Divine Chicken Piccata - It's all about the brine....

Chicken Piccata has some of my FAVORITE INGREDIENTS in it.  First off, lemon is my all around ace numero uno fave flavor.  Sarburst, Sourpatch Kids, Sweedish Fish...the lemon ones get reserved till the end so I can save the best for last!  And this savory winner packs a wonderful pucker.

Second, I have always been a sucker for pickled (now we use the word "brined") food.  Relish, pickles, olives, cornishons.  And the list goes on.  When I discovered capers, I just about lost my pickle-lovin' mind.

If you are like me, this will be one of your favorite go-to recipes.  It's not that hard to whip it up on a weeknight.  I like to reserve the seasoned dredging flour for the next time my life calls for pan-fried or fried chicken.  Have a separate one for fish, too.  Make it with the pasta, outlined below, and serve with a salad, or broccoli.  I would suggest peas, but the capers and the peas start to look alike and it doesn't quite have that visual appeal.  Enjoy!!!


Ingredients


• 2 boneless skinless boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, cut in half and flattened a little

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• All-purpose flour, for dredging and for sauce thickening.  I like to season my dredging flour with garlic powder, onion powder, a little salt and pepper.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1/4 cup brined capers, removed from brine.  You may rinse them if you choose.  I don't.

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Serves 4.

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When the chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, wine, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Take 4 Tbs of the pan juice out and put in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbs of AP flour and make into a paste. Add the paste back to the pan sauce and stir till combined. Check the seasoning.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley (optional).

Pasta Accompaniment:

1 lb. Low Carb Pasta (like Dreamfields), cooked al dente

½ stick butter

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1 Tbs. minced garlic

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

The juice from a half of a lemon

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook the pasta in salty water, drain and add to a skillet. Add all of the remaining ingredients, and serve with the chicken.

Guiltlessly Perfect Summer Pasta

A friend of mine was coming over around dinner time and I remembered that she was a vegetarian.  I looked in my pantry and in my freezer to figure out something that both she and I (your resident carnivore) would enjoy.  I happen to love peas.  Not the shriveled, canned variety that tastes closer to Elmer's glue, the petite fresh or frozen kind.  Truth be told, growing up, my sister and I used to fight over peas because I tended to eat them as snacks after school and before dinner, leaving nothing for her. 

This is a wonderfully simple recipe that is as good in the summer as it is in the winter.  It calls for basil.  Did you know you can take your summer basil harvest and freeze it for gloomier days in the fall and winter?  Just stick your basil surplus in a freezer bag, eliminate all the air and put it in the freezer.  Take out what you need, chop it up and put the rest back in the freezer.

I also suggest low carb pasta, such as Dreamfield's.  It takes all the guilt out of this tasty meal. 

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs minced garlic
4 Tbs chopped fresh or frozen basil
The juice from a half of a fresh lemon
1 lb. petite peas (I like C&W or Bird's Eye frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste
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1/2 lb. spaghetti
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1 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Boil the water for the pasta and add salt so the water tastes like the ocean.  Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box, al dente.  In a separate pan, saute garlic in the butter and olive oil for a few minutes without color. Turn heat to medium. Add chopped fresh basil. Add warm petite peas, add 1/2 lb of cooked pasta. Add the juice of a half a lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine it all and serve with fresh grated Parmesan to taste.

Summer Shrimp with White Wine, Lime and Jalapeno

It's hard to beat shrimp in the summer.  I don't know what it is.  Somehow, shrimp just begs to be consumed outside, on the porch, with friends and a light breeze!  Although this is a very light recipe, it has that "stick to your ribs" factor that won't leave you hungry two hours later.  Also, a few points of edification...those numbers in the shrimp department (16/20, 21/25) refer to the average number of shrimp per pound.  The lower the number, the larger the shrimp.  Also, this recipe calls for fresh lime juice.  To get the most from your limes, select limes that have a smooth, shiny skin.  Roll the limes on the counter to tear down the fibers.  Micorwave the limes for 30 seconds.  Careful, the lime juice may be hot when it first comes out of the mirowave.  

Ingredients:

1 lb. Jumbo Shrimp (21/25 or 16/20 ct), peeled and de-veined

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Marinade:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

The juice of one fresh lime (see above for maximum juice)

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1/4 cup white wine

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

3 Tbs. cilantro, chopped

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1/2 cup shaved parmesan  (more if you are a cheese-head!!!)

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1 lb. low carb linguini, like Dreamfields.

Marinate shrimp in marinade for 1-2 hours.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Put shrimp in glass dish with marinade and cook for 7-10 minutes (depending on your oven and the size of the shrimp), until JUST pink throughout, turning shrimp after 5 minutes.  Serve over linguini and top with shaved parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.  You can also serve this in tortillas with pico de gallo and cotija cheese.