Recipe: Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets With Fennel Tomato Salad

Here is a slightly more advanced recipe, full of great healthy fresh flavors and nutrients. Fill up on this one and you'll give your body a special treat! Whole, fresh ingredients provide your body with the fuel it needs to have lots of energy to get some great exercise to support your weight-loss efforts. And it's so tasty, it can satisfy even the most gourmet palate.

Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets With Fennel Tomato Salad
(Serves 4.)

Fennel (Photo credit: Satrina0)

Ingredients:

2 fennel bulbs, cleaned and sliced thin
1 Tbsp fronds from the fennel
4 stalks celery, chopped
12 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
1 lb chicken cutlets
2 cups almond meal
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl, put the fennel, fronds, celery, grape tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss together.  Add the Parmesan cheese and toss together once more gently. Set aside.
2. Divide the almond meal evenly between two shallow dishes, and salt and pepper both to taste. Put beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish.
3. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the following order: almond, egg, almond.  Put each on a platter.
4. Pour about 1/4 inch of olive or other healthy cooking oil into a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil sizzles, take coated cutlets and gently lay a few in, cooking until nice and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, removing to a cooling rack covered with paper towels. Continue cooking cutlets, making sure not to over-crowd the skillet.
5. Serve by putting a cutlet on a plate and spoon generous amounts of fennel salad next to and over the cutlet.

The almond meal replaces the use of flour or cornmeal to make the crust, which may be more suitable for your diet.