Sunday, July 1, 2012

What's for dinner?

A few months ago when we went on vacation to Pompano Beach we stopped and ate at The Cheesecake Factory. I know, not very unique, but I was starving and it was close. I got a dish there called "Chicken Bellagio". My world has never been the same since. This is one of the most delicious chicken dishes I've ever had, and it seemed like such a simple concept. Here is their description of the dish: Crispy Coated Chicken Breast over Basil Pasta and Parmesan Cream Sauce Topped with Prosciutto and Arugula Salad. I have been craving this dish and decided that I would make my own version. I skipped the pasta because the chicken and arugula salad are filling enough, and Jesson isn't a big fan, so there was no point. Maybe someday. Anyway, this is what I ended up with:

I took a chicken breast and pounded it flat (actually Jesson did, but I directed him). Then I coated it with seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs and fried it for about 3-4 minutes on each side until it was golden brown on each side. After I had fried the first side and flipped it over I put two thin pieces of prosciutto on the chicken to let it warm up a little bit. Once it was done I removed it from the pan and put it on a plate. I added a huge, heaping pile of arugula and drizzled it with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. To finish it off I added Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. It was delicious! I don't think my chicken was as thin as The Cheesecake Factory one, but it was so good and so easy! We have already had it twice in one week now. For a side dish we had crispy parmesan bread, also easy and super yummy. Here is what it looks like:

These were store bought buns from Walmart, though our favorite is when we do this on sesame seed french bread from Publix. Set the oven to broil and then make the Parmesan mix. The Parmesan mix is 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, 1 Tb dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Mix that well and slather all over the bread/buns. Place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly (like above). It is soooo good! I know the mayo sounds weird, but it adds this creamy element that wouldn't otherwise be there. I got this idea from Melissa D'Arabian on the Food Network. Here is her recipe in case you want to check it out: Crusty Parmesan Bread. She doesn't do oregano in hers but I like it because it adds a little color. You could leave it out if you wanted. She also does a little less mayo than I do. We've had this dinner twice so far this week. It's so easy but it looks and tastes so good!

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