After a week of fighting fevers, X-rays, and re-diagnoses, I’m finally back on my feet. The doctor thinks I have whooping cough, so I’ll be fighting it for a while, but I can cook! I never thought I’d say this, but I’m sick of Chipotle and pizza. Maybe I should equip Boyfriend with some cooking skills.

I successfully managed to give Boyfriend whatever it is that I have and he’s in the throws of it, so I wanted to cook something power-packed and filling. I also wanted to try something new, so after browsing through the 863 things I’ve “liked” on Stumbleupon (I’m not joking) I settled on this recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. I followed it to the mark, but I added a Panko breading. It was great.

Begin by trimming the fat off your chicken breasts and pounding them until they’re about a half inch thick.

My meat hammer broke! The top fell apart from the bottom and it has cracks in it. I need a metal one. Too bad my checking account is empty after buying box after box of cold medicine.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and dredge those chicken breasts. In one bowl, crack and mix an egg, in another, combine Panko and parmesan cheese. You want the stuff in the green can for this. I know it’s blasphemous, but just do it!

In a saucepan, heat one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil until butter has melted.

Dip the dredged chicken breasts into the egg and then into the Panko mixture and thoroughly coat. Brown in the saucepan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until a nice golden crust has formed.

Remove breasts to a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside. In the same saucepan, add remaining butter, lemon juice, and garlic. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour over breasts.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until cooked through. Isn’t it pretty and golden?

We had it with rice, and, at Boyfriend’s request, toast.

Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
1 egg
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim the fat off the chicken breasts and pound until about a half inch thick using a meat hammer. Set aside. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large Ziploc plastic bag. Add the breasts and shake until coated. Set aside. In a shallow bowl, mix egg. In another shallow bowl, combine Panko and grated parmesan cheese. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter until butter has melted. Dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture, then into the Panko mixture, then into the skillet. Brown on each side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a nice golden crust has formed. Remove breasts to 9×13 inch pan. In the saucepan you browned the breasts in, add the remaining butter, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Pour sauce over the breasts and cook for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.