Healthy Chicken Parm!

Ingredients

·  2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts

· 1 cup Ezekiel bread crumbs (place bread on parchment paper on a roasting pan, bake on 400 until lightly toasted. Remove, cool and blend in a blender to make bread crumbs)

·  1/4 cup freshly grated organic parmesan cheese

·  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

·  1/4 teaspoon sea salt & black pepper

·  2 large organic egg whites

·  4 ounces organic mozzarella cheese

·  1/2 cup organic tomato sauce — (no organic sugar) plus extra for serving as desired

·  Fresh basil, — thinly sliced or chopped

·  Optional — for serving: prepared chickpea or red lentil pasta, or just enjoy on its own!

Directions

1.     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise so that you have 4 pieces total. Pound each piece to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Set aside.

2.     In a wide, shallow bowl (a pie dish works well), combine the Ezekiel breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, and sea salt & pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites. Cut the mozzarella into 4 slices, or grate and divide into four equal portions.

3.     Arrange your workstation in the following order: pounded chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, baking sheet. Working one at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg whites, then breadcrumbs, gently patting the chicken as needed so that the crumbs stick to all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly coat the top of the chicken with baking spray.

4.     Bake until the chicken is cooked and the crumbs are brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce over each piece of chicken, and top with a slice of mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3-5 additional minutes. Sprinkle with basil and enjoy immediately, topped with extra sauce as desired.