Chicken Piccata

For tonight's dinner I made Chicken Piccata. YUMMY!! I think I love Chicken Piccata because of the capers. I like capers...no, wait, I LOVE capers. I have a love affair with capers. I can't get enough capers. I love their salty goodness when they pop in my mouth. They add such a great flavor to so many dishes. I truly feel this little flower bud is under-utilized in cooking.

Chicken Piccata
8 boneless chicken breasts halves
6 TBSP butter, room temperature
2 TBSP all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for dredging
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup drained capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley


Mix 2 TBSP butter and 2 TBSP flour in small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Lightly pound chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap to ¼” thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish. Dredge chicken in flour to coat; shake off excess. Heat 1 TBSP oil in large heavy skillet. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Cook remaining chicken breasts, two or three at a time. Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining 4 TBSP butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Oriental-Style Vegetable Medley

I came up with this recipe today when I was trying to find something I could fix in a hurry. It had the BEST flavor and my 93 yr old VERY PICKY mother-in-law LOVED these veggies, as did the rest of us.

Caity Sue's Oriental-Style Vegetable Medley
1 zucchini, julienned
1 yellow squash, julienned
2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal in 1- 1/2" pieces
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)
Olive Oil
1/8 cup white wine (a good white wine that you would drink)
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup water

Toss vegetables in salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat olive oil over moderate heat. Toss vegetables in and stir quickly. After 2-3 minutes add the white wine, soy suace and water. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes more.

Chicken Breasts with Herb Sauce

Chicken Breasts with Herb Sauce

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt, pepper and garlic powder (optional) to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or water
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and chives
2 TBSP capers (optional)
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour

Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder and coat lightly with flour. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat and sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides and firm to the touch. Transfer the chicken to an oven-proof platter and keep warm in a 200° oven. Add the wine and chicken stock to the skillet and reduce it by half, being sure to scrape up all the brown bits in the skillet as you stir. In a small bowl cut up butter into small pieces and add the flour and mix well. Addthis to the sauce and mix well. Stir in the fresh herbs and the optional capers, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.