Chicken Piccata and Roasted Vegetables

Now that I'm back at school, and not working, I have a little more time on my hands... So Deboard, Ryan, and I have decided to make dinner every week together.

Deboard fittingly named it "Wonderful" Wednesday ;). Probably because I cook for her, but who knows.

SAE sing starts tonight, so I won't have time to cook tonight, but I do have time to put down the recipes for the dinner we made. Chicken Piccata and Roasted Vegetables.

This was my first time to make both of the recipes... And it was Ryan's and my first time to butterfly a chicken! It's really not that difficult, the point of butterfling a chicken is because the chicken breast usually has uneven thickness. So you butterfly it so that the chicken will cook evenly.

You start at the thickest part and cut it horizontally, holding the knife parallel to the cutting board. Cut it almost in half and then open it like a book, then you pat it out so that the whole chicken has the same consistent thickness.

Chicken Piccata:

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied (if you don't have that many chicken breasts you can butterfly them and then cut them in half... We were just extra hungry!)
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

When the chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil.

When the butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning.

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Roasted Vegetables:

For Christmas Cameron's parents got me Cooking School Italian, and the first thing I tried out from the book is the side dish of our dinner! And as a side note, I could not have made the chicken without Ryan... And the veggies would never have been cut as perfectly without Deboard! (As seen below!)

My favorite part of this dish was the eggplant, it was so good roasted and the balsamic/oil dressing on top was great. Although the recipe called for a few shavings of Parmesan... We used A LOT more, I don't think you can ever have too much cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion
• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, seeded
• 1 Large Zucchini (Although Ghetto HEB in Waco only had small ones, so we used 2)
• 2-4 Garlic Cloves (We used all four, and maybe even five)
• 6 Tbl EVOO
• 1 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbl shredded fresh basil, to garnish
• Parmesan cheese shavings (and lots of it!)
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut all the vegetables into even-size wedges, put into a roasting pan, and scatter over the garlic cloves. Pour over 2 Tbl of the olive oil and toss the vegetables until well coated with the oil. (although we used a little more than this, just eyeball it, and make sure that all the vegetables are evenly covered). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 40 minutes, or until tender, adding more olive oil if needed.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar, EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste into a screw-top jar and shake until blended.

When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven, arrange on a serving dish, and pour over the dressing. Sprinkle with the basil and serve warm or at room temperature with Parmesan cheese shavings.