chicken with mushroom sauce

i absolutely love mushrooms.  love, love, love them.  i made this quick and simple meal for my clients and got great reviews.  i have finally come around to realize that all chicken breasts need to be either pounded thin, or cut in half horizontally.  their just so stinkin' big.  if you don't get them uniform in size, the thin end always gets over cooked.  by pounding or halving, you get a nice even breast, and it's actually more tender. so, after you have cleaned and pounded your chicken breasts, salt and pepper.  get a skillet heated over medium high heat with some olive oil, and cook each breast for about 3-4 minutes per side.  you want a nice golden crust.  after they have cooked through, remove to a plate.  add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and through in a ton of sliced mushrooms and about 3 sliced shallots, sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. add 2 cloves of minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute. stir in 1/2 cup of white wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. cook until liquid almost evaporates. sprinkle mushroom mixture with a bit of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.  i have been using whole wheat flour lately, and really like it.  i can't detect the difference in taste, and it's healthier for you, so, why not?  add 3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth to the pan, bring to a boil. cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. remove pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.  aren't mushrooms and thyme just meant to be together?  if you like mushrooms like i do, you will love this simple dish.  i served it over polenta, but brown rice would be great, too.

chicken piccata

i'm back!  the reason i haven't posted in the last month is because i couldn't get my photos to upload.  just one day out of the blue my blog stopped accepting my photos.  i have no idea why.  and then, just out of the blue (today), my blog decided to accept my photos.  i have no idea why.  i hate technology.  it's always gotten the better of me.  i am the type of person to give electronics a try, and if i get any resistance, i walk away.  i'm a very patient person, but computers, scanners, copiers, phones, no thank you.  i like simple.  i think i am the only person without an iphone.  so, i made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic.  light and simple.  i had a nice glass of white wine that rounded the meal out.  the weather in georgia is so wonderful, this was the perfect meal to enjoy on my deck.  i have several bird boxes and i think i am becoming a bird watcher.  i never got the fascination with bird watching, but it's so incredible. i guess these are the kind of things you do when you get older?  i have one blue bird box that 2 carolina chickadees worked on for well over 2 weeks.  the would carry feathers, trash, pine straw, whatever they could get to make a nest for their babies to be. well, the blue birds came along and took over.  it sort of broke my heart.  i wanted to intervene and shoo the blue birds away, but i decided to let nature runs its course.  poor chickadees.  i wonder where they are?  i also have a cardinal in one of my leyland cypress's.  a poor choice to set up home base.  it is right at head level so if i ever walk by the nest i get squawked at.  it's a bit unsettling.  so anyway, where was i?  oh, yes, this meal.  i made chicken piccata with a simple arugula salad.  for the chicken, i halved a chicken breast in half horizontally, so they basically became cutlets.  sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour.  heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.  remove the chicken to a serving platter.  in the same skillet add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of capers.  whisk mixture together and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom the pan.  pour sauce of chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  for the salad i just shaved some fresh parmesan and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and big squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.  so good and so easy.