This slightly tangy, light and refreshing dish tastes great no matter what time of year. Getting a little tired of the heavy meals we all tend to eat during the cold winter months, try this one.
For those who have never tried capers, this is a good dish to try out. Paired with fresh lemon juice, they add just the right amount of tang.
First prep your veggies. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash down the center and each half down the center one more time. Then cut into slices. Slice your mushrooms and chop your tomatoes. I generally use roma tomatoes in this dish since they have more meat and less juice and hold up better when cooking, but you could use any tomatoes you have on hand. Get your capers out and make sure your lemon is at room temperature – it will give you more juice.
Heat up a large saute pan on the medium low setting. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and butter. Then put your chicken in the pan making sure to scrape as much seasoning off the plate as you can.
Cover the pan and cook 3 – 5 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken). Flip over, replace lid and cook another 3 – 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan.
Time for the veggies. Add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms. Also add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.
While stirring, scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the seasonings left behind from the chicken.
Once the seasonings have been scraped up and the chicken stock has simmered out – about 3 to 5 minutes – add the chicken back to the pan and the other 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes – the chicken needs to reach 165 degrees.
Now, remove the lid and add the tomatoes, capers and fresh lemon juice and zest. Simmer for a few more minutes until the liquid has reduced down be about half.
Time to eat. I like to put some fresh greens on my plate and top it with the chicken and veggies plus some juice. This adds a little more nutrients to my meal. I also pair it with Quinoa Pilaf. Top with some fresh chopped parsley and chives to finish it off.
Enjoy!
Lemon Pepper Chicken & Veggies
Equipment
- Large saute pan
Ingredients
- 3 each chicken breasts cut in ½ for 6 pieces
- 1 each zucchini small
- 1 each yellow crookneck squash small
- 4 cups mushrooms sliced
- 3 each roma tomatoes
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 each lemon zest and juice
- 1 tbsp lemon pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Chopped chives and parsley
- 2 handfuls fresh greens spinach, kale, arugula
Instructions
- Slice mushrooms and dice tomatoes.
- Slice zucchini and yellow squash in half lengthwise then in half again. Cut strips into slices.
- Make sure your lemon is at room temperature and get your capers out.
- Cut chicken breasts in half or if thick, slice through the middle to split full breast in half. Sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides of chicken breasts.
- Heat a large sauté pan on medium low heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add chicken breasts to pan. Cover and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. Flip, cover and cook for another 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
- To pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and butter plus zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms and ½ cup chicken stock. Stir, scraping the bottom of pan to remove seasoning left from chicken.
- Once tasty bits from bottom of pan are scraped off and chicken stock is almost boiled out, return chicken to pan plus the other ½ cup of chicken stock.
- Cover and cook on low until chicken reaches 165 degrees – about 10 minutes.
- Remove lid, add tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, and capers. Simmer for a couple minutes until stock is reduced by about ½.
- Serve as is or on top of some fresh greens (the heat and juice will wilt the greens) and sprinkle some fresh chives and parsley on top.
- Pairs well with Quinoa Pilaf.
- Enjoy!