Panko Chicken with Grapefruit Honey Sauce

This is a recipe that I have made for a couple of years, now, and it always reminds me of spring and summer.  It is so fresh and simple, with just the right texture and flavor.  My family loves it!  I am making it again this week, because, well, I completely over-indulged over the weekend and this chicken paired with a nice salad will help get me back on the healthy-eating track in a very tasty way!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2-3 Tbsp plus 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1/2 c grapefruit juice (I have squeezed fresh and used from a carton...both good, the carton much easier)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix Panko breadcrumbs with as much salt and pepper as you would like in a shallow bowl.  (I use grinders and grind for a count of 6 or so for the salt and pepper.)
2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg and then Panko mixture to coat.  Cook in a skillet with 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil for about four minutes.  (I use as minimal oil as I can, but tend to add throughout the cooking process to assure the browning of the chicken.)  Check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel and add the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the garlic.  Cook until garlic is tender.  Add grapefruit juice and honey.  Cook until some of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce thickens slightly.  Serve over chicken.

Difficulty: pretty easy
Time: about 20-25 minutes
Source: Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express, copyright 2009