Recipe of the Week: Chicken Scaloppini Primavera
A delicate and light chicken dish that is so easy to prepare that it will become your family’s favorite. Use a variety of spring vegetables, tossing them on top of pan seared chicken scaloppini in a sweet and tart lemon sauce. Serves eight. (Chef tip: To make scaloppini, slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts length wise and cover them with plastic wrap. Pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet, and dredge them in seasoned flour and cook.)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut and pounded into scaloppini
1/2 cup seasoned flour for coating*
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow summer squash, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 teaspoon fresh basil shredded
1 cup chicken stock, defatted
1/4 cup lemon juice and zest
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
*SEASONED FLOUR
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Dredge chicken in flour. Shake off excess. Heat oil and butter in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken scaloppini; cook for five minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken to a platter and reserve.
In the same pan, saute onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini, squash and snow peas for five minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice, zest, basil, bay leaf, crushed red pepper and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add chicken back to the pan and lower heat to a simmer. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked completely. Remove bay leaf and serve topped with fresh parsley.