Chicken Parmesan

Is it considered bragging if I use my husband's words to say this chicken is the best I've ever cooked?  I suppose part of the tastiness comes from the ingredients that make it parmesan chicken versus just plain jane chicken.  But I also think I've found a few new tricks to success when it comes to cooking wonderfully tender chicken.  First:  Always pound it with a tenderizer, trim the fat, and then marinate it in some sort of seasoned olive oil mixture.  Second:  I think that cooking it on the stove for a few minutes and then throwing it in the oven for a bit longer may have contributed to the tasty tenderness.

(And I didn't get a chance to take a picture the first time I made this recipe.  I loved it so much, I made it the following week, but you may notice a skimped out on the healthy spinach portion.  I only did so because I served the chicken with a side of pasta chalked full of spinach as well as peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and tomatoes.  So for the record- if my side wasn't so veggie-full, I most definitely would've kept the healthy inclusion of spinach on the chicken).

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or small chicken breasts

MARINADE:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

BATTER:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour OR use wheat flour if not going gluten-free
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese OR double the flour portion if going dairy-free
• a few dashes of salt and pepper

TOPPINGS:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• ~8-12 oz. baby spinach
• 1/2 cup prepared marinara sauce (I like Paul Newman's Cabernet Marinara)
• 1/2 - 1 cup grated mozzerella if not going dairy-free, OPTIONAL but I couldn't resist using
• toasted whole-wheat buns if wanting to make them sub-style and not gluten-free, OPTIONAL

POSSIBLE SIDES:
I made a batch of my Tomato Basil Soup and got that simmering first, and then prepared my Roasted Veggie side and threw them in the oven the same time as the chicken.

DIRECTIONS:

SUMMARY:  Prep the chicken (at least 30 minutes before the rest of the meal) - Batter the chicken - Saute the Spinach - Grill the chicken - Dress and bake the chicken

STEP ONE- THE CHICKEN PREP (TO DO AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE REST OF THE RECIPE):
You could easily do this step the night before or morning of or just before you start cooking and prepping your side dishes.  Pound the chicken with a tenderizer.  Trim off any obvious chunks of fat (no need to be a perfectionist on this step).  Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl- I used olive oil, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.  Place the chicken in a large Ziplock bag and pour the marinade in.  Swish around to coat and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes.

STEP TWO-  THE BATTER:

Spread out a large piece of parchment paper.  Pour the batter ingredients you're using (I used brown rice flour, parmeasan cheese, salt, and pepper) out on the paper.  Stir to combine and then spread the mixture out evenly.  Place the chicken thighs on the batter.  Using a spoon, spoon the surrounding batter on top of the chicken until coated thoroughly.  Place the thighs on a plate and let it chill in the fridge while you do the next step.  (Chilling it for a bit will help the batter stick to the thighs better, especially if you're using brown rice flour.)

STEP THREE- THE SPINACH:

Heat 1/2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the spinach and saute until wilted, about 3-4 minutes.  (Keep in mind that it looks like a LOT of spinach until it wilts to about 1/4 the original size).  Set spinach aside.

STEP FOUR- THE REST:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in the same large skillet.  Add the chicken and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes.  Flip them over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Transfer them to a baking dish coated with cooking spray or foil.  Add an equal portion of the spinach, marinara sauce, and mozzerella cheese, if using, to each thigh.  Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Feel free to put in on bread and turn it into a sub if you'r not going gluten-free, but with a few extra sides, you really don't need the bread to have a wonderful and filling meal.