Chicken Picatta

I made this one the other night and got a big thumbs up from the family so I thought I'd share...
Chicken Picatta with Chickpea Puree
Serves 4

Chickpea Puree1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 C. low-sodium chicken stock
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Chicken Picatta
1/4 C. whole-wheat flour, divided (I used a gluten-free flour mix)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 4-oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C. lo2-sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. capers or olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare chickpea puree: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are light-golden brown and tender. Remove from heat and pour into a food processor. Add stock and puree until smooth, adding a bit of water or additional stock if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

While chickpea mixture is cooking in skillet, prepare chicken: Reserve 1 Tbsp. flour for later use. In a shallow dish or plate, combine remaining flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture to coat completely and shake off excess.

Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to plate.

Using the same pan over medium-high heat (do not wash; the brown bits will add flavor), add remaining 2 tsp. oil, garlic and reserved 1 Tbsp. flour. Heat mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits from pan. Add stock, lemon juice and capers. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for about 3 minutes, until sauce thickens.
Add chicken back to pan and continue to simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir parsley into sauce and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, scoop 1/4 of chickpea puree into center of plate, top with 1 chicken picatta and spoon 2-3 tbsp. sauce over top.

Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!

Where Does The Time Go?

Wow, it's been awhile since I've blogged and so much has happened. My kids started school last week so the entire family has been in crazy mode. Braeden is in 3rd grade and Brylee, my sweet baby, is starting Kindergarten...yes, the first day was a tearjerker for Mommy! Braeden has also started football and Brylee is cheering for the first time ever and loves her coach...Mommy! Yes, I volunteered to coach yet another sport and this one I know nothing about! I have to say I'm enjoying myself and the time with Brylee and the other girls. They are precious (and they actually think I know what I'm doing)! I was scared to death to take on this task but I love a challenge and I decided I would do it for my girl! How can I expect my kids to take chances in life if I'm not willing to do the same?

Cale and I also competed in yet another triathlon a few weeks ago. I was so excited because I bought a new road bike and couldn't wait to try it out...surely I was going to be my fastest ever!?! My body had other ideas. About 8 miles into the 15 mile bike ride my legs completely locked up with cramps. I've never had pain like that on a bike and it was excrutiating! The problem...Dehydration....plain and simple. That's what I get for not drinking enough water going into the race weekend. It's so hot here and I know better. I'm always telling clients and my kids to drink water all the time...Maybe I should listen! Anyways, not such a good race for me but another lesson learned.

Now that school is under way for us, I'm going back into training mode. I'm currently taking a few new clients and have openings in some group training on Monday and Fridays if anyone is interested. I know most of us are ready to hit it hard now that the kiddos are gone so come get your burn on!