Tackling Bittman in his Chicken Parmigiana!

Crispy, Cheesy, Tomatoey Good Chicken Parmigiana!

The Amazing Cookbook by The New York Times Food Writer and Minimalist Mark Bittman

Please stop by my newest blog feature, Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life From the Middle of the Road, to get weekly tips and life hacks to help you move in the right direction! Each week I welcome 4 wonderful guest bloggers so please stop by to see who is taking baby steps with me and joining the Slow-vo-lution! Yep, the slow lane will certainly get you there, and the scenery is much nicer! Also, if you are interested in joining in a Tackling Bittman Recipe Roundup, please visit Girlichef for the details and submit your recipes before January 31st and you could win a copy of the new Mark Bittman The Food Matters Cookbook!

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I learned something this week, and I have to admit to you that I am embarrassed by it. You see, I consider myself a pretty well versed cook, you know, up on things, has the lingo down, knows what the heck she is talking about. Well, when I wrapped up the left over Extra Crispy Chicken Cutlets I made over the Christmas break for my daughters’ dinner party, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them, and so, when I grabbed my How to Cook Everything cookbook, I was astounded when I couldn’t find it.

Yep, No Chicken Parmesan, but there WAS this thing called Chicken Parmigiana! Oh gracious me! I have been calling it and writing it Chicken Parmesan since I was first boiling water for eggs! I am so embarrassed! Giggling here because it is a common mistake, and I think Parmigiana is actually the Italian word for Parmesan or something like that, so no harm, no foul, but I certainly learned something new!

Chicken Parmigiana, or anything Parmigiana generally has a tomato sauce and Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese melted over the top. It is a family favorite, and they really didn’t give one hoot when I told them I had been calling it the wrong thing for years. They love it! It’s easy and I had the cutlets all ready, so we figured we would try the Bittman version and see how it stood up to my regular way of making it!

Page 679 Serves 4

4 Extra Crisp Chicken Cutlets

1-1/2 Cups Fast Tomato Sauce*, home made tomato sauce or any good jarred tomato sauce divided

1-1/2 Cups coarsely grated Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese or a combination

Chopped basil, parsley or oregano for garnish (we omitted this)

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* Fast Tomato Sauce-page 502

3 Tbs. Olive oil or butter

1 medium onion chopped

1-1/2 to 2 pounds canned tomatoes, darined and chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea Salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat the butter or oil on medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce comes together and thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning

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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a nine inch square glass baking pan. Place the chicken cutlets on top of the sauce and spread over another 1 cup of sauce. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheese.  Bake until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can top the cutlets with chopped parsley, basil or oregano to garnish before serving.

We served this with rice and broccoli because I didn’t have any pasta in the house, but I think it worked out well. Everyone liked this recipe, but my daughter’s didn’t love it. When I make it, I do so on a baking sheet and use less sauce and more cheese so the cutlets remain crispy. Also my youngest does not like sauce on her cutlet, only cheese, so I had to put hers on a baking sheet anyway. I would recommend this recipe, but will most likely stick to my easier and crisper way of making it (but I will certainly call it by the right name in the future!) though I did adore the Extra-Crispy Chicken Cutlets and will use that recipe the next time for certain!

Remember, I highly recommend How to Cook Everything By Mark Bittman for ease of use and variety. Even the most traditional cook will get some amazing ideas from it. You can view more information on all Mark Bittman?s terrific cook books at my Stuff I Like on Amazon store, or by clicking the Amazon Banner at the bottom of this page. You can also find great information and more recipes from Mark at his website Mark Bittman, and of course, the New York Times.

Please stop by the first Thursday of every month (February 3, 2011!) and join the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop, so start thinking of recipes you want to try.  There are hundreds available online if you do a search for Mark Bittman and he even has some available on his website. I highly recommend you try out a recipe or two because they really are easy, generally  quick and delicious! This article is a part of Simple Lives Thursday, Friday Potluck, Full Plate Thursdays and Pennywise Platters. This recipe was also submitted to the Tackling Bittman Recipe Roundup hosted by Girlichef.