Normally, I have plenty of food ideas running through my head. It usually isn’t a struggle to come up with new or different ideas. I know this is rare and maybe even a bit weird but I just really love food. Delicious, healthy, wholesome food probably goes through my head more than the average person. Hence making the struggle to figuring out what’s for supper a bit easier for me.
To give you an idea of my weird quirks, I would much rather look at a food magazine than a fitness/health (which is mostly full of junk information anyways) or even shopping in magazines (I’d rather just go shopping than dream it). But I love perusing food magazines as if I could make half of the beauty they produce.
With all of that said, I do lack ideas once in a while. Especially when I get dead set in having one of my many horrible pregnancy cravings. Yes, I have those quite often and they are quite intense, I am human! Although I do know and believe 100% that what you eat during pregnancy and before you are even pregnant has a HUGE effect on your growing baby and the health status of that child after birth. Its proven…believe it, accept it and take responsibility. But it doesn’t deny the fact that pregnancy cravings are real. I mean, I crave things I wouldn’t normally even like and I develop food aversions to things I would normally love. Weird, weird, weird, but reality.
And although it completely irritates me and in fact can make me quite angry (at the time of course), my husband does a good job of keeping me on the right path for the most part. Nearly every time he gives me this look, he doesn’t even have to say anything, it is just this stabbing look. In my head it translates into,”Hey crazy lady, you are telling everyone else to eat healthy and you normally do and now you are asking for what? You’re crazy and no!” And then what he really says is, “Are you sure that isn’t going to make you feel bad afterwards?” (Said most of the time in a sweet and caring voice, that usually rubs me the wrong way). O the joys of pregnancy!
Usually we find a middle ground to meet at which still ends up being something I typically wouldn’t have eaten but for the most part he does a great job of keeping me where I need to be. My brother-in-law is a different story. He will get me anything I want….good and bad. P.S. In the midst of my anger at my husband when he prevents me from eating something I am craving, I will occasionally thrown out that said brother-in-law would have gotten it for me. I know, I’m a great wife, right?!? It’s the baby talking, I swear!
Needless to say, I was having a moment where all I wanted was fried fish and so he brought me back to a level I could handle and sent me (numerous times I may add) an idea for grain free chicken parmesan. I’m glad he did. It surprisingly took far less time to prepare than I initially thought and in fact can be added to a week-night recipe in my book. Plus, it had the “breading”….that’s all I really wanted anyways…the breading….
We served this grain free chicken parmesan with summer squash and zucchini noodles (I made mine with a vegetable peeler), marinara sauce and some fresh mozzarella cheese broiled on top. OVER.THE.TOP.DELICIOUS.
- For the Chicken:
- 2 chicken breast halves
- ¼ cup flax seed meal
- ¼ cup pysllium husks
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ¼ cup tapioca starch (any starch will work)
- Noodles:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 summer squash
- 1 Tbsp butter
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Marinara sauce (homemade or low sugar)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil
- Preheat oven to 350 and place wire rack on baking pan (optional but helps the chicken to crisp on both sides).
- In a bowl mix; flaxseed, physilium husks, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Prepare dipping stations; 1 plate with tapioca starch, a bowl with whisked eggs and the bowl of breading.
- Prepare chicken by thinning and cutting off any visible fat.
- Coat chicken in starch, dip in egg and then breading. Place on prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Once cooked place a slice of mozzarella cheese on breaded chicken and broil until melted an bubbly (be careful not to burn the chicken or cheese, it will turn quick).
- Meanwhile, wash summer squash and zucchini and cut ribbons using a vegetable peeler or spiral vegetable slicer.
- Place in a strainer and salt to remove excess moisture for about 10 minutes.
- Lay out on a towel and then saute in butter until tender, about five minutes.
- Prepare marinara sauce or heat.
- To plate: Place noodles on plate followed by marinara and chicken. Add fresh basil if desired.
