Whoa…I win for the most clumsy food photo shoot ever award! I’m not particularly clumsy in the kitchen, but this chicken had it OUT for me!
First I get everything set up looking all pretty like……I filled the wine glass, put out some garlic, sprinkled cilantro is a photographic messy way.
So the stage is set, I open the backdoor to get additional light, get myself into position, get ready to shoot…..when suddenly a strong gust of wind comes through the door and blows the cilantro everywhere. I had the door open all throughout the cooking process, and it wasn’t windy that entire time. In fact, no other gusts came through the door after that. Grrrrrrrrr.
I pick up the cilantro, add more to the shot….aaaaaaaand accidentally knock over the wine glass. The glass was next to a crack in my table so allllll that wine spilled under my table, and all over my canning equipment (yes I kept my canning equipment under my table because my condo is damn small I have no room elsewhere for it).
My husband and I rushed to clean up the wine spill which sucks…mostly because we wasted good wine. I mean, why couldn’t the milk spill in my bread photo shoot? Why must my delicious wine fall victim to such tragedy? Damn shame.
Then while cleaning up the wine spill, I went to stand up and bonked my head really hard under the kitchen table. You would think one would make sure their head was clear of the table before standing up, but I was so distraught after losing the wine, I wasn’t thinking straight.
So, after I stopped seeing stars, we finished cleaning up the mess, reset the shot, and got a few pics. Phew!
This recipe makes a regular appearance in my kitchen repertoire. I’m normally in charge of planning dinners for the week, but any time I ask my husband what he’s in the mood for, he says, “Oooh, what about the chicken caper dish thingy?”
This dish was my initial introduction to capers too! I had no idea they were little salty green balls of happiness! Now I can’t get enough of their unique flavor. I could seriously just pop them in my mouth as a salty snack….in fact….excuse me will you? I’m going to nosh on some capers for a moment.
This recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal since it only takes about 40 minutes to make (that includes prep time)! I love cooking with wine and it pairs perfectly with capers and lemon. Most Chicken Piccata recipes are served with parsley, but I prefer cilantro. Cilantro is more citrus-y tasting and it goes well with the lemon.
On occasion, I’ll serve this with white rice instead of quinoa, but I prefer the health benefits of quinoa over white rice. The caper brine and lemon juice help give the qunioa…… a not so…… “quinoa-y flavor” if you will.
Hope you give it a try and enjoy it!
- 2 6- to 8-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided (2 tbs for recipe, 2 tbs for quinoa)
- Lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 3 teaspoons drained capers
- 1-2 tablespoons of caper brine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine (make sure your wine is gluten free if you have an allergy)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup of uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1½ teaspoons minced Fresh cilantro, plus a little more for garnish (you can sub parsley)
- Salt and Pepper
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions, set aside. (I used ½ quinoa and 1 cup water. I thought it was the perfect amount for me and my husband, but you can easily double it if you don't think that's enough for you.)
- While the quinoa is cooking, I measure the ingredients out and complete the prep work.
- Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap to ⅓- to ½-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sauté the chicken until just cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
- While the chicken is cooking, your quinoa should already be finished. Stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (one tablespoon at a time, to ensure you like the taste), the lemon zest, and 1-2 tablespoons of caper brine (depending on your tastes). Salt the quinoa to taste, I put in approx 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons shallot and garlic to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 1 minute.
- Add wine and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and simmer 1 minute.
- Whisk in remaining 3 teaspoons capers, butter, and minced cilantro. Stir any juices from chicken into sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Portion the quinoa onto your dinner plates, and put a chicken breast on top.
- Pour sauce over chicken.
- Sprinkle with additional cilantro for your garnish.
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