Skinny Chicken Piccata with Sauteed Spinach and Artichokes

Over the years as a recipe developer, I've noticed that many dishes are loaded with additional fat and calories that don't really provide much to the overall taste and texture of the finished product. In fact, in a lot of instances additional fats can be cut or omitted altogether.

I discovered that is the case with chicken piccata.

Serve this dish over a bed of sauteed spinach and artichokes for a light, healthy, and delicious dinner!

I have a recipe for chicken piccata that I've been using for years but this winter I've been working really hard at maintaining and achieving a healthier lifestyle for myself and my husband. That said, I couldn't present him with a dish swimming in butter with a clear conscience.

So I set out to make the recipe healthier - starting with the chicken itself which I chose not to bread. I cooked it to a beautiful golden brown in a non-stick pan treated with a little olive oil and no butter. Instead, I planned to indulge in 1 tbsp of butter that would find its way into the final pan sauce.

To keep carbs at bay (I usually serve my chicken piccata with angel hair pasta) I decided to serve it on a bed of spinach and lemony artichokes and, I'll tell you, the dish was a DREAM! clean, healthy, and so full of flavor I actually prefer it to the original recipe.

Best of all, you still know you're eating chicken piccata when you taste this.

Visit the printable recipe here: Skinny Chicken Piccata with Sauteed Spinach and Artichokes

Learn all the tips and tricks for cooking this by watching my easy to follow step by step video.


Skinny Chicken Piccata
 
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder, mixed together
• Extra virgin olive oil to treat the pans
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• bouqet garni made with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 1 8 1/2 oz tin artichoke hearts (not packed in oil), chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
•  1 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound until thin.
2. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic and pepper mixture.
3. Prepare a large non stick pan with extra virgin olive oil either by spraying the surface or wiping oil onto the surface using a paper towel. Bring the pan to medium high heat and add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook 5 minutes on one side until golden and then turn over.
4. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes and then remove briefly to a platter.
5. Add the lemon juice and chicken stock to the hot pan and using a spatula give it a good stir, scraping any brown bits off the bottom to incorporate all that flavour and then add  a quarter cup of rinsed capers and the bouquet garnis.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover, and continue to simmer on low for five more minutes. 
7. While the chicken is simmering, treat another non-stick sautee pan with extra virgin olive oil and add the baby spinach and toss frequently. As the spinach cooks down a bit, add the artichokes and red pepper flakes. Cook the spinach until bright green.
8. Remove the chicken to a heated plate and stir 1 tbsp of butter into the pan sauce and whisk well. 
9. Place the spinach on a platter, place the chicken on top, and pour the pan sauce over all. Finish with chopped Italian parsley. 

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada, the $20,000.00 winner of the online competition "The Real Women of Philadelphia" and a finalist on the Food Network Canada show Recipe to Riches. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.