesan.html
Thanks traceys culinary adventures

Crispy Chicken Tender Wrap

Wow.  I love this gentlemen's graphics!  And the meal was good too.  It makes it easy to understand and is compact.  Give this recipe a try.  The kids will love it!

http://www.behindthebites.com/2011/12/crispy-chicken-tenders.html
Thanks behind the bites!

Parsnip lovers this is for you.  What a great flavor addition to a potato pancake!  They were easy to put together and there were none left at the end of the meal for leftovers.  It did make more than the 6 cakes so I don't know if I made them smaller than she did.  Try it and enjoy!

Irish Potato- Parsnip Cakes

Ingredients: (makes about 6 cakes)

Adapted from Epicurious

2 large russet potatoes, washed and peeled  
4 parsnips, washed and peeled 
1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
3 tablespoons chopped chives 
1 large egg, beaten to blend 
4 tablespoons olive oil 
sour cream and spicy mustard

Directions: In a food processor, chop the parsnip and potatoes to a coarse pulp. Add to a mixing bowl with the onions, chives and egg. Mix well. Heat the oil in a skillet. While the oil heats up, use your hands to form the potato cakes. Simply scoop out a palm-sized amount of the mixture and mash into a cake shape. Shake off any excess moisture and drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Flip and repeat on other side. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and spicy mustard ( I prefer Coleman’s hot English mustard).  Add chopped chives for color.

http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/vegetarian/irish-potato-parsnip-cakes/
Thanks keep it simple foods

Tuna Salad Lettuce Rolls

On a hot day this was so refreshing and satisfying. My changes were that I used some Tzatziki Greek Cucumber Yogurt sauce I got from Costco in the mix, and omitted the capers because I didn't have any.  The combination of flavors was really nice.  

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps with Capers and Tomatoes
(Makes about 4 servings or 8 individual wraps; recipe adapted from The Ultimate Low-Carb Cookbook by Mary B. Johnson.

Ingredients:
10-12 oz. good quality canned tuna (I used Tonno Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil.)
1/4 cup mayo or light mayo
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. Vege-Sal (or a slightly smaller amount of salt)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 T capers, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried (romaine, iceberg or butter lettuce will work for this)
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

Drain tuna into a fine-mesh strainer and press down to drain out the oil (or water if you use water-packed tuna.)  While tuna drains stir together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, celery seed, and Vege-Sal or salt.

Cut lettuce apart and pick out 8 large leaves.  (I used two heads of romaine and kept the smaller inner leaves for salad greens.)   Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels.  Chop the celery and capers and thinly slice the green onions.  Chop tomatoes if using.

When the tuna has drained, put it in a bowl (with a snap-tight lid if you won't be eating it all at once.)  Stir in the dressing until it's well-distributed in the tuna, then mix in the celery, capers, and green onions.

Fill lettuce leaves with the tuna mixture, garnish with cherry tomatoes, and eat with your hands.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01/recipe-for-tuna-salad-lettuce-wraps.html
Thanks kalyns kitchen

Blini stuffed with cabbage

This was a good choice for a nice light dinner.  I left out the eggs and added chives for some extra flavor. I did use my own recipe for the crepes just because I am already familiar with it.  "Let's have this again" was the after dinner comment so it is the newest addition to the recipe file.

BLINI WITH CABBAGE STUFFING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 recipe of French crepes
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded,
• 1 small cabbage, finely shredded
• 2-3 boiled eggs, peeled, and cut into small cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely cut
• Salt, pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Make crepes as directed in the recipe.

Make the stuffing.  On a frying pan, sauté onions till golden and soft, add carrots and cabbage, and cook till cabbage is very soft and loses half of its volume. Mix in the eggs and garlic, and add salt and pepper and/or other favorite seasonings.

Let the stuffing cool and then fold it into the crepes.

For a healthier option – eat as is or warm it up in the oven or microwave.  For a tastier version – fry the stuffed crepes on both sides till crispy.

Make ahead: wrap each bundle in a plastic wrap, and store in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months.

http://russianmomcooks.com/2012/04/20/cabbagecrepe/
Thanks russia mom cooks