Chicken Picatta

I finally made a dish that I have been wanting to try for a while.  The best part of Chicken Piccata is that it is simple to make as well as cheap!  I used a combination of recipes by Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray, and Warren Caterson.  This turned out to be delicious and it has opened my eyes up to a whole new variety of recipes.  I made extra sauce to serve this over linguine noodles with a side of creamed spinach.  I recommend this to everyone!  Warren Caterson's cookbook Table for Two can be ordered here.  (And yes I know it's misspelled - lol!)

Chicken Piccata

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper

All purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup parsley

• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne 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 butter and oil start to sizzle, add half of the pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When 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 half of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic, shallots, and capers to the skillet. Saute garlic, shallots, and capers for 3 minutes.
• Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.  Stir in parsley.  When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Place chicken over bed of pasta and drizzle with the delicious sauce.  Top with parsley and enjoy!

After making this, I will now be keeping capers on hand and experimenting with them.  The flavors of this dish match each other perfectly!

Guest Posts Welcomed!

If anyone woud like to be a guest blogger on my blog, please let me know.  I am always welcome to new ideas and great recommendations! 

Stuffed Flank Steak

I had never attemped a pinwheel type dish.  After a long time searching for recipes, I decided to go with the flank steak pinwheel.  The result was wonderful!  It's always a good thing when my wife says we should have a meal again.

Stuffed Flank Steak

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper                  
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 bunch baby spinach
• 4 slices provolone cheese

Directions

1. Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper in a large resealable bag. Shake the bag to blend well. Butterfly the steak so you have a large surface with the steak being thin.  Place the steak into the bag, and seal. Refrigerate a few hours to overnight to marinate.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Crush the remaining clove of garlic on a cutting board with a large chef's knife. Sprinkle the salt over the garlic, and scrape with the blunt side of the knife to make a paste.
4. Remove the steak from the bag, and discard marinade. Spread the garlic paste over the top side of the steak. Place layers of red pepper strips, spinach, and cheese over the garlic. Roll the steak up lengthwise, and secure with kitchen twine. Place the roll in a shallow glass baking dish.
5. Bake uncovered for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature of the roll is at least 145 degrees F in the center. Let stand for 5 minutes to set, then slice into 1 inch slices to serve.

Looking for some inspiration

I haven't posted in a while and when I do it's a lot less frequent then when I started this blog.  I need some inspiration to get back in the kitchen and blog about what I'm doing.  I've signed up to be a Supporting Member on the AllRecipes.com site.  I'm going to try to plan out weekly menus and blog about them.  We'll see if this does the trick.  When you're in a slump and just not motivated, what do you look for to be inspired?  What is your best method to get back in the kitchen and do what you love?