Hello again! After a 16 day vacation with my mom throughout the Mediterranean; Greece, Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro, I am back to cooking at home. It felt great to get back into my kitchen and make something myself even thought our trip was truly amazing and filled with great foodie experiences.

Spaghetti with Little Clams in Venice, Italy ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

But, I loved the delicious food I was so spoiled to eat on the Seabourn Cruise and in the ports of call. I ate souvlaki, Greek salad, baklava, and spanakopita in Greece; spaghetti with clams, caprese salad, prosciutto e melon, lots of gelato, pizza, gnocchi, and a 14th century Venetian dish called shrimp pie in Italy.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

It is reliable, delicious, and always presents itself nicely on a plate. You can make it just for the two of you as a quick, weekday meal or double or triple the recipe to make a group meal. Here’s my chicken piccata:

Chicken Piccata ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Chicken Piccata

Recipe by: Everyday Cooking Adventures, 2013

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: about 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 whole, split in half)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Linguine (enough for 2 people)
• Good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 Tbsp. grated fontina, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp. bottled lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon, optional
• 1 small shallot, sliced thin
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
• Fresh parsley to garnish if desired

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Let the pan warm in the oven. Place each chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap and pound out to 1/3-inch thick.

2. In a shallow plate, mix together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow plate. Dip each chicken breast in the flour, coating both sides and shake off the excess.

3. In a medium-large saucepan, boil water for pasta. Salt the water once boiling and lower to a rolling simmer so the water doesn’t overflow the pan. Add the pasta and stir right away. Let cook uncovered according to package directions (usually around 12 minutes for linguine).

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes on one side without moving them until lightly browned. Then flip the chicken and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. Remove from pan (do not drain the pan as you will reuse it) and place chicken on the baking sheet in the oven. Optionally, top with the shredded cheese. Turn off the oven immediately and leave pan in there to melt cheese and keep chicken warm.

5. Place the saute pan back over medium heat and add the chicken broth, wine, capers, 1 tablespoon butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallot and garlic. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced in half, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and drizzle/toss with a tiny bit of olive oil. Plate it on bottom, put chicken on top, and pour the sauce over both using a large spoon. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.