Bon Appétit Italy

In Rome, the fast food giant McDonald's just introduced a new "McItaly" line of burgers made entirely with Italian ingredients such as a burger with artichoke spread and Asiago cheese. Burger King Corp. had its $2.99 Italian Chicken Sandwich, a crispy chicken patty topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce on a hoagie-style sesame-seeded bun.

Tonight, I'm craving an Italian-style meal, but I don't want all of the starch and sodium that comes from a heavy sandwich. My challenge: deconstruct the new McItaly menu and come up with a healthy, quick alternative. Pavarotti is playing and I have about 40 minutes to whip up a buonissimo dinner.

Food Challenge #2

The Italian Chicken Sandwich

Nutritional Information:

• 580 calories
• 1730 mg of sodium

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts $3 (I buy a pack of four and save two)

1 Egg 25¢

Breadcrumbs $2

Mozzarella $4 (I indulged on a fresh ball of mozz, but you can also use the shredded kind)

Tomatoes $2

Garlic $1

Pasta $2

Zucchini $1

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Total cost: $15.25

Preheat 350 degrees

DIY Tomato Sauce: Coat a sauce pan with Olive Oil (3 tablespoons). Dice tomatoes (cherry or vine) and garlic (3-8 cloves, depending on how zesty you want it). Throw in pan, cook on medium-low, for 10 minutes. Add S+P to taste. Cool. Puree if you want it smooth, let it be if you like it plump.

Super Simple Crispy Chick: Make egg wash (mix egg with water). Pour breadcrumbs on a plate. Set aside. Cut chicken breasts in half and then pound the 4 pieces out between wax paper (recommend pounding tools: small pan, hammer, rolling pin, soup can). Heat a large pan with Olive Oil (3 tablespoons) and while it's heating up start to dredge your skinny chicken slices in egg wash then breadcrumbs. Sizzle your chicken until both sides are honey-colored. Set aside to cool and rest.

Zucchini Strips: Take your zuch and slice it lengthwise. I like mine cut in fairly meaty strips. Brush each side with Olive Oil and Salt. Line on a cookie sheet.

Pasta Pasta: If you want pasta with this meal, now's the time to make it. I recommend any shape Barilla Plus Multi-Grain pasta.

Putting It Together: Assemble your dinner by placing your sauce in a baking dish. Nestle your chicken in a saucy spot and top with mozzarella. Put dish in oven for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, put the zucchini in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes longer.

Dinner's ready! Bon Appétit!