Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 1-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.

Beat the egg with the water in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, and pepper on a sheet of wax paper.

Dip the chicken breasts first in the egg mixture, then coat lightly on both sides with the bread crumb mixture, shaking off the excess, and place them in the baking dish. (Discard any leftover egg or bread crumb mixture.) Bake until cooked through, golden and crisp-edged, about 15 minutes. Yields one breast per serving.

Serve the cutlets with pasta and tomato sauce, or on crusty bread with plenty of grilled or roasted vegetables.

The chicken breasts need to be uniformly thin to cook evenly and quickly. You can buy thin-sliced chicken breast halves that are about 1/4 inch thick to save time. Or pound your own: Just lay the breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap, or put them in a partially sealed zip-close plastic bag (don’t seal the bag completely, or it will pop). Use a rubber mallet or heavy skillet to pound them to uniform thinness.