Sunday Dinner

My cousin Lauren is wonderful at entertaining.  Whether having a party for 12 or a family dinner for 4, she is the ultimate host - managing conversation among her guests while plating her always beautiful but more-so delicious meals.  The ambiance is always cozy, and did I mention she's great with lighting?  Anyone who has been a guest at one of her dinner parties knows just the special knack to which I'm referring.  

Tonight was no exception with a simple menu of Parmesan-chicken and lemon-vinaigrette greens, an old Ina Garten favorite!

Ingredients

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 extra-large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry

Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients

Juice of 2 lemons, about 1/4 cup

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions for preparing chicken

1. Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick; can use a meat mallet or rolling pin.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate.  On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water.  On a third plate, combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan.
3. Coat chicken breasts on both sides with flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture and dredge both sides into bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan and 2-3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side.  Add more butter and oil for remaining chicken breasts. 
5. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients and then toss salad greens; place mound of greens on each chicken breast.  Top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Recipe taken from Ina Garten's, Barefoot Contessa, 2002.