A domestic goddess I am not. The kitchen and I, well, we have a love/hate relationship. We love one another when it comes to me baking something decadent and amazing. We hate one another when it comes to me cooking. Things happen. Fire alarms go off. There’s smoke. The kids want to know why daddy isn’t cooking (he’s more than just a pretty face…he’s a superb cook) and I’m left wondering how exactly I’m supposed to handle cooking everything else if that’s what happens when I’ve done nothing but try to boil water for pasta.
It’s ugly.
I’m not a cook. Ask me to bake, and I’m amazing. But we don’t eat a lot of baked goods and we don’t have much of a sweet tooth most of the time, so there’s little baking to do. On occasion, however, I do like to cook. It might be too much Pioneer Woman on Food Network, but I start feeling the itch to put on my pretty aprons, pour a glass of wine, and chop things.
Okay. I like to cook on occasion because it goes well with a glass of sauvignon blanc.
When I do have to cook, there’s one dish I can make well. I’d say I make it very well, and people do seem to love it. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it’s healthy when you have a half hour to make something that fills you up and everyone enjoys. I thought I’d share it with you, because I know how hard it is to find time to make healthy meals that are still delicious and don’t take much time.
What You Need
1 box whole grain pasta (any kind, but I love linguine)
Half a lemon
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 bottle capers
Extra virgin olive oil
1 package boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
¼ stick of unsalted butter
Place your chicken in a large pan lightly coated with a thin layer of EVOO, and throw some salt and pepper on top. I cook mine on medium heat, allow both sides to brown beautifully, and then I cut the chicken into small squares and throw it back in the pan. This allows it to cook through while also browning on all sides.
I also use very thin chicken that’s precut in the package into strips so it cooks quickly. While it’s cooking, I preheat water for my pasta. Once I cut up the chicken and throw it back into the pan, I put the pasta in the water and cook it according to the al dente instructions on the box.
When the chicken is cooking before the pasta is on, I cut the lemon in half, put the other half away and cut the half I’m using into three or four small slices. I also cut and my garlic into small pieces. Once the pasta is on, I toss the butter, capers, garlic and lemon into the pan with the chicken and mix it up. I let it simmer together until the sauce is creamy and rich. This takes about as long as the pasta.
I pour my chicken and sauce over the top of my pasta, top it with fresh parmesan, and we dig in. Everyone loves it, and it’s that little bit of butter that makes it so decadent without taking away all the nutrition.
Tip – Exchange whole wheat pasta for vegetable pasta and it’s just as delicious.
To make sure your dinner is even more spectacular, you’re going to want to pour a glass of wine. I have this thing for cooking with white wine (in my hand, not my food). I prefer it dry, so a gorgeous sauvignon blanc is always my choice for this particular meal.
Next time you have a few minutes and you’re not afraid of the smoke alarms in your house, I’d recommend trying this meal. Your family will love it, and I’ll become a staple. If my family can eat it (and request it), you know it’s good. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you, and I’m always open to learning new recipes I can pass along to my husband so share them below in the comment section!
Tiffany Raiford 