Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Cheese Sauce

Morning!  I hope you slept well.  Let's talk.  It's not you, it's me.  I want to be a better photographer and you're going to have to live with it.  Not where you thought I was going with this, huh?  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to start off this post.  Then it hit me, and here we are.

Today's recipe is from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum.  As soon as the email hit my inbox, this chicken became an immediate "I need to make this" recipe.  So what's the big deal?  Lindsay wrote the eBook that's been getting me inspired and has started my baby steps to be the photographer I want to be.  

I had bought a food photography book from Amazon before.  It was basically 100% for people with DSLR cameras - which I didn't have at the time.  I took notes, but nothing ever clicked for me.  Then I saw Tara from Noshing with the Nolands talk about a book she had used to become a better food photographer.  Tara's pictures are fabulous, and I wanted in.  So I bought Lindsay's book: Tasty Food Photography.  

All the photography "stuff" I never got before finally made sense.  Her before and after pictures and camera setting variations made it easy to see what little tweaks can do to a picture.  Better yet, her composition and styling tips are accessible and apply to point-and-shoot and even phone cameras, not just DSLR.  I can't tell you how much I would recommend this book if you are wanting to be a better food photographer, or photographer in general.  Case in point - 

Last year:

  

This year:

Significant difference.  Even though I'm still in the beginning stages of the learning process, I had to tell you about this book.  It would make the perfect present for the blogger in your life, just in time for the holidays!

One Year Ago: Rudolf Cookies

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Cheese Sauce

From Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Oil for frying

Sauce:

2 ounces cream cheese

1 tablespoon milk  (plus more to thin sauce)

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 ounce sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Begin to butterfly chicken breasts and then cut all the way through, creating 4 thinner chicken pieces.  Cut each thin piece into 3 pieces for a total of 12 pieces.
2. Heat 1 to 2-inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Set up your dredge station: flour on a plate, beaten egg and milk in a bowl, and bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese on another plate.
3. Dip chicken pieces first into the flour, then the egg mixture, and then coat in the bread crumb mixture.  Carefully, place chicken into hot oil.  Cook until browned and cooked through, turning once.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt cream cheese, milk, garlic, and oil until smooth.  You can add more milk once everything melts to thin sauce if desired.  
5. Dip, eat and be happy!