Chicken Piccata and Roasted Broccoli

  
The ingredients:

Start by placing the chicken breasts in the freezer.  It is easier to cut them in half if they are slightly frozen.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a rimmed cookie sheet in the oven.

Next, wash the broccoli.  Chop it up into fairly large pieces.  You'll want long flat edges on the broccoli.  When those edges hit the hot cookie sheet they will get brown and delicious.

Dry the broccoli.  Dry broccoli is important so that the broccoli roasts and doesn't steam.  This helps it stay crisp and not soggy.  Place the dry broccoli in a bowl.  Add two minced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of sugar, some crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and about two tablespoons of olive oil.

Set this aside while preparing the Piccata sauce.  You'll need a cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, a few slices of lemon, two tablespoons of parsley, two tablespoons of capers (rinsed), and a shallot finely diced.

It is best to prepare all of these items and measure them out ahead of time.  You'll make the sauce rather quickly and do not want the chicken to get cold.  So its best to take these steps early on to save time later.

Next, prepare a simple coating for the chicken out of flour, salt, and pepper.  This dish is best with a light breading, so keep it minimal.  Slice the chicken breasts in half.  Dip them in the flour mixture.  Note, the chicken breasts should be just slightly frozen, not frozen solid!  You just want them hard enough to make it easy enough to cut.  Around this time, you'll also want to start boiling some water for the noodles.

At this point, pull out the cookie sheet from the oven.  Spread out the broccoli on the cookie sheet with the flat edges down.  Bake for 7-8 minutes or a little longer depending on how soft you like the broccoli.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Cook the chicken breasts over medium - high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through.

While cooking the chicken, also cook the pasta.  Cook it al dente.  To the cooked pasta, add a splash of chicken broth, a bit of butter, a sprinkle of garlic powder, some Parmesan cheese, and a little bit of parsley.  Sorry, I have no clue of the measurements here. 

Once you've removed the chicken from the pan, place the shallots in the pan and cook over low-medium heat until softened and translucent.  Then sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour in and cook for 45 seconds.  Add chicken broth.  Cook until it is reduced and thickened a little.

Next, add the lemon juice, lemons, parsley, and capers. Once off heat, stir in three tablespoons of butter.

By this time the broccoli should be done!  Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice on top of the broccoli.

Serve the chicken on top of the pasta and drizzle with the sauce. 

Mmmmm. I should cook more meals with lemon.  I love lemony things.