Lemon Chicken

I love a recipe that is simple to make, but provides a flavorful meal that tastes like it required more effort. Mother's Day is coming up this weekend. Since my husband does little cooking, unless we go out to eat for Mother's Day, I'm likely to be making my own food - so why not make something that is tasty and simple. It only uses two pans, one for the chicken and one for the rice or pasta, so clean-up is very easy.

I found this recipe a few months back. I adjusted it a little to our tastes. The first few times that I made it, I simply served it with rice on the side. Then recently, when I made it, my husband asked if we could have it over linguine. I figured I could easily modify it to serve with pasta. We only use about 1/2 - 2/3 a box of pasta for our family, so if you are making a full pound of pasta, you might need to increase the amount of sauce (and likely chicken).

Here are both versions of the recipe:

Lemon Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
flour
salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil
1/2c chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp butter

Flatten chicken slightly, so that it will cook evenly. Dust with flour and season with salt and pepper. Add to hot oil in a skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan. To pan, add broth, garlic, lemon juice and butter. Cook for two minutes. Pour over chicken and serve with a side of rice.


Lemon Chicken with Linguine

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
flour
salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil
1/2 c chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
1/2 c heavy cream
Linguine, prepare al dente

Flatten chicken slightly, so that it will cook evenly. Dust with flour and season with salt and pepper. Add to hot oil in a skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan. To pan, add broth, garlic, lemon juice and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is fully melted. Whisk in the cream and simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve the chicken and sauce over the linguine.

For more Mother's Day recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap Mother's Day Edition over at Life As Mom.