This might work for you for an Italian chicken that doesn't need pasta. You could also serve this with polenta, now that I think about it, to maintain the Northern Italian theme.
Chicken Piccata
Serves 2 to 4 people
Breast of 1 chicken (2 typical breast servings)
salt
fresh ground pepper
flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. Campbell's chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp. butter
Lemon slices (about 1 lemon, thin sliced)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/3 c. scallions or onions, minced
Cut each breast half into 2 or 3 thin cutlets. Pound the cutlets with
a mallett to tenderize and thin them. Salt and pepper the cutlets on
both sides. Dredge in flour. (or egg wash for Atkins dieters)
Add the oil to a frying pan. Add the cutlets. Saute 2 to 3 minutes on
one side, turn the cutlets, cover the pan with a plate and cook 2 to 3
minutes on the other side. Remove the cutlets onto the now heated
plate.
Add sherry to the pan to deglaze. Boil until sherry is reduced by half.
Add chicken broth,capers and lemon juice. Heat to boiling, add cutlets. Cook
an additional minute on each side. Remove cutlets back to the platter.
Drop the heat to low, and heat to boiling. Add butter,
lemon slices, adjust salt and pepper, stir until combined, and
pour sauce over the cutlets.
Top with the minced scallions and parsley. If you are using regular onions,
put them in earlier with the capers.
This is good with noodles, rice, or a really good Italian bread and
fresh asparagus.
Here's the recipe:
Creamy Polenta
4 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. polenta (essentially Italian yellow corn meal. Do not buy the premade guck in a stick)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 Tbsp. butter
Pour 4 cups of water into a deep, thick-bottomed pot. Add the salt. Put the pot over
high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Pour the polenta very slowly
into the water, whisking continually so that no lumps form. Continue cooking over
medium heat, whisking very frequently, for about 10 to 12 minutes. The conventional
wisdom is that polenta is done when it pulls away from the side of the pan, but if
you are like me, you may like it a little looser.
Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cheese and butter.
This makes a nice breakfast with fried, bulk sausage.
Store the remainder in a square pan. It can be sliced and fried and served with any
stew-like entree, particularly any with an Italian or Mediterranean flavor.
It can also be served with syrup or cinnamon sugar for another breakfast.
Here's a good stew to serve over it:
North End of Groton Italian Chicken Stew
1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
salt
pepper
3 tsps. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 1-lb can of chick peas (ceci, if you're Italian, garbanzos if you speak Spanish)
4 chopped plum tomatoes
1 c. water
2 Tbsp. minced black olives (and green olives work too)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. chopped parsley
Cut up the chicken and salt and pepper it.
Pour the olive oil into a deep, thick-bottomed frying pan. Heat the oil over medium
high heat. Add the chicken and brown it
for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and wilt it, about 30 seconds. Add the
chickpeas and the water. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced
by half, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes. Continue to cook over medium heat until the tomatoes start to
lose their shape and become sauce. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes. Add
the olives, vinegar and chicken, including any juices that have drained onto the
the plate. Cook one additional minute. Stir in the parsley and seve with polenta.
