Dinner is prepared! Chicken Piccata with Pasta

Chicken piccata was on the menu tonight with an old summer favorite, Asian Cole Slaw.  Our daughter has been so busy since she got home from school.  She is working about 30 hours a week at Starbucks and has also picked up hours at her old job as a hostess and now being trained as a waitress.  While she was grumbling at the beginning of her summer about working so much, she is now reaping the benefits of 2 jobs and 2 paychecks.

Today she had the day off and no wheels for transportation, so she was in charge of dinner.  She called me at work with an idea of what she wanted to make, which would require a trip to the grocery store.  So when hubby got home he took her to the store to finish off her list.  They got home just after I did and off to the kitchen she went.  With a little help from me, dinner was ready an hour later and tasted delicious.  One bad thing about this is if you make dinner you really don't have to pick up.  So that left me with the dishes because she went off to the gym and our son went to study for his Algebra regents.    It is a small price to pay....

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

And because our daughter is going to be a registered dietitian, here is the nutrition values from Eating Well where this recipe came from.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 397 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 54 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 5 g fiber; 544 mg sodium; 609 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (37% daily value), Vitamin C (18% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Iron (16% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat