The seasoned pieces of tender chicken breast simmered in a lemongrass basil sauce with capers will brighten your spirits when it comes time to prepare this easy weeknight meal. The family will love this Quick Lemon Chicken Piccata.
As the days get shorter and it seems as if it’s getting dark mid-afternoon here in the Motor City, a splash of lemon on anything tastes so good and seems so refreshing. And even though it’s getting colder and we do less and less outside, it feels more like a chore when it comes time to want to cook dinner. (Maybe that’s because I feel like a short-order cook some nights with everyone wanting something different – heaven forbid we all agreed upon something that wasn’t pizza.)
The key to the colder months for me is to prepare something simple and without skimping out on any of the flavors and without quickly picking something unhealthy out of convenience – which is easy to do.
I had a good recipe for a quick Lemon Chicken Piccata, which is pretty much chicken sauteed in lard. The polite way to say it is to say that it’s browned chicken served with lemon, parsley, capers, and in a buttery sauce. Sounds better, right?
But the key, for me at least, is to cut down on all of the butter and extras. Though a high-dairy butter can be rich in some nutrients, it’s still high in calories and saturated fat. The American Heart Association states that on a 2,000 calorie diet, you should only consume 16 grams of saturated fat in a day. One tablespoon of butter has 7 grams. Just one tbsp. Now truthfully, do you actually measure out a tablespoon of butter when it comes time to spread it across your toast or are you like me and lather it on?
In these colder months when it’s easy to not be as active, the key is to go healthier in our foodways – especially at the start of the new year. I recently found that one way to serve great tasting food on the healthy side is by using the products offered by Kevin’s Natural Foods.
I was invited to participate in a blogger recipe challenge. Kevin’s Natural Foods mailed me four different sauces and I’m challenged to find different ways to prepare each one based on four different categories – chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetarian. This Quick Chicken Piccata is my entry into the Chicken category. Perhaps you tried my BBQ Baked Beans using their amazing BBQ Sauce or the Thai Coconut Risotto with Blackened Salmon?
The tagline for Kevin’s Natural Foods contest is to Eat Clean Live Happy. And as soon as I saw this Lemongrass Basil Sauce, I thought of that Chicken Piccata recipe. By substituting out all of that butter, and using this sauce – which is amazing by the way – I can eat clean and be happy and not guilty. I’m not losing any flavor with this sauce. That makes me happy. What about you?
Now, if you’re not familiar with Kevin’s Natural Foods and their mission, they are Paleo and Keto-certified, and non-GMO verified. The pre-made sauces they make are made without refined sugar, dairy, are gluten and soy-free, and allow you to have a delicious meal without skipping out on any of the flavors. They also offer a line of pre-packaged meals that you heat and eat. I have all the links to their info below the recipe if you want to learn more about this company.
As the citrus aroma filled the kitchen and dinner was about to be served, my wide and kids gathered around the table ready to eat. I asked the kids what did they want to eat. They all said, “that.” They were pointing at the Chicken Piccata. Needless to say, there were no leftovers and better yet: there was no guilt in finishing off this great dish.
A Chicken Piccata is usually served over pasta, but we went with cauliflower rice. The cauliflower rice soaked up some of that sauce and the lemon of the Whole Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts complimented the chicken brilliantly. This was a very memorable dinner, for sure.
Let me know what you think of this Quick Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe in the comments below.
Quick Lemon Chicken Piccata
Seasoned pieces of chicken breast simmered in a lemongrass basil sauce with capers will brighten your spirits when it comes time to prepare this easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast pounded down to thinner pieces
- salt
- pepper
- 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 7- oz package of Kevin's Natural Foods Lemongrass Basil Sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 non-pareil capers rinsed
- lemon slices
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped, for garnishment
Instructions
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Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken down to thinner pieces so they will cook more evenly. Then pat dry the chicken and evenly season them with salt and pepper.
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In a large skillet with the extra-virgin olive oil, over MEDIUM heat, add the pieces of seasoned chicken. When the chicken has browned, flip and cook the other side until the chicken is almost browned - about 2-3 minutes.
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Pour the contents of Kevin's Natural Foods Lemongrass Basil sauce into the pan, along with the fresh lemon juice, lemon slices, and rinsed capers, and reduce heat to LOW. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes before serving.
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To serve, place chicken on plate, top with extra sauce and capers from the pan, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes
PRO TIP: Chicken Piccata is usually served over pasta, for added health benefits, serve this recipe over Zucchini Noodles, or as I did, over Cauliflower Rice.
PRO TIP: For the wine aficionados, a white wine like a Chardonnay would pair perfectly with this dinner.
FOLLOW KEVIN’S NATURAL FOODS
For more information on Kevin’s Natural Foods, you can visit them online at https://www.kevinsnaturalfoods.com. While there, you can also find out about the contest results, more recipes featuring their great line of products, and ways you can purchase them.
They are also on your favorite social media sites, so be sure to follow them:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kevins-Natural-Foods-111435896926979/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevins.natural.foods/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KevinsNaturalFoods/
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Keep the red beans cookin’!
Eric
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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