Zucchini Casserole

So sorry for my disappearance!  I did not schedule my time very well before my trip recently and did not have posts set up to keep you intrigued while I was away.  So sorry! Here’s a yummy dish that a friend of mine made recently from Gina’s WW blog.  The sous chef and I thought this was a great recipe as a side dish.  I’m not so sure that this could be the only thing I ate for dinner at night, but I suppose it could be if weren’t too hungry one evening.  Either way, it’s a yummy dish!

4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup bisquick
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites, 1 whole egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a pie dish or a casserole with Pam and pour mixture. Bake approximately 45 minutes, until golden brown. Put a toothpick in the center to test if it is done. If it comes out clean, it is ready. Divide into 12 equal parts.

Whole Chicken with Spice Rub in the Crock Pot

So easy!!!  Anything in a slow cooker is usually easy though :)  I was browsing The Foodie Blogroll for some ideas on crockpot recipes and found The Cooking Husband’s blog.  I’m trying to do more crockpot recipes, perhaps trying one twice or four times a month.  Anyway, I thought The Cooking Husband’s whole chicken approach was quite similar to how I prepare my Mexican flavored chicken that I use for anything I need shredded chicken for; however, his, as I said, uses a whole chicken!  The sous chef and I simply prepared some rice to eat with this.  I prepared the rice similar to the way Chipotle’s rice is done.  Instead of lime and cilantro, I used lemon juice and grated lemon peel.

Source: Whole Chicken with Spice Rub in the Crock Pot

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the above minus the onion.

Rub spice rub onto the chicken.  Put chopped onion in bottom of the crock pot.  Add chicken to the crock pot and add no liquid at all! The chicken will make it’s own juices.  Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on LOW.

Sugar Cookies

So, the last time I made sugar cookies, I was proud of myself, but I definitely saw room for improvement.  After reading multiple posts over the last year and recognizing where I went wrong in the past, I decided to give these sugar cookies another try.

My B.F.F. and ‘adopted sister’ K was celebrating her 27th birthday and had recently had a baby.  Additionally, another of the sous chef and I’s friend’s had a baby as well shortly after K.  I thought each of them was HIGHLY deserving a sweet treat delivered by their postman.  Getting packages in the mail is FUN!

After a good deal of planning and thinking out how I would get these cookies to these sweet girls, I moved forward in my execution of the project :)

I decided on making Ella’s White Sugar Cookies which I found on  Annie’s Eats. 

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. sifted flour

Directions

Cream butter.  Add powdered sugar.  Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour.  Chill dough until firm.  Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 8-10 min.  Cookies should not brown.  Frost and decorate when cool.  Yields ~40 cookies.

I also used Annie’s terrific tutorial on decorating with royal icing.  I still have some perfecting to do, but I was decently proud of myself for what I was able to accomplish :) The tricky part was getting ready to ship these cookies off to other states and trusting USPS with them!  I didn’t spend 2 days on these delicious and beautiful cookies only for them to break, right?!  So I packaged them VERY well and wrapped each cookie in a baggie.  Our friends in Louisiana received them in OK condition as the picture at the top of this posts displays.

My B.F.F. K received her cookies in great condition, too!  See below. I’m looking forward to making more of these delicious cookies!

Surf and Turf Salad

Trying to eat light is a much more frequent thing in our household.  Sure you’ll still see me make sweets, but we are making an effort to eat less meat and increase the amount of veggies and fruits that we eat.  Spotting this recipe in Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Get Real Meals was perfect to add to my shopping list!  We both truly enjoyed this recipe and the salad dressing is really great!

Ingredients

2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or grated
3 tablespoons Tamari (dark aged soy sauce)
1 teaspoon ground coriander (1/3 palmful)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick brand Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
1 1/2-2 pounds flank steak
1 bunch scallions
16 medium shrimp, peeled, tails removed and deveined
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 hearts of Romaine, chopped
4 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (a couple handfuls), chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped

Dressing:
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt and pepper
Directions

Pre-heat a tabletop grill, grill pan, or outdoor grill to high.

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a shallow dish. Coat flank steak in mixture and reserve for 10-15 minutes.

Trim ends and one inch of tops off of the scallions. Drizzle EVOO over both the scallions and the shrimp and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Grill scallions and shrimp for two minutes on each side. Remove from grill and reserve.

Place flank steak on grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the meat to a plate, tent with foil, and let juices settle for five minutes.

Combine greens, red onion and parsley leaves on a large platter or individual plates. Cut reserved scallions into 1-inch pieces. Scatter over greens and then evenly distribute the grilled shrimp over the greens.  In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce and whisk in three tablespoons EVOO. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle it back and forth over the arranged greens and scallions and shrimp. Slice the steak very thinly against the grain on an angle with a sharp knife and arrange it over the salad.

