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McMillian Recipe Box

Lighter Chicken Parmesan

For the sauce
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
Salt & pepper

For the chicken
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 oz grated parmesan (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper
1 egg
Vegetable cooking spray
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz), trimmed of excess fat and sliced into cutlets

8 oz linguine, cooked


In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat garlic and oil together over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of pepper; bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens a bit and flavors meld, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste sauce, adjusting salt if necessary. Cover and keep warm.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475˚. Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan.

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the rack with vegetable oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg whites, and finally coat with the bread crumbs, Press on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere. Lay the chicken on the wire rack.

Spray the tops of the chicken with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the meat is no longer pink in the center and feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 Tbsp of the sauce onto the center of each cutlet and top the sauce with 2 Tbsp of the mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Toss remaining sauce with pasta and serve.

Pound Cake

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar

Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and place in bowl of standing mixer; let stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes to soften slightly (butter should reach no more than 60 degrees). Using dinner fork, beat eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in liquid measuring cup until combined. Let egg mixture stand at room temperature until ready to use.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325˚. Generously butter 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust pan liberally with flour and knock out excess.

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and salt at medium-high speed until shiny, smooth, and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, gradually pour in sugar (this should take about 60 seconds). Once all sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white in color, 5 to 8 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once. With mixer running at medium speed, gradually add egg mixture in slow, steady stream; this should take 60 to 90 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat mixture at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes (mixture may look slightly broken). Remove bowl from mixer; scrape bottom and sides.

In 3 additions, sift flour over butter/egg mixture; after each addition, fold gently with rubber spatula until combined. Scrape along bottom of bowl to ensure that batter is homogenous.

Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 70 to 80 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; invert cake onto wire rack, then turn cake right side up. Cool cake on rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Slice and serve.


from America's Test Kitchen