Chicken Piccata + Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
A simple, low-carb Italian dish with over 60g protein
Chicken breast is one of the most overrated weight-loss foods in the world.
Or that’s what many of the contrarian users on the likes of Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter might have you think. Citing that the diet staple lacks flavor and juiciness, and its overall boring nature.
Maybe it’s not as succulent as a chicken leg or fatty like a chicken wing, but it’s surely not boring unless you make it that way. When I first started learning how to cook, my chicken breasts were always cooked bodybuilder-style, as plain as possible, and accompanied by a big steaming pile of rice and broccoli.
While super clean meals like these were crucial for me to learn how to eat healthier, it wasn’t enjoyable to consume at all. I sometimes thought the torture would end sooner if I blended everything into a drinkable smoothie - a tactic that some bodybuilders actually use. Thankfully, I never resorted to this kind of insanity since I discovered early on that chicken breast could be more than just bodybuilder fuel.
The discovery came from watching numerous hours of Food Network shows like Chopped and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. They all showed me what chicken breast really could be: a blank canvas to be turned into something amazingly delicious with the right combination of ingredients and creativity.
After getting inspired from watching those shows, I started trying out different recipes that made chicken breast more exciting to me. One of them I liked the most was this Chicken Piccata recipe. It transforms an otherwise one-dimensional chicken breast into a juicy, zesty concoction that leaves you wanting seconds. The chicken sits atop a pile of creamy mashed cauliflower dressed in a lemon caper sauce that makes the dish. All for 425 calories and a cooking time of 30 minutes.
After trying this recipe, I no longer consider chicken breast overrated and I bet you'll feel the same once you've tasted it.
Here are some notes about making this:
Save money by butterflying each chicken breast to make chicken cutlets.
Look for pre-made mashed cauliflower in the frozen section of your grocery store.
For a saucier dish, simply increase the amounts of bone broth and light butter.
Let’s dive into the recipe!
61G Protein Per Serving | 425 Calories | 30 Minutes | 6 Servings
RECIPE
Ingredient List
Chicken Piccata
3 lbs chicken breast cutlets
1 cup flour
2 cups chicken bone broth
2 tbsp white wine
3 tbsp capers
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp light butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tbsp onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Mashed Cauliflower
36 oz cauliflower florets
3/4 cup cottage cheese
2 tbsp light butter
2 tbsp light sour cream
2 tbsp grated parmesan
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Dried chives (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Prep Mashed Cauliflower 🥦
Preheat a pan over medium-low heat with cooking spray and toss in the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Microwave the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes until soft.
Add garlic, cottage cheese, butter, and sour cream to a blender. Blend until smooth and then add the cauliflower and blend again until smooth.
Add the mashed cauliflower to a pot and warm over low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and dried chives then mix well.
Cook Chicken Cutlets 🐔🔪
Season cutlets with salt & pepper on both sides. Then season the flour with salt, garlic, and onion powder.
Mix and coat the chicken in the flour.
Preheat a pan to medium and cover with cooking spray.
Add the chicken, then cook for 2 mins each side. Remove from pan.
Add white wine, bone broth, light butter, lemon juice, olive oil, and capers. Scrape up the brown bits from the pan.
Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes until it slightly reduces.
Plate the chicken. Spoon over the sauce and serve with the mashed cauliflower. Enjoy!
Don’t forget to check out the archive here for other gourmet high-protein recipes.
Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins
This looks very delicious.