Chicken Parmesan, an ageless classic tea-soned with an ancient twist dedicated to two legendary men...

As a consumer, I vote with my dollar. As an entrepreneur in the Natural Foods Industry I admire with my heart. In my mind, Newman’s Own was one of the first companies to really impress me, donating over $264 Million to charities all around the world.  

In their ‘shameless exploitation in pursuit of the common good’ they created high-quality, all-natural, often organic, tasty products to sell in order to raise money for their foundation. The Tea Spot currently donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each tea tin to Cancer research and wellness programs and hopes to one day donate just as much as Newman’s Own. Until then, I will vote with my dollar, buying products from companies like Newman’s Own and will dedicate my entrepreneurial spirit towards creating a socially responsible philanthropic company.

Served as an entrée or sandwich, this Crispy Green Tea-soned Chicken complements Newman’s thick and tasty Marinara sauce all melted under gooey cheese; the result a Chicken Parmesan dish even my Grandpa Dave Abrams would enjoy, the man that first introduced me to this ageless dish. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Paul Newman, I think he might even find this dish 'tea-licious'.

Crispy Green Tea-soned Chicken Parmesan

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes / Cook Time:  20-25 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients: 

• BOULDER BLUES Tea-sonings (Tea + Seasoning = Tea-soning), divided (using ½ for breading and ½ in Newman’s Tomato Sauce

o      2 TBS BOULDER BLUES green tea (or any other fruity flavored green tea)

o      2 TBS crushed pepper

o      1 TBS oregano

o      1 TBS marjoram

o      1 TBS basil

o      2 tsp thyme

o      2 tsp rosemary

o      2 tsp sage

o      2 tsp salt

o      2 tsp pepper

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast, 6 oz each
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs, organic and local preferable
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• 1 cup blanched & sliced almonds
• 3-4 TBS Sunflower Oil
• 16 oz Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce 
• 4 oz Fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded

Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°
   
2. Tea-sonings: In a small mixing bowl, hand blend all tea-sonings ingredients. Reserve ½ of Tea-soning for pasta sauce, about 5-6 TBS.
   
3. Prep Chicken: Wash and pat dry chicken. Trim fat. Wrap chicken breast in plastic wrap and pound each side of each breast to equal thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   
4. Spread flour evenly in shallow dish. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs with water. In a medium bowl, combine panko crumbs, almonds and ½ of Tea-sonings, about 5-6 TBS. In a shallow dish, spread out panko crumbs mixture evenly.
   
5. Dip each breast in flour and shake off excess. Lightly coat each breast with egg wash allowing excess to drip off. Finally, liberally cover each breast with panko crumb mixture and press down to hold.
   
6. Cooking Chicken: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and evenly coat bottom. Add chicken to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Place chicken on baking sheet and place in oven for 10 - 15 minutes.
   
7. Meanwhile, in a small pot pour Newman’s Own Marinara and stir in reserved tea-sonings. Heat marinara sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
   
8. Remove chicken from oven. Heat oven to boil. Pour 4 oz marinara sauce over each breast and sprinkle mozzarella on top. Place chicken back in oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
   
9. Remove chicken from oven, sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano and crushed red pepper.
10. Suggested Side Dish: Roasted Garlicky Green Broccoli.

Dedicated to two men, who in my mind, where the most generous souls in the world and who are probably enjoying a Chicken Parmesan sandwich up there together...

Stay tuned for next week's tea-recipe and learn more about my Grandpa Dave, the toy man...