I rarely cook Italian food.
I’m not Italian, and while my dark hair may fool you, my very pale skin gives it away.
The truth is, I don’t love Italian cuisine — I really don’t enjoy tomato sauce.
It might surprise some: I sometimes use jarred tomato sauce. If you prefer homemade, by all means use it, but jarred works for us.
I see no point in making something I don’t like, and my partner, Mr. How Sweet, has happily eaten jarred sauce since his bachelor days. He doesn’t notice a difference. Maybe it’s the acidity I avoid, or maybe it’s that tomato sauce is basically vegetables — which I’m not overly keen on.
Naturally, I love Alfredo sauce. I adore it — cheese, cheese and more cheese — but that’s another story.
Many nights, Mr. How Sweet asks for a hearty, “manly” meal. I usually end up cooking it because otherwise he’ll stand in front of the fridge asking, “…but how do I make stuff?”
I tend to think of chicken Parmesan as one of those manly meals. Maybe it comes from dating men who used to order huge plates at chain restaurants and still left hungry. Clearly, I’ve had my share of relationships with perpetually hungry men.
Thankfully, I developed a lighter version of chicken Parmesan for him. He loves to eat, but he also likes healthier, satisfying food.
Yes, those are three chicken breasts in the photo. In our house, three breasts don’t always mean three servings — sometimes they make two, occasionally one, depending on Mr. How Sweet’s mood. Mostly, that mood is “very hungry.”
I’ve never had trouble cooking for two; I have trouble cooking enough. There may be only two of us at home, but he eats like four or seven. Sometimes, it feels like thirty-one. So I rarely cook too much — I worry about not cooking nearly enough.
For example, one evening after dinner was ready, he served himself while I was distracted at the computer. When I finally got my plate, the food was gone. In his hungry fog he sometimes forgets I need to eat too. (I’m not sure how he forgets, given the size of my thighs, but he does.)
For this chicken Parmesan, I coat the chicken in whole wheat breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings, then smother it in cheese — lots of glorious cheese.
I could actually call this three-cheese chicken Parmesan. It includes Parmesan, shredded provolone, and fresh mozzarella.
Mr. How Sweet didn’t eat much cheese before he met me — no cheese on sandwiches, no cheese on pasta. Then I introduced him to good cheese, and suddenly there was a fridge full of it and pants that fit a little tighter. I didn’t force him; I just showed him how good it can be.
Lightened-Up Chicken Parm
Serves 3-4
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn
1/2 cup low-fat provolone, shredded
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Set up three shallow bowls for breading: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning and Parmesan in the third. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip in egg, then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture. Fry the breasts in the skillet until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining breasts.
Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce across the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange the fried chicken breasts on top, then spoon the remaining tomato sauce over them. Top with fresh mozzarella and shredded provolone.
Bake for 20 minutes, then tent the dish with foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Serve with whole wheat pasta and whole grain garlic bread for a complete, lighter take on a classic favorite.
How spoiled is Mr. How Sweet? He lives a good life. Fortunately, it balances out — I trade tasty meals for new shoes.