Chicken Piccata

Hello everyone!  I have a fantastic chicken recipe for you today.  But, I need to take care of some giveaway business first.

Congratulations to the winner of the Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Breadcrumbs and Bottega Cookbook:

Cathy A. (comment #16 picked by Random.org)

**Please contact me Cathy with your address so I can pass on the information to MyBlogSpark who will send you your gift package.**

Don't you love when you make a meal and it tastes just as good (or better) than at a restaurant?  Well, for me, this was one of those meals.  This recipe came from the magazine, Cuisine at Home.  The chicken was tender and the lemon sauce gave this Chicken Piccata so much flavor.  I highly recommend you make this at home.  It has a few steps but it is not difficult to make.  Who needs to eat out when you can have a restaurant quality meal at home.  

Chicken Piccata

Recipe by Cuisine at Home, Complimentary issue

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded into cutlets

salt and black pepper
all-purpose flour
nonstick spray
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. drained capers
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
fresh lemon slices
chopped fresh parsley


Directions

1.  Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Coat a saute pan with nonstick spray, add oil, and heat over medium-high.

2.  Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side.  Flip cutlets over and saute the other side, covered, 1-2 minutes. Transfer cutlets to a warmed platter; pour off fat from the pan.

3.  Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic.  Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

4.  Add broth, lemon juice, and capers.  Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for 1 minute.  Transfer cutlets to warm plates.

5.  Finish sauce with butter and lemons.  Once butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets.

6.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Makes: 2 servings (2 chicken cutlets per person) or 4 servings (1 chicken cutlet per person)

Note:  To increase this recipe, use 3 or 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded thin.  This will give you 6 - 8 chicken cutlets.  Double the remaining sauce ingredients so you have enough sauce for the extra chicken.    





Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Tips per Cuisine at Home Magazine - Making chicken cutlets from boneless chicken breasts:  Cut chicken in half lengthwise before pounding.  Cover chicken pieces in plastic wrap or place in storage/freezer bag.  Using the flat side of a mallet, pound with gentle, glancing taps.  Use firm, quick movements until the chicken is about 1/4-inch thick.  The uniform chicken cutlets will brown evenly, be moist and tender, as well as cook up quickly. 

Progesso Lemon Pepper Panko and Bottega Cookbook Giveaway

This Giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations to the winner, Cathy A. (comment #16)

Please send me your address Cathy so your prize package can be sent to you.

 It's giveaway time!  The gift package includes a box of Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs and an autographed copy of Chef Michael Chiarello's newest cookbook, Bottega.

Progresso's description of their Panko Bread Crumbs.......

"Whether frying, baking or broiling, this culinary superstar adds a flavorful crunch to create simple, savory recipes. Made from the soft, tender centers of the bread, Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko combines the perfect crunch with effortless flavor to give any dish that extra punch. The large, flaky crumb has a coarser texture than traditional bread crumbs, delivering a lighter, crunchier coating or topping."

Chef Chiarello is helping cooks everywhere use Progresso´s panko to make flavorful, flawless recipes including Crispy Seafood Salad, Mama Chiarello's Stuffed Eggplant and Turkey Scallopini and Squash Ravioli with Cranberry Brown Butter.

I have personally used Progresso's Panko Bread Crumbs on fish and chicken and I love the results.  I'm looking forward to trying their newest Lemon Pepper flavor. 

Disclosure:  General Mills provided me with the Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs information and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.  They have graciously provided me and one of my readers the cookbook/panko bread crumbs gift pack for the giveaway.  See how to enter giveaway below.  

  

To enter giveaway, please leave a comment telling me how you would use or what dish you would create with Progresso's Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs.  Giveaway closes Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 11:00pm CST.  Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Winner will be selected through Random.org and announced on Sunday, January 23rd, 2011.  Thanks for entering!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Check out Chef Michael Chiarello's tips for cooking with panko bread crumbs here on the Progressofoods.com website. 

Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread......New Year, New Food with The Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club

It's a new year.  A new beginning.  A fresh start.  A chance to try new things. 

New Year / New Food:  That's the January theme for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.  Every month, I join 4 other bloggers to create a themed menu based on Cooking Light recipes.  Mary Ann from Meet Me in the Kitchen chose the theme this month.  We had to pick a recipe with an ingredient or food item that we have never made before.  

There are many "first time" ingredients I could have chosen.  It was hard to choose because there are many things that I want to try.  I decided to make a beer batter bread with Fontina cheese.  I love cheese but have never had Fontina cheese.  I asked my deli to cut me a 4 oz. chunk of Fontina and I grated it at home.  Of course I had to try a piece.  It's salty, creamy and has a soft texture.  It was very good and I'm looking forward to using it in other recipes.

The Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread was a delicious savory bread.  It was easy to prepare.  No kneading dough required.  We loved the crunchy outer crust.  The onion, cheese and beer gave this bread such a great flavor.  I paired it with this Spicy Sausage Chili.  (another Cooking Light recipe)

What new things did the other Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club members cook up? 

Mary Ann (Meet Me in the Kitchen) - Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash & Chestnuts

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) - Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes and Spinach

Sandi (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) - Rosti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Jamie (me) - Onion Fontina Beer Batter Bread

Helene - (La Cuisine d'Helene) - could not join us this month but wanted to make Vanilla Caramel Flan

Click here for printable recipe on Myrecipes.com

Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

Recipe by Cooking Light



Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced onion
3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fontina cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as amber ale) -  I used Corona Light
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter, melted and divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Cool to room temperature.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion, cheese, and beer; stir just until moist.

Spoon batter (batter will be thick) into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes; brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake an additional 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Fontina Cheese is a semi-soft cow's milk Italian cheese.  It is mild, creamy, with a somewhat nutty flavor and melts well.