Balsamic Chicken with Sweet Pepper

As I was making this dish, which is taken from the cookbook entitled Bite Me by sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, I found a number of the ingredients a bit off-putting for a simple chicken dish. However, the final product was a big hit with my taster whom I fully expected to reject the raisin, pepper, almond, chicken combo. Will wonders never cease?

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 10 thighs instead)

Balsamic Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 large red bell peppers, sliced into strips
- 2 large green peppers, sliced into strips (I omitted the green peppers)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds , for topping

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Place the flour in a shallow dish and the egg whites in another. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a third dish. Dust the chicken with the flour , then dip each piece into the egg whites before coating in the breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and saute the chicken until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven for 18-20 minutes.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and saute for 8 minutes. Add the raisins and stir for 1 minute. Then add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring for several minutes until the peppers are coated. To serve, slice the chicken and top with the balsamic-pepper sauce and toasted almonds.