Chicken Piccata

Although I may be late getting my first recipe posted, I promise this one is worth the wait. I was a little hesitant because of the lemon since I'm not really a huge lemon fan but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Not to mention the recipe isn't too complicated. Chicken Piccata is a tender chicken cutlet seared, then simmered in a rich lemony sauce...it was so good I wanted more just after I was finished wrapping up the leftovers. I'm sure this will go on my favorite recipes list. So cook it up, and let me know what you and your family thought of it :)

4 chicken cutlets (2 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (may substitute with cooking wine or white grape juice)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup Chicken broth
2 Tbsp FRESH lemon juice
t Tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp butter
fresh lemon sliced into thin rounds
Parsley (as a garnish)

Cut the 2 chicken breasts in half width wise. Pound each piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Now you have chicken cutlets. Season cutlets with salt and pepper then dust with flour on both sides.
Add vegetable oil to large saute pan and heat over medium-high. Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side then flip and saute 1-2 minutes on second side. You want each side be nicely golden brown. Transfer cutlets to warm plate and set aside.
De glaze* the pan with wine and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly gone, about 2 minutes.
Add broth, lemon juice and capers and bring to a simmer. Finish with butter and lemon slices. Once butter melts and is combined in sauce return cutlets to pan and simmer in sauce for two minutes more or until they are completely re-heated. Garnish with sprinkles of chopped parsley and serve.

I served this with buttered angel hair pasta and a veggie on the side. Delish! Also on a side note if you like things extra saucy you may want to double the sauce ingredients. But I suggest trying the original recipe first since the sauce is a bit rich.

*To de glaze a pan means to pour a small amount of liquid into a hot pan scraping the flavorful bits off the bottom creating a more flavor intense sauce.















*Picture and recipe courtesey of "cuisine" magazine (thanks!)

*Disclaimer

WARNING! I just wanted to put it out there that I frequently use recipes calling for wine or other alcoholic beverages. The flavor it adds to a recipe is significant and highly recommended (don't worry the alcohol cooks out). One can purchase cooking wine at the grocery store or often substitute grape juice for it, however the flavors just won't be as good...sorry. So ask a friend to make a run to the liquor store for you if you don't feel comfortable. Trust me it's worth it :)

So Here's The Deal With This Food Blog.....

Earlier this year we finally moved into our newly remodeled home. Although remodeling is a total headache, I had a lot of fun picking out colors, cabinets, appliances and flooring for my kitchen. I love to cook and consider it a hobby of mine, so the kitchen had to be just right.....and I feel like it is :)

After spending a few months in our house I realized I hadn't repeated a single recipe for dinner the entire time we had lived here. I was having so much fun in my new kitchen trying out new recipes that we were eating quite the variety of (what I found to be delicious) cuisine.

I know that sounds pretty impressive....right....but let me tell you why it's not. I don't cook 7 days a week, not even 5 days a week. I only cook 3 days a week. I know, I know the disappointment is starting to set in, but let me explain. I make dinner on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday is leftover night, Friday and Saturday we usually go out cuz it's the weekend and Sunday we have dinner at my Parent's house.

So there you have it, I'm kind of a slacker but not a total major one. So here's how I make up for it. I'm going to share my recipes with you folks and post the menu I'll be making for my family each week, along with any changes I make to the recipes (which is sometimes a lot) and feedback if the recipe is scrumptious or if you should try it at your own risk. So stay posted I'll be sharing soon to help you decide whats for dinner tonight.