Fancy to look at, Easy to make

We keep our old copies of Cooking Light in a basket in the kitchen. As we strive to keep the total sodium intake down we are forced to remove certain family favorites from our menu. Having a ready supply of the back issues of Cooking Light close at hand allows instant perusal when my imagination needs a kick in the pants. And it is always exciting finding and trying new dishes that you know will join the ranks of family favorites.

Yesterday I tried a chicken recipe from the March 2007 issue that is sure to become a favorite. Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce sure sounds fancy, but the ease with which this meal came together belies the appearance in the photo.

I didn't have sherry vinegar so I substituted red wine vinegar in the Cherry Tomato Sauce. It was delicious! I also really liked the idea of breading only one side of the chicken breast. It gives you the fried cutlet flavor but with healthier nutritional stats. I don't much care for oregano, so I omitted it from the Cherry Tomato Sauce.

I paired this with Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter from the same issue.

Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken bread halves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (as always I mixed real salt and salt substitute 50/50)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• Cooking Spray
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation

1) Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap ; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine cheese and flour in a shallow dish. Dredge 1 side of each chicken breast half in cheese mixture.

2) Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chicken breast halves, cheese side down; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken bread halves. Remove from pan; keep warm.

3) Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Stir in broth and vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Add tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and oregano; cook 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 264 (20% from fat)

Fat: 5.9g (sat 1.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.9g)

Protein: 42.6g

Carbohydrate: 7.4g

Fiber: 1.3g

Cholesterol: 102mg

Iron: 1.6mg

Sodium: 504mg

Calcium: 95mg