Mother’s Day 2010

It’s time to honor Mom!  How are you planning to dine with Mom this Sunday?  Is this your first reminder that Mother’s Day is THIS weekend?  If so, I hope I can help you get ready :)  Here’s some ideas from Krista Kooks to help you enjoy time with Mom at home.  Click on any of the pictures to be directed to the original blog post. Blueberry Delight-Great for breakfast or brunch with Mom. Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups- Also great for breakfast or brunch.

Fish Oreganata- Perfect main dish for a light lunch with Mom.Roasted Vegetables-Use this preparation method for your favorite vegetable.

Parsley-Paprika Potatoes- Delicious compliment to the 2 above.    Spring Summer Ziti-Just make a simple pasta to share with Mom.Fruit Cookie Pizza- Help Mom keep it light for dessert with this fruit cookie pizza!

Whatever you do, I hope you have a great Mother’s Day with Mom!

Chipotle-Glazed Chicken Breast and Grilled Chopped Veggie Salad

I’ve actually made this recipe once before, but it was pre-Krista Kooks time.  I was actually in college when I made this.  In fact, the first time I made this recipe, it was not NEARLY as good or as pretty :)  As I prepared this recipe the 2nd time around, I kept asking myself, “What were you doing when you made this before?”  Haha!  I kept remembering how silly I was before in how I prepared it.

Nonetheless, we loved the slight spice this chicken has against the very fresh tasting salad.  Best of all, this is a great good-for-you recipe!  Here’s another Rachael Ray Get Real meal! Ingredients

5 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons honey
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut in half, cored, and seeded
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch rings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 16-ounce sack of coleslaw mix (on the produce aisle)
2 rounded tablespoons honey mustard, such as Guilden's Spicy Honey Mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (half a palmful)
2 rounded tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt

Preheat a grill pan or charcoal grill to high.

To make the chipotle glaze, in a small saucepot heat about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste, honey, chipotles, and 1/4 cup cider vinegar, and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes, or until glaze has thickened. Reserve the sauce on low heat.

While the chipotle glaze is cooking, season the sliced veggies, apple, and chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a generous amount of vegetable oil. Place the veggies, apple, and chicken on the grill. The veggies should be cooked in 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are well marked by the grill, then remove to cook slightly. The chicken should be cooked for 6 minutes per side. For the last 2 minutes of cooking time, baste the chicken using a pastry brush with the thickened chipotle glaze. Both sides of the chicken should be well coated with the glaze. Remove the chicken from the grill to rest while you put the rest of the grilled chopped veggie salad together.

Chop the cooled veggies into bite-size pieces and transfer to a salad bowl.  Add the coleslaw mix. In a small bowl whisk together the honey mustard, cumin, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar; stream in the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil while you continue to whisk the dressing. Stir in the sour cream or yogurt. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat.

Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and serve them on top of a mound of the salad.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pour yourself a big glass of milk because just looking at these cookies and reading about them will make you crave some seriously cold milk.  In fact…excuse me while I run to the kitchen to get a glass while I type this….

You think I’m kidding?  I just took 2 huge gulps!

I was itchin’ to bake something sweet; I like chocolate and the sous chef likes his peanut butter.  I thought I had recently seen a Nestie (someone who posts on TheNest.com) post something about Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies, but I couldn’t remember who it was.  Nonetheless, after a quick blog search, I found these on Brown Eyed Baker.  Can you say YUM?!

These cookies definitely stayed moist and chewy and were likely the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made.  The sous chef and I HIGHLY recommend them!

Makes about 16 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter (Krista Kooks used Natural Jif Creamy Peanut Butter)
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.
4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Roasted Broccoli

“Krista Kooks, this is the best broccoli I’ve ever had.”

Those are the words of my sous chef.  Need I say more?

Well, this is a blog, so yes, I do :)  Haha!  It’s all thanks to Aggie’s Kitchen that this is the best broccoli we’ve ever had.  We’ve actually already had it once again after these pictures were taken!  That’s because I ate all the broccoli the first time.  What?  I needed my daily servings of vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli, cut in florets
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Toss broccoli florets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper (and some chopped garlic or red pepper flakes if you like). Roast in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly crisped and browned.
Krista Kooks’s highly suggests using the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Be sparing with the flakes as it can get spicy with just a 1/4 teaspoon.  Keep it at about 1/8 of a teaspoon for the flakes.

Enjoy eating your veggies!

