Chicken Piccata

Last Saturday night with my mother in law in town, we decided to make one of my husbands favorite dishes, chicken piccata.  Keith first had the dish about six months ago at a local Italian restaurant that had just opened.  It was love at first bite! 

While we were sitting around around trying to make plans for dinner, I suggested trying to make chicken  piccata.  Keith was on board immediately and told us he was just about to suggest making it.  Great minds think alike!  His mom was also on board and had experience making this dish before.

If you haven’t tried chicken piccata before, it is a delicious light tasting dish and pairs well with white wine and a no-fuss salad.  It’s made with butter, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine and capers.  Calorie wise, this meal isn’t for your weekly rotation because of the butter (although it is less than 1 tablespoon per serving), but it is for you to enjoy here and there.  Serve with whole wheat noodles and you’ll get in an extra dose of both protein and fiber!

No Fuss Salad = A simple salad made with few ingredients.  Think lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and a balsamic dressing.

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Chicken Piccata

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentis

Serves:  4

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, butterflied, cut and pounded out
• Freshly ground Pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

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

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt  1 1/2 tablespoons of butter with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the chicken and cook each side for approximately 6 minutes, until browned (the chicken should get a great brown color to it).  When the chicken is fully cooked, no longer pink, remove from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

Using the same pan, add in the lemon juice, chicken stock, capers and white wine.  Bring to a boil and make sure to scrape up the brown bits form the pan to add in extra flavor.  Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for five minutes.  Remove chicken to the platter.  Add in the remaining butter to the sauce and whisk vigorously.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

Serve and enjoy!

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This recipe is sinfully good, but paired with a healthy green salad, whole wheat noodles and a small glass of white wine, you’ll have yourself a sinfully good balanced healthy meal!  It is filled with nutrients your body craves and has just a small amount of calories from the butter.  I can say with confidence this meal is much healthier than what Keith was ordering at the restaurant, but tastes 10 times better!  A win-win in my book! 

Trainer’s Tip:  If you are going to have a sinfully good meal, try to incorporate other healthy items into the meal so you can fill up on them first, such as a fresh green salad with this meal.  You wont be tempted to over eat and you’ll walk away from this meal feeling satisfied. 

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If you try out this recipe let me know what you think!  I think it is fabulous and can’t wait to make it again!  I love taking recipes and making them healthier than their original version.

Questions: 

• Do you like making healthy changes to your favorite recipes?
• What is your favorite recipe that you’ve made healthier?Please feel free to link them in the comments below!