Chicken piccata over rice

Three months ago our typical family dinner was boxed pasta, a vegetable out of a can and a meat bar-b-qued in some sauce out of a bottle. There were days where we would make something a little inventive, but over all our go to meal was as I described. It was boring, and lacking in nutrition, and made using less than fresh ingredients. Boy, have we come a long way, but every once in a while its nice to fall back on your old stand by.

This is what I made tonight, our old combination with what I think is a French twist. Quite possibly the only thing French about tonight's dinner was my accent. Despite my husband constant pleas that I put on a French maid outfit, which I did not do, it was a good dinner!

I started with the zucchini. After washing them off, I used a pealer to cut the stripped design. Then I cut the veggies into 1/4 inch disc and placed them in a steamer.

Herb Rice:

2 cups of filtered water

1 cube of chicken bouillon

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely diced

1 cup white jasmine rice

Mix water, chicken bouillon, onion, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes

Chicken:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Trim your chicken and if the breast are very thick, you may want to pound them out a little. I chose to butterfly them mid way through cooking, to make six equal pieces, one for each person. Combine the herbs and spices, then sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken. 

I used a 12 inch cast iron pan because it browns meat evenly. Pre heat your pan and melt the butter in it. Raise the heat and place your chicken in the pan, turning it frequently. Once it has a nice brown, reduce the heat and continue cooking for about 5 minuets. Remove the chicken from the pan, reserving the butter for the sauce. Place the chicken under foil, or in a covered container to keep it warm.

Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Return skillet to stove, and increase heat to high. Whisk in whipping cream, whisking continuously until reduced to sauce consistency, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in capers. Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

Damn, c'était une bonne cuisson!