J’s Chicken Milanese

Last year, I posted a recipe for avocado and grapefruit salad, which is refreshing and delicious. I’ve messed with the recipe a bit (OK, not the same at all really) and made it into a light meal, basically a Chicken Milanese. I’ve made it with both grapefruit and orange, and both are wonderful. Here’s my version, with oranges.

J’s Chicken Milanese

Ingredients

• 4 large navel oranges
• 2 or 3 avocados, depending on how much you like avocados and how big they are
• 1 package baby arugula (I don’t know how many oz those little bags are…5?)
• 1 lb chicken breast, sliced or pounded thin into 4 cutlets. One of our local grocery stores still has a butcher, and they sell the perfect cut as ‘chicken scalopini’
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 or 2 eggs – I use one, but I use ALL of it. If your eggs are small, you may need 2.
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 2 Tblsp unsalted butter
• Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• Balsamic vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Segment the oranges. If you are not sure how, here’s a handy tutorial. Peel and dice the avocado, and toss with orange segments and arugula. I like to toss in the juice from the oranges as well, you will need less dressing this way. The chicken cooks fairly quickly, so I like to have this step complete before I move on.

Pat dry your chicken cutlets, then salt and pepper them liberally. I sometimes see recipes that season the chicken, the flour, and the breadcrumbs. I fear that would end up being too much salt, so I just season the chicken. One cutlet at a time, dredge the chicken lightly in flour, then dip in the egg, then coat with bread crumbs.

Over medium heat, heat oil and butter until butter is melted and hot. Add chicken cutlets, turning when the bottom is golden brown and crispy. When done, place on a plate.

Toss the salad with a bit of dressing, then top the chicken with the salad and some shaved Parmesan cheese.

Jocelyn’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

This salad dressing came to me by way of a coworker’s wife, Jocelyn. They were having a party, and served a simple salad with this delicious balsamic vinaigrette, which we all loved. She kindly passed on the recipe to us, and it is the go to dressing in our household.

Ingredients

• 3 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced fine
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic. Slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.