We just got back from a two-week holiday in Arizona. I apologize for not commenting as much as I usually do, but you know the drill on holidays.
Regarding Arizona, I would love to say it was perfect weather, and perhaps it was, for Toronto weather but it was cold, sometimes snowy and rainy. Our time with dear friends more than made up for the lousy weather. Although we did have a few gloriously sunny days before the ugly, rainy days we spent in Sedona. Fortunately, our time at the Grand Canyon was clear, albeit cold (read: two layers of leggings, three long-sleeved Ts and a light winter jacket with hat, mittens and scarf). Once I get our photos sorted, I’ll post a few good ones on the blog, in the meantime, I thought I’d share one of my favourite ‘diet’ dishes, chicken “schnitzel” with roasted garlic cauliflower mash!
Chicken “Schnitzel” with Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash
A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 460 g cauliflower
- 2-3 cloves garlic, roasted
- 1/4 cup water
- 165 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 35 g egg white
- 2 Ryvita whole wheat snack bread
- 10 g whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup Herbes en Provence with granulated onion and garlic
- few sprays of non-stick spray
- chopped fresh dill for garnish
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 425° F.
- Break down cauliflower into equal-sized florets and set on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Roast until softened. Add a bit of water at the end to steam to perfect tenderness for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets into a glass bowl and add the roasted garlic cloves. Blitz with the hand blender until creamy and smooth, adding a bit of water if necessary (I just added the left-over steaming liquid from the roasting pan). Set aside.
- Divide the chicken into two equal portions and butterfly each, cover the chicken with plastic and flatten it to about 0.5 cm or 1/4 inch with a kitchen mallet. Put them into the fridge.
- Add Ryvita to a small zip lock bag and smash into smaller but coarser bits. Add the Herbes en Provence and mix well.
- Add the egg whites into a large flat bowl and beat with a fork.
- Remove one chicken cutlet from the fridge and lightly dust each side with the whole wheat flour. Then dip it into the egg whites to cover both sides. Sprinkle each side with the Ryvita mixture to coat evenly. Repeat with second cutlet.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan. Spray each side of each cutlet and cook cutlets on both sides until nicely golden and the internal temperature is 185°F. Serve immediately with a slice of lemon and some fresh dill sprinkled onto it.
Notes:
- The diet I use allows for two 100 g servings of protein per day.
- If you don’t have roasted garlic on hand, simply put a few unpeeled cloves into a ramekin filled with a little water or stock and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until softened.
- Even though the chicken is very thin, it is so tender, it will knock your socks off.
[…] 218 g roasted garlic, cauliflower purée (for the purée recipe, please click here) […]
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I chuckled at your description of what you wore because it was cold, I didn’t think Canadians ever got cold. 🙂 I’m glad you got to see the Grand Canyon on a clear if very cold day as it can be breathtaking. Your meal sounds good, it shows you can eat a “diet” meal and it can still be delicious.
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Hi Karen, I just couldn’t get warm that trip, it’s getting worse as I get older too! Thank you for your kind words.
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I understand, that is one of the reasons we moved to Florida. Happy and warm spring greetings. 🙂
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What a nice holiday to visit friends in Phoenix. It’s been a long time since I visited Sedona but I bet it was beautiful, even in the rain.
Your schnitzel looks great and I like that the chicken is thin. I like meat but I don’t eat a lot of it. The roasted garlic is a great addition.
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Thank you kindly Maureen, the sights in Sedona were breathtaking. We would have done a lot more hiking if it weren’t for the rain. When we returned the rental car, they immediately exclaimed, “Sedona, right?” Because the car was covered in red mud!
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Hi Eva, this seemed to have gone AWOL in my inbox?!?! Anyway my first look at it looked divine and then on closer inspection to discover its all as healthy as can be. What a great recipe.
Btw, the summer programme is out and there are some YYZ trips which give me 3 days off there. Hoorah!!!
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Thanks Dave, the recipe is one of our favourites. Three days is fantastic. Let me know when you have a better idea of when you’ll be here so we can make sure we’re around. Let’s connect by email to work out the deets.
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Wildo.
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In Austria chicken schnitzel is like a sin. lol It’s because Schnitzel are always made with pork or veal meat. In fact veal is the standard in Austria and pork in Germany. Sometimes you will find places serving turkey Schnitzel too, however it’s rather rare. I came across chicken Schnitzel in Asia! lol because Israeli are common here around and they love Chicken Schnitzel. They add Sesame seed to the flower and serve it with Hummus and some salad.
I like your approach with herbe de provence, it looks very tempting and I could have that for breakfast too. 😀
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Thank you kindly Helene, it’s a flavourful breading. I know how particular Europeans can be about traditional foods, we actually prefer chicken, it’s much more tender than pork or even veal.
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I love schnitzel!
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Thanks Jeff.
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Ugh. I’m so sorry you guys had such lousy weather on your vacation that is the WORST!! How long were you guys there for?
The meal looks warm and lovely. I’m curious….you think I could use cauliflower crumbs in place of breadcrumbs for something like this?
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Hi Dana, we were away for two weeks, on the up-side, we did have some wonderfully sunny days. I have not considered using cauliflower crumbs, my concern would be that they wouldn’t communicate the crunch that a breadcrumb crust does. Coconut flour might work because it seems to absorb moisture without getting mushy. Let me know if you try it.
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ok will do!
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Sounds lovely! reminds me of my chicken katsu actually…. I prepare it sometimes in the oven (it doesn’t taste as good as deep-fried but it’s still delicious and many many kcal less…). I like the cauliflower side-dish! Especially since it’s with garlic!
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Thank you kindly, Sissi, believe it or not, I was actually thinking of you as I was preparing this tasty dish. I will try oven ‘frying’ next time. The puréed cauliflower has become one of our favourite side-dishes.
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If you try the oven, brown slightly the bread crumbs before in a pan. It makes them crunchier and it looks better too.
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I saw that trick on your blog post, Sissi, and I thought it was very clever. Thank you for the reminder.
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My family would love this for dinner! I I love the healthy twist! Glad you had a nice trip despite the weather. We’re off to Florida and hoping for a heat wave!!!
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You guys have had a tough winter too, Liz, I sure hope your weather is nice and toasty! Thank you for your kind words about this dish.
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Good way to do schnitzel! Flavorful, and healthy. Really like the cauliflower — such a neat way to prepare it. Thanks!
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Thanks John, it sure has become one of our absolute favourite meals.
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Ooh a big yes to this dish. It’s getting cooler all of a sudden for Autumn. And I’ve learnt one thing: if a Canadian says that it’s cold, it’s reeeaaally cold! 😛
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Thanks Lorraine, I hope you were able to get good use from your air conditioner; I always forget that as it gets warmer here, it’s getting cooler there. Stay warm and I hope you do try this dish, it is addictive!
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We have perfect weather (finally) in So Cal. But it’s been a colder than the typical winter in general throughout the west U.S. Still, schnitzel and friends beats out the cold and rain wherever you are. Besides “Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles… These are a few of my favorite things. GREG
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I assume the cold weather is all over the west coast, the Grand Canyon was brutal, so cold, but at least it was sunny. I’m glad you are getting some warmer weather now, can’t wait to see what you cook up when pool season starts! Schnitzel with noodles? We usually do spaetzle, but noodles would be so much quicker!
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Looks delicious!
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Thanks Lina, welcome to my blog.
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Looks delicious! Love that cauliflower smash.
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Thank you kindly Angie.
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