Chicken Schnitzel

Shane spent a number of years in Germany as a kid, where he acquired a taste for schnitzel.

Kian and Sadie also picked up on his love of schnitzel and, to be honest, so did I. Veal or pork pounded thin, dredged in a seasoned flour, fried and served with lemon wedges? Nothing wrong with that!

Except maybe the frying part. Which, you know, tends to add width to one’s ass.

Fortunately, Cooking Light has a recipe for chicken schnitzel, incorporating Dijon mustard, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese which distinguishes it from a typical chicken cutlet.

The result is a flavorful, tender and moist dish — it was wonderful. Serve with lemon wedges and lovely little salads (potato, cole slaw, etc).

Easy Schnitzel
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Combine mustard and egg in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, chives, and garlic in a shallow dish. Dredge 1 chicken breast half in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat. Turn chicken over; place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

CALORIES 328 (22% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 1.9g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 45.3g; CHOLESTEROL 153mg; CALCIUM 85mg; SODIUM 636mg; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.7g