Breaded Chicken with Oven-Roasted Cauliflower and Turmeric Rice Pilaf

I was looking over the posts I've written so far and realized there weren't a lot of chicken recipes on here. Jeremy and I eat quite a bit of chicken and I try new recipes all the time. I make a variation on this regularly. There are few things better than a nice breaded chicken breast.

I grew up eating chicken breaded in rice krispies (I don't care how strange it sounds... it's delicious. At least to me.) and rice-a-roni. This was a standard meal my mom always made - and one I still request when we go to visit. Now when I make this I use similar ingredients but making it myself allows me to change up the flavors to match what I feel like having that night and is cheaper and healthier.

I used two chicken breasts for this. However, I sliced them in half so I had four pieces of chicken. Jeremy ate two and I had one. We also have some cauliflower and rice left over. I'm sure it will make a delicious lunch for one of us tomorrow.

This meal comes together fairly quickly. I put the chicken and cauliflower into the oven at the same time (removing the cauliflower a couple minutes before the chicken). I made the rice pilaf while the others were baking. So all together it took me only 30-35 minutes from start to finish. Definitely a nice comforting meal with lots of great flavors and textures.

Recipe:
Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, halved
1/2 c. Italian-style bread crumbs
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, paprika, and black pepper.
2. Dip chicken in margarine, then coat in breadcrumbs. Place in a 13"x9" baking dish. Drizzle any remaining margarine over the top.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Roasted Cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
3. Place on a sheet tray and add oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, turning periodically, until tender and slightly brown.

Rice Pilaf:
15 pieces of whole wheat spaghetti
1 c. rice
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 scallions, minced
2 1/4 c. chicken broth
2 tbs. margarine

1. Melt margarine in a medium saucepan. Break up spaghetti into half-inch pieces. Add to the margarine and stir to coat. Add rice, stir, and saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until the rice smells nutty.
2. Add chicken broth, parsley, turmeric, black pepper, and scallions. Stir.
3. Cover the pan, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer for 15-18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
4. Turn the rice off and allow to sit 3-5 minutes. Stir before serving.