My mom always used to say I loved to talk about food. Granted, my relationship with food as a child was, for some reason, obsessive. And not surprisingly, I was overweight. Quite overweight.
When I started cooking for myself in college, it was very basic stuff. I did a lot of whole wheat pasta with lots of veggies, soups and sandwiches, and breakfast…I ate a lot of eggs. Quick and simple, definitely. There wasn’t actually a whole lot of “cooking” going on.
It wasn’t until I got married that I really started to cook. As the years have flown by (they really do FLY by, don’t they?), my cooking has morphed from pretty basic meals to more creative and sometimes original meals.
Between my blog, cookbooking, and running a hospital kitchen and cafeteria, my life truly revolves around food. I talk to people about their diets and how to improve their health through food. I teach cooking classes. I meal plan — at home and at work. I grocery shop more than anyone on earth, probably. All food, all the time.
Sometimes, I sit at my computer browsing Pinterest for meal ideas and nothing strikes my fancy. I’ll whip out the PILES of cooking magazines laying around, thumbing through them for inspiration. Often I feel like I’ve been there, done that…is there anything new to try?
Once in a blue moon, I’ll come up with a unique meal idea and just know it’s going to be divine. This was one of them. It combines not only one of my most favorite classic – Crispy Baked Chicken, but also a delicious egg, and one of the best salads ever – an Arugula Salad with Ultimate Vinaigrette. We gushed over this meal, bite after bite. Delicious!
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water
- ½ cup panko
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
- ¼ tsp pepper and salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 lb chicken (3 breasts)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 5 oz fresh arugula
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Fit a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and mist with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In one of two shallow bowls, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. In the second bowl, combine the panko, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Working one at a time, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides completely.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes per side of until golden brown; transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the arugula salad. Whisk together the shallot, Dijon, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the arugula and toss to combine.
- With 5 minutes left on the chicken cook time, wipe the skillet clean of any crumbs and return to medium-high heat. Cook the 3 eggs to your liking - over easy, medium, or hard.
- To assemble, plate each chicken breast and top with 1 egg and ⅓ of the salad mixture. Serve immediately.
I hope this week continues to zoom by…I have a massage scheduled for Friday afternoon and that can’t come soon enough 😀
Be well,
This chicken with salad looks like the perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner! And I hear you about finding new and exciting recipes. I get stuck in a rut and finding new inspiration is difficult.
I am totally drooling over this recipe. I love a little hot and cold on a salad. It makes it so luxurious. My family is going to love this salad.
This looks absolutely fantastic! Amazing how a fried egg can totally elevate a dish!
i love the addition of eggs!!!
I wish I liked a runny egg, but that crispy chicken – divine! Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog for my birthday – I swear 2014 is the year we’ll actually meet up! 😀
Whoa! Does that look GOOD!! I often eat sautéed greens with half an avocado and an over easy egg for breakfast. Great way to start the day. (O;
This is unbelievably delicious! I used thin cut breasts so I omitted the baking portion. I’m glad there is leftover chicken so we can cook up more eggs in the morning and have this for breakfast. Easy, and amazingly yummy!
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Sarah, I’m soooo glad you loved this creation, too! 🙂