Healthy Chicken Parm

I hardly ever cook meat for myself, partially because of the expense and hassle (more expense now that I'm trying to go toward organic meats and dairy), but mostly because I'm just as happy without it. Yet when cooking with or for somebody else, it's sometimes nice to go with a more traditional main-course protein.

Enter Chicken Parm, a classic favorite. I like to make a healthy version, baked in the oven without breading or frying. I also make my own tomato sauce, though I'll admit, it might not take me 2 hours to prepare a meal if I took a store-bought shortcut here or there.



INGREDIENTS:
- 3 organic chicken breasts
- 1-2 cups grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup grated Fontina (optional)

FOR THE SAUCE:
- 5 ripe tomatoes on the vine
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar


To make the sauce:
Chop or dice tomatoes and combine in a medium saucepan with olive oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cover for 10-15 minutes. Cut one clove of garlic into quarters; dice second clove. Add both cloves of garlic and 2 bay leaves to the sauce. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 10-15 minutes. Remove lid and stir in 1 tsp. sugar. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until thickened (about another 10-15min). Remove garlic quarters and bay leaves before serving.

To make the chicken:
On my mother's advice, I like to pan-fry chicken briefly on each side before baking in order to seal in the moisture, which can otherwise leach out into the baking pan. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Sear chicken breasts over medium-high/high heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Place seared chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese blend, leaving a handful aside for the last 5 minutes. Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Sprinkle last handful of cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove, cool, and serve.