A twist on chicken parmigiana

Hello and welcome to my pet project!  I love to cook and after much demand from friends and family, decided to start an online outlet for my culinary activity.  Most of the recipes are my own, and I'll always give credit where credit is due.  Please enjoy and feel free to share anything you like! 

Last night, I had chicken breast cutlets in the fridge along with a number of summer vegetables.  What to make?  I came up with a light, fresh take on an Italian classic.  It's a little spicy, full of fresh herbs, and makes the most of what is in season right now:

Summer chicken parmigiana with grilled vegetables and ricotta salata 

For the chicken:

-2 chicken breast cutlets, washed and patted dry

-1 cup plain bread crumbs

-1 tbsp. lemon zest

-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (chili flake) 

-3-4 tbsp. parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated (Note: do not use the stuff in the green shaker)

-2 tbsp. fresh italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped 

-1 egg

-Dash of milk

-Salt and pepper 

For the fresh tomato sauce:

-1 pint fresh heirloom grape tomatoes (the mix of yellow and red is great!)

-1-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 tbsp. fresh basil, roughly chopped 

For the vegetables:

-1 large or 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips

-1 large or 2 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips

-3-4 green onions, roots removed 

-Olive oil 

-Salt and pepper 

-Fresh ricotta salata

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cover a cookie sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil.  Combine bread crumbs, lemon zest, red pepper flake, grated parmigiano-reggiano, a little freshly ground black pepper, and parsley on a plate.  Beat egg with a dash of milk in a bowl. Cut each chicken breast down the middle, giving you four even-sized pieces.  Bread each piece by first dipping in the egg-milk mixture, then coating with the bread crumb mixture.  Place on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink when you cut it open to check.  

In the meantime, drizzle cut vegetables with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Grill just to the point of charring, plate and cover with either grated or crumbled ricotta salata.  

For the tomato sauce, heat olive oil in a small saucepan.  Add garlic and sauté just until the garlic begins to brown.  Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until they burst open.  Add basil, sauté a minute or two more, then serve atop the chicken. 

As Julia Child always said, Bon appétit!  I apologize for the lack of pictures right now.  Check back - more to come!