Dinner Tonight: Budget Friendly: Friday Lightning Fast Lemon Pepper Chicken
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This recipe comes to us from April Hamilton, who grew up spending more time in the kitchen than out. As an adult, her passion has led her to share her appreciation of the creation of good food with others, particularly in Charleston, West Virginia where she lives and teaches cooking classes for children and adults. In 2010, she worked with the Connecticut firm Sustainable Food Systems to attempt to revamp the school food in Kanawha County, an initiative that earned her the honor of “Food Revolution Hero” by Jamie Oliver. To read more about or by April, visit her website.
Says April, “This recipe is super quick, no kidding, with the bonus of being healthy and delicious!”
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
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- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup water or white wine
1 tablespoon cold butter, optional
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- To cut the chicken breasts into cutlets, place the boneless chicken breast halves on a cutting board and mash the top with the heel of your hand, arching your fingertips up so they are out of the way. Using a long sharp knife, carefully cut each into three thin cutlets.
- Brush the chicken cutlets on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer. (Depending on the size of your skillet, this may have to be done in batches–it is best not to crowd the chicken)
- Turn after about 2 to 3 minutes, when the chicken is light golden.
- Cook the second side for another couple of minutes until the chicken is just cooked through.
- Remove the chicken to a platter and turn the heat off.
- Add the water and lemon zest and juice to the hot skillet and gently scrape any browned bits into the sauce.
- Whisk in the butter, if desired, for a silky sauce.
- Serve the chicken with the sauce.
