Being a white pasta lover, one wouldn't see a problem with me liking this dish as it does not include tomato sauce. However, my grandmother would always add in capers-the part of this dish I disliked with a passion.
I would meticulously pick out the capers one by one until there was no trace of them in my pasta before I began to eat dinner. Eventually, picking out the capers became too much of an effort and I started to eat them because of my laziness. Granted, I did not like them at first, but after some time I decided "hey, these aren't so bad after all". Now, I love capers and look forward to making dishes that include them, which includes the one posted below!
It's funny how taste changes over time. While I have gotten MUCH less picky about the foods I eat (possibly because I've began to explore food and tastes on my own), I still choose to leave tomatoes and tomato sauce off of my palate. Perhaps one day I will eat and enjoy tomato sauce... just not today...
Chicken Piccata
Serving size: 2
2 chicken breasts, cleaned
half pound of pasta of your choice, I used angel hair
about 1/2 C flour, in bowl
2 tbs unsalted butter
3 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 C lemon juice, use a bit less if using fresh squeezed lemon
1/2 C low sodium chicken stock
1/4 C capers
1/3 C fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
Bring a large pan to medium high heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic. When the oil is sizzling, add the chicken and cook one side until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 minutes and remove from heat.
Add the lemon juice to the pan along with the chicken stock and capers. Bring the liquid to a boil, making sure to scrape up any browned chicken goodies that may have stuck to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and return the chicken to the pan for an additional 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken, sauce, and pasta to a serving dish, making sure to coat the pasta thoroughly with the stock sauce. If you need some extra olive oil, go ahead and add it now while you're mixing everything up. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy the delicious and easy meal you made!
