Chicken Piccata & Slow Roasted Tomatoes

August 17th, 2011 | Cluck cluck, Family Dinner, Veggies | 0 Comments

I wish I could put a time and place to my first introduction to chicken piccata. I don't know where or when I first tasted it, but I can honestly say that of all the wonderful food Italians have brought to the world it is most definitely my favorite! There's nothing better than the taste of lemons, white wine and capers...lots and lots of capers.

I slow-roasted fresh garden tomatoes and they served as the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. If you haven't had the pleasure of enjoying a slow-roasted tomato, you simply MUST do it as soon as possible--they are beyond fabulous and with the abundance of red ripe juicies in your garden or market its the perfect time to try them!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup dry white wine (leftover from that bottle you didn't polish off on Sunday night)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast into mixture coating evenly. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add olive oil. When oil is hot, add each chicken breast and sautee until golden brown (approximately 8 minutes); flip chicken and continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes and chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and place in a warm place while sauce cooks.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of flour to skillet, stirring constantly to make a roux, about 1 minute. Be sure to scrape up any little golden bits that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the wine, chicken broth, lemon juice and zest and stir occasionally. Sauce will begin to thicken. After about 5-6 minutes, stir in capers and olives. Cook for another minute, remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon of butter.

Serve sauce spooned over chicken breasts and some whole wheat spaghetti pasta. The sauce is soooo good as it absorbs into the pasta. ...and last but certainly not least...

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

Slice tomatoes in half. Lay cut sides up in a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil and minced garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for three hours on Convection Roast setting at 275 degrees. If your oven does not have the Convection Roast setting, roast for 3 1/2 hours on Bake setting at 275 degrees.

Devour tomatoes and once the pan has cooled, commence licking it clean.