Chicken Piccata

 I'm always looking for new ways to cook chicken. This chicken piccata is a dish I'm super familiar with but have never made at home. I couldn't believe how quickly this dish came together. This recipe is for the chicken only but I served mine with some israeli cous cous (tiny balls of pasta). This dish could also be served with a leafy green salad, pasta, or some herb rice. 

Ingredients:

1 lbs chicken cutlets or chicken tenders
1 cup flour, for dredging
10 tbsp. butter, divided
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp. capers, lightly drained
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Discard the flour when finished dredging. 

2. Heat 3 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat until the butter has melted. 

3. Working in batches, taking car not to crowd the pan, add the chicken pieces and saute until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, and cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate while you finished the sauce. You can cover the chicken loosely in foil to keep warm. 

4. Add rest of butter and olive oil to pan with chicken drippings. Add the shallot to the pan and saute over medium low until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. 

5. Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. 

6. Reduce heat to low, then stir in capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Taste sauce and check for salt and pepper. Add parsley to sauce if using. 

7. Place cooked chicken on a plate. Top with piccata sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta, salad, or rice. 

Quiche Lorraine

 This recipe is such a hit, I was immediately slice into the quiche and always forget to take a photo LOL. If you're feeling extra fancy you can make your own pie crust but the frozen pie shells save a lot of work. This quiche is great for lunch with a small green salad. 

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie shell

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced

3 strips of bacon

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup shredded gruyere

2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 

2. Thaw pie shell according to package directions. Press a piece of parchment over the crust, then fill with pie weights, raw beans, or rice. Put the pan on a baking sheet. Bake pie shell until crust is set and golden around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and discard parchment paper and weights. Allow crust to cool for 20 minutes. 

3. While pie crust is baking, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium low heat until bacon is crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to cool. Once cooled, cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. 

4. Add thinly sliced onions to saute pan with 1 tbsp. of bacon fat. Add the fresh thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook onions for about 10 minutes until slightly browned and softened. Allow to cool slightly in pan. 

5. Once pie crust is cooked and cooled, add onion mixture to bottom of pie shell. Next add a layer of the bacon bits. Finally add a layer of the shredded gruyere. The key to this step is even distribution around the pie crust. That way you get a little bit of each ingredient in every bit. 

6. In a small bowl whisk the heavy cream and eggs until combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour cream mixture over the ingredients in the pie shell. Try to make it an even layer. 

7. Bake quiche on the baking sheet until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Serving Options:

1. Serve a wedge of quiche as is with a sprinkle of chives to garnish. 

2. Serve a wedge of quiche with a small side salad of mixed greens with a lemon vinaigrette.