Fish Oreganata

Ok, I’ve probably said it several times before, but I LOVE me some tilapia.  Aggie’s Kitchen posted this fabulous fish recipe recently, and I immediately bookmared it.  It looked mouthwatering delicious and very in line with me wanting to shed some pounds!!  This recipe was indeed mouthwatering delicious as I expected.  I don’t think the sous chef got any of this recipe :)  I saved the leftovers and ate them later.  Yes, I do feel slightly bad, but…it tastes SO GOOD!  Can you blame me?!

Source: Weight Watchers Make It in Minutes: Easy Recipes in 15, 20, and 30 Minutes via Family, Friends and Food via Aggie’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 lb mild white fish (I used tilapia, but flounder, haddock or other white fish can be used)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
zest from one large lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and then spray with non-stick spray.

Place the fillets on the baking sheet. Combine remaining ingredients (EVOO through oregano) in a bowl. Press the bread crumb mixture into the fish fillets making sure they are covered. Bake until the fish is just opaque in the center, about 10 minutes.

Delicious meal for lunch or dinner.  Fortunately it’s quick and easy making lunch come quick!

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas in the CrockPot

Check out the remake of this dish at the bottom of this post! A couple of Food Blogs that I see every now and then posted these delicious enchiladas recently, and, as I’m sure yours will, too, my mouth began to water.  These enchiladas looked so delicious!  Check out Jessica’s of The Novice Chef; her post is the one that I followed to make our enchiladas.  Also, Confections of a Foodie Bride made hers while thinking about preparing for her baby’s birth. The chain started, however, with Homesick Texan’s.  I highly suggest checking out each of their links as their photos do much better justice to this absolutely delicious meal :)  I did half The Novice Chef’s recipe, but we ate every bit of it; probably not a good idea healthwise, but they were oh so delectable!  Also, check their posts for freezing instructions to be able to cook these enchiladas for later!

Also, as each of these ladies posts will show, they did their enchiladas a la stovetop and oven.  I chose to go the crockpot route partially to show you all that there are many recipes out there that can be made easier for you. 

That said, I have some adjustments on how I did this recipe as to how you should do this recipe in order to help you with time AND flavor!  First off, Homesick Texan’s recipe will instruct you on cooking the chicken via stovetop.  Anytime I know a recipe is going to need shredded cooked chicken to continue, I use the CrockPot/Slow-Cooker.  Thus, my frozen chicken went into the crockpot over about 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  I then sprinkled all of the chicken liberally with my Mexican spice blend.  Set your chicken to cook, off to work you go :)  Make sure to set it on low low low if you are going to be gone for 6 or more hours.  If you will be home during the chicken process and put the chicken in the crockpot in the afternoon, go ahead and set it it high for the 4 hour or 6 hour setting.  The chicken should cook within about 2 hours.

I also decided to cook these enchiladas in the crockpot once assembled.  I laid foil to line the crockpot, poured some of the sauce on bottom, and preceded to stack my assembled enchiladas.  Once all ingredients were in per the recipe’s instructions, I set the crockpot to high to cook.  As you can see from my pictures above, the crockpot’s cooing process does not crisp up enchiladas much the way an oven would.  We kind of had enchilada casserole, haha!  It didn’t matter to us though.  This recipe was fabulous.  Thus, my recommendation to you would be to proceed with the oven process in cooking the assembled enchiladas.  Just know that, if you want to prolong the cooking process because you have to go somewhere or whatever, you definitely can use the CrockPot/Slow-Cooker to cook the assembled enchiladas.

Here are the ingredients/instructions as used from The Novice Chef and adapted to the Krista Kooks’ Kitchen.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (See above comments on cooking this chicken.  In one bowl, shred the chicken with 2 forks)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Serrano pepper, diced (seeds-in if you like the heat)
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (Use gluten-free all purpose flour to make this recipe gluten free)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Low-Fat or Fat-Free sour cream (make sure to use a gluten free sour cream to keep this recipe gluten free, such as Daisy)
8 oz jar of  Salsa Verde (Krista Kooks used San Antonio Farms Medium Roasted Salsa Verde; highly recommend!)
3/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
8 white corn tortillas, small fajita size
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
1/4 medium onion, diced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute Serrano and Jalapeno until soft  and then add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and let cook 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly.  Stir in the sour cream, salsa, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spray/grease a 9×13 baking dish.  Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken, cheese, and chopped onion to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with leftover cheese, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.

Yields: 6-7 enchiladas

This recipe ranks up there with the Cajun Chicken Pasta.  Both of these recipes should be on a restaurant menu!

June 20, 2011
As promised above, here is a remake of this dish!  After finding out that I have Celiac Disease and need to live gluten-free, I challenged myself to go back and make some of my favorite recipes on Krista Kooks that were gluten-ful yet make them gluten-free.  This was an easy choice!  Also, as you can read above, I wasn't all that impressed with making these in the crockpot last time.  Thus, these enchiladas went in the oven this time.

