Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts

Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get
shredded cheese, not grated
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice --
chiffonade

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of
fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger
potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using
small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet.
Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just
enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season
liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to
22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are
crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15
minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and
peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed
paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over
medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added.
Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper
or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the
cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts
firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as
possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn
of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side,
until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken
breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl.
Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet.
Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes,
peppers and onions.


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