I absolutely love Giada DeLaurentis’ new way of cooking…she does an amazing job at balancing those comforting Italian flavors with a clean, delicate and healthy touch. I found this light chicken parmesan recipe from her new cookbook Happy Cooking and it’s now a favorite of mine. The addition of fresh herbs in this recipe really makes it stand out. I modified a bit to lighten up some areas more. I paired it with roasted veggies that you often find in Italian cooking, tossed in a wonderfully bright basil vinaigrette.

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, low carb, heart healthy, diabetes friendly, anti inflammatory

Chicken Parmesan Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 thin chicken cutlets (Take 2 large chicken breasts and butterfly slice horizontally through the middle OR cut in half and pound.)
• 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• About 1 1/2 cups marinara or pasta sauce (Depends how much sauce you like; Your choice of sauce flavor, but I like the meat flavor for more of a rich flavor.) You can also make our recipe at home: https://familyapron.com/2016/01/21/zucchini-lasagna/
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• 8 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, cut in short strips, for garnish

Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini with Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients 

• 1 large or 2 smaller eggplants
• 2 small zucchinis
• Extra-virgin olive oil (1/4 cup needed for dressing)
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon needed for dressing)
• Pepper
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• Fresh thinly sliced red pepper and/or cherry tomatoes cut in half

Steps

Roasted Eggplant Zucchini (Get this prepared before the chicken as it can be set aside and cooled.)

1. Turn broiler to high.
2. Wash and trim the ends off zucchini and eggplant. Slice lengthwise, about 1/4″ width. Lay slices in one layer on a large baking sheet.
3. 
4. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over eggplant only, and rub in. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then gently squeeze extra water from eggplant with paper towel.
5. 
6. Drizzle/brush veggies with some olive oil, sprinkle salt only on zucchini (since eggplant already has salt), sprinkle pepper over all.
7. 
8. Roast veggies until browned, about 5 minutes each side, turning once. Then remove eggplant that is done, and let zucchini roast about 3 minutes longer. Remove and let cool. Turn off broiler and now preheat oven to 500 degrees F for the chicken.
9. 
10. For the dressing, blend basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper until basil is in small flakes.
11. 
12. In a medium bowl, add tomato and/or red pepper with roasted veggies. Drizzle with dressing, to taste, and toss. Set aside at room temperature or in the fridge.
13. 

Chicken Parmesan

1. In a small bowl, stir together oil, thyme, rosemary and parsley. Brush both sides of cutlets with herb oil, and sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper.
2. 
3. 
4. Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet over high heat. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook until just browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat.
5. Spoon marinara/pasta sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon mozzarella over each cutlet, then 2 teaspoons parmesan over each.
6. 
7. Bake chicken in oven until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully as this cooks quickly. Garnish with basil and serve hot with the roasted eggplant and zucchini. Enjoy!