Chicken-Zucchini Bake

Another case of "Use whatchagot".

Had some chix breasts from Lindenhof Farms, tomatoes and a giant zucchini from the garden. It's still hella-hot here and I wasn't feeling compelled to stand over a stovetop (for long, anyway...). So, an oven dish it was! The panko really gave this a fun crunch.

Oven at 400 degrees.

3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 egg

1 TB water

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

1 cup panko crumbs (reserving some for topping)

4 TB olive oil

3-4 plum tomatoes

1 large zucchini

1 cup mozzerella cheese

4 basil leaves, chopped

In a shallow dish, beat together the egg, water, salt & pepper.

Place panko crumbs in a large zipseal bag.

Dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture and add to the bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the breadcrumbs.

Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 2 TB of the olive oil. Cook the chicken 2-3 mins per side, or until each side is nicely browned. (It does not have to be cooked all the way, the oven will do the rest).

Remove the chicken, set aside. Add the zucchini, adding more oil if needed. Saute and transfer to the bottom of a 9x13 inch (greased) baking dish. Sprinkle with panko. Add tomatoes and top with 2/3 cup of the mozz. Add the basil. Sprinkle with more salt/pepper to taste.

Add the chicken, cover and bake for 25 mins. Uncover, add the rest of the cheese, and bake for 10 mins more. Remove from oven, garnish with basil.

And, if you don't like tomatoes...it's just as good without em :) Roasted red peppers are a nice replacement, too.