Archive for September 5, 2008
Even Meal Planners Get Stumped – Another Semi-rant
Chicken Piccata
Even people who actually plan meals for a living hit the wall sometimes. I say this not to justify my current brain freeze but to say, “It’s all right to not be able to decide on what to make for dinner.” After several weeks… seems like months… of planning special meals for friends and family I find myself all “cooked out”. This is not to say we didn’t enjoy the company; just that we are no different from anyone else… the dreaded Planning Fatigue has set in.
It is precisely for these occasional timeouts that I try to keep some of the basics around: chicken breast in the freezer, along with some homemade soups and sauces; salads in the frig and of course I can always turn towards my endless supply of frozen desserts to make an ordinary meal better. And yes, we do burgers, we are not effete snobs who always have special meals. That said there is no excuse to give up on a meal and just throw it on the plate. Try to have a couple of comfort and comfortable meals in your repertoire that you can turn to when the “freeze” hits. Sorry, I don’t count Mac and Cheese as a staple.
So here is my GO TO meal, it is quick, easy, cheap, make that not expensive, restaurant-quality and your family will love it.
Chicken Piccata
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Chicken Entrée |
| Meal: | We’re Talking Chicken (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 4 | medium | chicken breasts, boneless, skinless |
| 4 | Tb | rice flour |
| 1 | pinch | salt, kosher |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | Tb | lemon zest, finely chopped |
| 2 | oz | mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 1 | 15 oz can | chicken broth |
| 1 | Tb | cornstarch |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
Pound chicken breasts in zip-lock baggie to 1/2” thickness, add flour and salt, shake to coat. Heat oil in pan, brown chicken; add zest, mushrooms, and lemon juice. Cook for 3 minutes, add chicken broth, reserving 2 oz. Cook for about 7 minutes, until chicken is done. Add remaining chicken stock to corn starch, add to pan, stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
(from the Chicken Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com)
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