Comfort Food: Chicken Piccata

Chicken cutlets cooked and doused with a silky pan sauce that features, lemon juice, wine, and garlic.  A quick and easy dish that will bring you healthy yet comfort feels on a winter night.

Chicken Piccata

Need a quick and easy chicken dish that's also healthy to start off the New Year?  I've got an classic one for you.  Chicken Piccata  Just a few simple steps create a dish every bit as good as restaurant versions, ready to serve alongside a towering green salad and a simple whole wheat pasta or good loaf of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Piccata is the method by which a meat is floured, browned, and served with a sauce.  In this case my version contains lemon, wine, chicken broth, and garlic.  Typically capers are included in the original version, but I ran out of them.  Try adding some for a briny/salty bite to the dish.

Easy enough for a weeknight, Chicken Piccata is one dish that you will love and have you feeling all cozy.  It's a perfect healthy comfort food.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, or thin cutlets

• all purpose flour

• butter

• reduced sodium chicken broth

• cornstarch

• white wine

• garlic

• lemon

• parsley

Substitutions and Variations

• You can omit the wine, use a little more chicken broth.

• Omit the garlic it you would like. It's not in the original dish but the small amount give the sauce more depth of flavor.

• Add some fresh thyme to the sauce.

• Use chicken thighs, veal or pork cutlets.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make sure your cutlets are even in height.  If not pound them to even them out.  They will cook evenly and quickly.

• Have the sauce ingredients ready to go while you are cooking the chicken.

• Set up you dredging station next to your hot skillet so you can dredge and go straight in to the skillet with each piece.

• Lightly flouring the cutlets lets them brown quickly without overcooking and helps thicken the sauce.

• Cooking in a combination of butter and oil will result in golden browned meat.

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Chicken Piccata

serves 4

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make cutlets
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine
1 garlic clove, minced
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
lemon slices - (optional)
parsley chopped (optional)

On a plate or in a pie pan stir together flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken into flour mixture, turning to coat, shaking off the excess flour.   In a ;arge skillet heat oil and butter over medium-high. Add chicken; cook 8 to 9 minutes, flipping at midpoint, until done (165 degrees F). Remove from skillet to a platter and cover with foil.  

Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup stir together broth and cornstarch and set aside.  Add garlic and wine tothe skillet, cook and stir up the brown bits 1 minute.  Wine will reduce.  Stir in cornstarch/broth mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute or until thick. Stir in lemon juice and zest.  

Drizzle chicken with sauce and top with lemon slices and a parsley.  Serve.

Winter Wonders: Loaded Apple Nachos for Two

With only 5 ingredients, this sweet variation on nachos is a great snack or dessert to share with a friend.

Loaded Apple Nachos for Two

A sweet take on nachos with apples?  I'm all in!  I love apples, so when I cam across this Weight Watcher's recipe for apple "nachos" I knew I had to make this right away.  And it's not about being diet food, it's really about healthy food.  Just let me say this is really easy to pull together.  5 ingredients, and about 15 minutes and you have a wonderful dish.  MGG and I had this as a snack and it was gobbled up in no time.

Thinly sliced apples (use your favorite) are arranged on a platter and doused with some softened peanut butter.  Then comes the toppings of mini chocolate chips, sliced almonds, and coconut flakes.  Heaven!  Don't walk, RUN and make this now!  You can thank me later.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• an apple - choose your favorite

• peanut butter - smooth works best here

• sliced almonds - make it easy on yourself and buy sliced almonds. I keep them in the house all the time for salads, yogurt toppings etc.

• mini chocolate chips - for just a hint of chocolate

• unsweetened coconut flakes  - Bob Mills makes a great product

Substitutions and Variations

• try pear nachos

• drizzle on a different nut butter, almond or cashew are good choices

• Shaved chocolate works instead of chips

• sprinkle on some granola

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Watch the almonds closely when toasting, they burn quickly.

• Microwave the peanut butter in 30 second increments until pourable.  Watch closely.

• Don't let the sliced apples sit too long or they will turn brown.

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Loaded Apple Nachos for Two

serves 2
WW Points: 7-9

2 Tablespoon sliced almonds
1 apple, cored and sliced into about 1/8" thick slices
1 1/2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

In a small skillet over low heat add almonds and toast, stirring often for about 3-4 minutes.

Arrange apple slices on a serving platter or plate.  Add peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl or cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until pourable.

Drizzle the peanut butter over the apple slilces.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips, coconut and slice almonds over the apples.  Serve.

adapted from: WW Easy Everday Cooking

Pre-Holiday Easy Meal: Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

This one-pot dinner is inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America.  Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo comes together easily, using your crock pot!

Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

What can be better than a one-pot meal?  One that features chicken and rice!  Arroz con Pollo is one of my all time favorite dishes.  When it's holiday time I don't have the time or the inclination to fix complicated meals.  With all the work to be done to get ready for Christmas I'm always looking for simple and tasty dishes for dinner.  When I came across this recipe on EatingWell's site I knew that this would be the perfect fit for this hectic week.  

Ingredients bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and chicken are laced with Latin spices to create a sumputious saucy mix that cooks away in your slow cooker.  Brown rice is added later and gives this a healthy spin.  Latin flavored juicy and tender chicken with veggies served over a sauce soaked rice is mouth-waterningly good!  It's a dump and go meal that you can start around noon and 6 hrs later you have one heck of a dinner to serve.  

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• red, orange, and/or yellow bell pepper

• onion

• fresh garlic

• low sodium tomato sauce

• low sodium diced tomatoes

• reduced sodium chicken broth

• Spices: chili powder, paprika, cumin, tumeric

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• instant brown rice

• frozen peas

• cilantro

Substitutions and Variations

• Use white rice instead of brown

• Chicken thighs would work great

• Add additional veggies like chopped carrots, corn, or mushrooms

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Chicken can be removed to a cutting board and shredded and returned to the slow cooker.

• Instant rice is used for it's quick cooking ability.

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Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

serves 8

3 large red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15oz can low sodium tomato sauce

1 15oz can low sodium diced tomaroes, with juice

1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups instant brown rice

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a 6qt. slow cooker, combine bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, and all the spices.  Submerge the chicken into the mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours.

Stir in rice and peas.  Cover and cook 30 minutes more, until rice is tender.  There may stll be a little liquid in the pot.

Using two forks, shred the chicken.  Serve garnishing with cilantro.

source:  eatingwell.com