Friday, April 23, 2010

Chicken Piccata - Healthy Makeover

Hello everyone & Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!! And I am definitely happy today, especially after a few days of going on the treadmill in the early morning before work. It's a perfect way to start the day on a good note.

It's been a while since I have done a Not So Fat Friday. If you look at my side categories on the right you'll see there are plenty more healthy recipes under this name. However, I do need to re-label as Recipes - Not So Fat Fridays but for now just go to the N's for Not So Fat Friday.

This dish was so light, fresh & just a little lemony & perfectly filling & I love having my whole grain pasta without the guilt.


CHICKEN PICCATA - HEALTHY MAKEOVER from Eating Well

{ Click for Printable Recipe }

6 oz whole grain angel hair pasta
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10-oz pkg mushrooms, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tblsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tblsp capers, rinsed
2 tsp butter (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta & cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain & rinse.

Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour & broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper & dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken & cook until browned & no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover & keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms & cook, stirring, until they release their juices & begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic & wine to the pan & cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice & the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer & cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in parsley, capers, butter & the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.


{ Food for Thought }

Although I've never been a caper fan I loved them in this dish. I had them in the pantry so I wanted to use them up. If you don't want to go that route then this dish would be just as good without. I also didn't bother measuring out the sauce at the end. I just put the chicken back in with the sauce to warm through & served it all over the pasta on a large serving platter.

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I will definitely be getting around today & the next few days to catch up. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!!!


Coming soon: a Banana Nutella Open Galette I recently created.

28 comments:

  1. I don't like capers either, but everything else sounds amazing.

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  2. i love this...a def keeper for me and a maker for the week!

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  3. This sounds WONDERFUL!! I am going to try this SOON!!

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  4. I adore chicken picatta. This looks perfect!!

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  5. I have never had chicken picatta - think I may need to try it : ) This looks awesome!

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  6. I've never had this, sound wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.

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  7. Not hot on capers but, man oh man this looks good. I have been trying to be better with my eating habits and this fills the bill.

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  8. GReat job on the treadmill in the am:)
    This recipe looks super healthy!!!!

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  9. Hi there! This looks wonderful, thanks for the idea. I cook 6 1/2 days out of 7, and am always looking for suggestions. I always ask hubby and son what dinners they want for the week when I go shopping. Same answer always--I don't care, whatever you want or "something healthy". Boy, that's a big help!
    I'm not big on the whole wheat pasta either, it is a little too heavy for me. But the whole grain, Barilla, pasta I love, love, love!
    Hope your well and happy, hug the big T for me. I bet he is growing like a weed! Have a great weekend.
    P.S. Buying the cooler SOON!
    XOXO

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  10. I'm so glad you did this! I've always wanted to try chicken picatta!

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  11. I LOVE chicken picatta. LOVE. I am totally trying this. And, I'm not a caper fan either, but in certain dishes, I can like them. But, alone? Blech!!

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  12. I made piccatta a few weeks ago with tofu, loved it. I made it again last weekend. It goes great with creamy polenta.

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  13. It really does look amazing.......I'm not a huge capers fan, but they go so well with light lemony glazes/sauces that I'm sure the flavor was delicious!

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  14. I have never had chicken picatta. It looks so good all those mushrooms. I am going to have to try this.

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  15. It looks healthy and fantastic. I love whole wheat pasta and the sauce sounds great.

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  16. Wonderful pasta dish. So full of flavor. Great photos as well. Cheers!

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  17. that's so pretty! i am sure it tastes as good as it looks!

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  18. I love how you lightened it up!

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  19. OK...I was gonna say, "Love you, but not capers..."

    But then I read your note at the bottom here, so I reckon I'll print this one out and give it a shot. And I only buy whole grain pasta now. My girls don't even notice the difference any more and I feel so much better about it. Yay for feeling better!

    Off to print a bunch of stuff...

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  20. This is my fav dish of all time!! If it is done well!

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  21. mmmm looks just as good as the full fat version. you're so good, i gotta get my butt back to the gym!

    Alex aka Ma What's for Dinner
    www.mawhats4dinner.com

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  22. yum yum yom. This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes! But I haven't done the "healthy" version yet! I'll try it!

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  23. This looks exceptional! I made whole wheat angel hair pasta this week and neither Kaishon or Gary were happy with it. I wondered if I just kept making it if they would get used to it...

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  24. I love Chicken Piccata! So excited to try it :0)

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  25. This dish looks so good. I can't wait to try it. Italian is my favorite, and I'm a huge Giada fan too. I just found your blog and love it. I'm definitely going to follow.

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Something delicious to say?