Luckily, this is an easy recipe to make gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour and ensuring that the chicken broth, tortillas and sour cream are gluten free.  This is all generally very easily done; it's just wise to double check.


If you didn't jump to make this recipe when I originally posted it, you should definitely do so now!

CrockPot Chicken Mole

Let me start by saying that the sous chef LOVED this recipe.  He had 2 servings.  His recommendation was to make it again.  I on the other hand hated this recipe.  So why post it?  Just because I dislike it doesn’t mean everyone else will hate it also.  After all, the sous chef liked it!  For that reason, I decided to share it.

There is some slight prep in getting this recipe into the slow-cooker, but, as with other recipes from this cookbook, it’s not too bad at all.  The hardest part for me was cutting up an ear of corn!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized yellow or white onion, sliced

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Krista Kooks just bought organic thighs, cut off the skin, but left the bones in )
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning blend (Check here for more info on that)
Pinch of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large ear of corn on the cob (optional), shucked and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth, canned or homemade
2 tablespoons prepared mole sauce (such as Rogelio Bueno Autentico Mole or Dona Maria brands)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup (such as Hershey’s)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, for garnish

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray and lay the onion in the bottom (it will be the bed for the chicken). Sprinkle the chicken with the Mexican seasoning and the salt.

2. In a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and add the chicken pieces in a single layer, with the smooth side down.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, to form a nice browned surface; turn the chicken and brown the second side.  Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker, smooth side up.  Add the corn sections around the chicken, if using.

3. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, mole sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chocolate syrup, and red pepper flakes; stir with a fork.  Place in the microwave to warm the sauce and melt the peanut butter a little, but don’t worry; the sauce will melt together during the slow cooking.  Pour the mole sauce over the chicken in the crock.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (or on LOW for 6 hours). 4. Remove the chicken and corn with a large spoon.  Serve 2 thighs and 2 pieces of corn per person, sprinkled with the sesame seeds.

Blueberry Delight

Many many months ago, the sous chef and I were staying with our sweet friends Mike and Cynthia.Being the perfect hostess that she is, Cynthia made a fabulous breakfast.  I’ve been wanting to make that thing for months!  Cynthia was kind enough to share the recipe with me and allow me to share it with you :) This Blueberry Delight is absolutely heavenly, and it’s even easier than making blueberry muffins.  That said, I’m confident that these can easily be made in blueberry form much the same way a cake can be make as a cake or cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Cream butter, egg, sugar and salt until fluffy. Combine flour & baking powder; add to creamed mixture slowly.  Slowly add milk,  mixing well. Add blueberries & pour into greased/floured square pan.

Krista Kooks used a 9x9 square pan and lined it with parchement paper, no greasing required.  Being able to lift the cake out of the pan shortly after removing it from the oven was nice, thanks to the parchment paper.  I could eat it faster! :)

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter

Combine all 4 ingredients & place on top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
 

Brazilian Chicken Cutlets with Raw Tropical Sauce

OMG, delicious!  No side needed at all!  This one is a dish all by its self, and a tasty one at that.  There’s also not much major cooking involved in this dish either; most of the time is spent on dicing the tropical sauce.  If you are someone that utilizes help from the grocery store in buying already diced onions, etc., this could be a pretty quick meal for you!

Also, as I mentioned on Wednesday, using Panko bread crumbs is a great way to change the texture of a recipe requiring bread crumbs.  For this dish, I think it made it feel so much lighter/healthier.  Additionally, I mentioned that I began using organic chicken; I did the same here and once again felt the same after this meal.

The sous chef was very impressed with this Rachel Ray recipe!  We ate all the leftovers :)

Click for source:

Ingredients:

1 large, ripe mango, pitted and chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup (about a palmful) cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
A few dashes hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more as needed
Preheat oven to 250ºF.

Directions:

Prepare the raw sauce by combining the mango, plum tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir gently to combine.

Flatten the chicken breasts into cutlets by butterflying each piece open then pounding it out 1/4 inch thick.

Set up three shallow dishes on the counter.  To one dish add the flour, to the second add the eggs and beat with a splash of water, and to the third add the bred crumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, granulated garlic, and lemon zest. 

Bread the cutlets by first tossing them in the flour, then dipping them in the beaten egg, then coating them in the breadcrumb mixture

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the cutlets in batches until golden brown on each side and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side, adding more oil to the pan as needed between batches. As each cutlet finishes cooking, transfer it to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while the others cook.

Serve the cutlets with the raw sauce over top and lemon wedges to squeeze over the cutlets if desired.