ALMOND-CRUSTED BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN
When we first got married I made bruschetta chicken all the time. And every time I made it we loved every bite.
Fast forward a few years and add the stress of a kid, a cross-country move, and a husband in dental school and you’ll find that some things got lost along the way. Our yummy bruschetta chicken fell off the grid. This week I had flashbacks of our old favorite and decided it was time to bring this dish back into our kitchen! Since I hadn’t made it in years I decided to make a few changes to add more flavor and nutrition.
Instead of using white flour to make the breading I used almonds with a small amount of whole wheat flour. I love any opportunity to add more protein and remove refined grains. Almonds are a particularly healthy choice for several reasons. They are high in both protein and fiber, both of which are lacking in white flour. Almonds also contain vitamin E (an antioxidant), meaning that they help provide a defense system in our cells against oxidation. Plus, they are so tasty and are an ingredient that I typically have in my pantry. No need to buy ingredients that you’ll never use again. I’m always a big proponent of keeping almonds on hand as a healthy snack, but there are so many other ways to enjoy the flavor and nutrition of almonds!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken breasts
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 3 T chopped fresh basil
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- dash of salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine almonds, flour, garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper in the food processor. Blend until combined into a crumb-texture.
- Whisk eggs in a separate bowl.
- Dip each chicken breast in eggs, then in crumb mixture.
- Place on cooking rack and bake for 20 minutes.
- While chicken is baking, combine diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and remaining salt and pepper to make the bruschetta.
- Evenly top each cooked chicken breast with the bruschetta and return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.
I served this with roasted zucchini seasoned with a touch of bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. I wish I had made double the veggies too because they were so tasty too!
