I’m happy to announce that my kitty who was on death’s doorstep 2 days ago has recovered.  Our little old man has apparently outsmarted Pancreatitis.  It’s supposedly brought on by high-fat foods.  I’m sure him licking the pan of bacon grease had nothing to do with it.  So, some yummy bacon grease, and a few hundred dollars later, we have a once-again healthy 12 year old Persian who is back to lounging in the sun.

My husband is off on a business trip and I am happily planning a weekend with my son.  I think we might hit the beach if the weather is nice, or the movie theater if it is not.  I’ve also thought of taking him to the Children’s Museum in Chicago, or something similar.  I often make grandiose plans and forget there are only so many hours in the day… so we’ll see.  It makes it worth it, though, when he talks about something we did the whole next week.

I also thought about taking him out to dinner… a little mother-son date.  He loves Italian restaurants because, well, they have noodles there!  Noodles and warm, soft bread = heaven for a 3 year old.

My husband and I used to frequent an Italian restaurant in Chicago called Buca di Beppo.  They had a location not far from our old apartment in Lakeview (that location has since closed).  The portions were huge, and the food was amazing.  We’d always order the “Chicken Piccata”, aka “Lemon Chicken”.   I wanted to learn how to make it at home, and came across this recipe from Sara Moulton on the Food Network.

I’ve shared this recipe with many friends and it tastes like a gourmet meal that is so easy and quick, you can prepare it on a busy weeknight after work.  Last night I served it with steamed french green beans (which I forgot to cut the ends off of, and didn’t cook long enough… well, ya can’t win ‘em all!).

Chicken Piccata

courtesy of Sara Moulton, Food Network
serves 4

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breast, about 6 oz each
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c chicken stock (I often use 1 full can, which is a little more)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (you can reduce this amount to lower fat content)
1 tbsp capers, drained
thin slices of lemon and chopped parsley, for garnish

Sprinkle a small amount of water on a large plastic sheet of plastic wrap. Place 2 of the breast halves on top of the plastic and sprinkle again with water. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining 2 breast halves.

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow pie plate. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in 2 batches, place the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.

Pour off the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up and browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and the capers. Season with salt and pepper and heat just until the butter has melted. Serve on warmed plates with a spoonful of the skillet sauce, topped with lemon slices and parsley.

~M