Chicken Piccata

I'm making this dish with Gardein chicken tonight, but a seitan piccata might also be a nice, hearty entree.  This dish isn't exactly an authentic piccata, since I skipped the process of coating the Gardein in flour before cooking. However, it contains lots of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, white wine, and a generous dose of capers, capturing the flavors traditionally found in a piccata sauce. I served with wild rice, but you could also try it with pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup vegan chicken broth (such as Imagine)
• 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vegan dry white wine
• 4 Gardein Tuscan chicken breasts (without sauce)
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cooked wild rice*

1. Drain the artichokes in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 3 tablespoons liquid. Discard the remaining liquid.

2. Combine the 3 tablespoons artichoke liquid in a shallow bowl with the broth, lemon juice, and white wine.  Add the chicken pieces; cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic; saute for 4 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the dish (reserving the marinade), and add to the pan; saute for 1 minute.  Add the reserved marinade; cook for 12 minutes.

4. Stir in the artichokes, capers, and black pepper; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice.  Serve 1 chicken piece and 1/2 cup artichoke sauce over 1/2 cup rice on each of 4 plates.

*Don't forget it takes a good deal longer to cook wild rice compared to other varieties.  Make sure you've set aside at least 50 minutes to 1 hour for the rice to cook, or your chicken will grow cold while you wait.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 chicken piece, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/2 cup rice), Calories 288

Tasting Notes:
I love artichokes, so it's really hard to go wrong in a dish that has them in such a starring role. The brininess of the capers and artichokes is fantastic over the chicken and rice combo. My only complaint is that the lemon was a touch too strong; decrease to about 1/4 cup or so in the marinade, or you risk a bit of a pucker while eating this. 

Rating:
3.5