The warmer summer weather has finally arrived and with it a desire for lighter dinners. Now I’m not a salad for dinner kinda girl so for me that means taking a favourite and making it a bit lighter and more Summery. For the uninitiated chicken parmigiana is one of those Italian- American hybrids which basically involves breading a flattened chicken breast and serving it in a tomato sauce smothered with cheese. None of those things sound bad to me but they don’t exactly scream summer and they definitely don’t scream summer beach bod!h

This riff on it lightens up on the cheese, takes less than 30 mins from start to finish, has minimal cleanup and is satisfying and tasty

 Here’s what you’ll need:

• Chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup flour, seasoned with 1tsp each salt and pepper
• Panko/ dried breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tbs season all/aromat,  that kind of thing & 1tsp oregano
• 1 egg whisked with generous 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan, divided
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 courgette cut into large chunks
• 1 heaped teaspoon pesto
• Lots of fresh basil
• Generous 1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice for topping
• Leaves of your choice to serve

Preheat oven to 180c

Put your chicken breasts between cling film and pound out to even thickness with a rolling pin

Then get your dredge on:

From left to right we have

• seasoned flour
• egg and milk mix
• breadcrumbs season with season all, oregano and 1/4 cup parmesan

Get your chicken nicely coated – flour,egg,breadcrumbs

Heat approx 2tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium and get your coated chicken on and fry for 3-4 mins each side, make sure it has a nice little sizzle on the way in – nobody wants soggy chicken!

Your pan doesn’t have to be as abused (loved?) as mine

Meanwhile prep your veg, as a great woman once said – ABP –  always be prepping! (that might be a Martha Stewartism)

When your chicken is golden on both sides, remove it to a baking tray and top with the other Parmesan and cheese (I had a tiny bit of grated cheddar and mozarella in my fridge). Pop it in the oven while you get on with the rest

Put the courgette in the same chickeny pan, season generously with salt and pepper and fry for about 3-4 mins until it starts getting nice and golden

Then add your tomatoes and garlic and fry for another minute or 2 until they start bursting a little

At this point add some pesto if you fancy and give it a stir around for a minute

You’re now ready to start serving

Grab 2 big pasta bowls or plates and heap on a generous amount of leaves, I used one of those mixed bags of bistro salad and some baby spinach

Then drizzle on a little balsamic for extra flavour if you like

Throw on your sauteed vegetables and tear over a generous amount of fresh basil leaves

Now you can probably guess what’s coming next but I’m still pretty excited to say CHICKEN!!!

Tear over some more fresh basil and make your chap wait to eat while you take a beauty shot of his dinner