Snarky’s Quick-Chix Piccata

The last thing I want to do after a craptastic day at work is cook. But after countless numbers of mediocre takeout meals, I finally realized that fast food doesn’t necessarily have to suck. This recipe makes enough for 2, or dinner for one plus leftovers for lunch (yay!) the next day.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. flour
1 egg, lightly beaten plus 1 T. water
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 c. chicken stock (a bullion cube in some hot water also works)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. butter
1 T. capers (optional, if capers aren’t your thing)

1. Generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts, dip in egg mixture and dredge in flour.

2. Heat 2 T. of olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Gently add the chicken breasts to the pan (they should sizzle, but not violently). Brown the chicken, 2-3 minutes per side. Be careful not to burn the oil … if it starts to smoke and turn brown, you’re f’d.

3. Remove pan from the heat and put cooked chicken breasts aside on a plate (cover with foil to keep warm). Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced garlic and heat on a medium flame. The garlic should soften and begin to cook slightly, filling your kitchen with a glorious garlicky perfume. If your oil is still super hot, the garlic will cook quickly and start to brown. If this starts to happen, remove the pan immediately from the heat (burnt garlic tastes gnarly). If you didn’t notice in time, and the garlic turns crispy and dark brown … remove it from the sauce, trust me, it will taste way better without it.

4. Add the chicken stock to help deglaze the pan. (Note: deglaze = scraping all the tasty brown bits leftover on the bottom of the pan from when you cooked the chicken, not licking the top of a Krispy Kreme.) Add the lemon juice and capers to the pan, and let the sauce reduce slightly by cooking it for another 2-3 minutes. If your chicken is cold by this point, just throw it back in the pan to heat it with the sauce.

My favorite thing to do is cut up the chicken and pour the sauce over pasta, but you can also eat this over rice or couscous (good for sopping up the sauce). If you’re feeling particularly healthy, you can nix the carbs and eat it on its own with a side salad. This meal is fast and easy (like your mom).