Chicken Pasta with Lemon & Artichokes

I know that I've talked a million times before about my favorite cookbook, Grand Temptations.  You know, the one that was made by the Grand Rapids Junior League that I was a part of?  Yeah....that one.  I really wish that I could buy a bunch of copies and give them to y'all because it really is a fantastic book.  There is not one single item that I've made from it that wasn't good.  And believe me when I say that I've made a ton of recipes from it and every dish has been superb!  It's such a great book for entertaining as well because it really helps you to be a "show off" in the kitchen (but not in a mean, snotty, "I'm better than you" way).  They're impressive recipes and they come from renowned chefs and restaurants in West Michigan, so they better be good, right?!  I'm telling you, you need to go out and get this book.  Who knows?  Maybe someday (soon) I'll end up giving one away!

Okay, enough about the book and onto the recipe.  I needed to talk about the book a little bit as my segue into this dish because, well, it's a recipe found in the book!  This was actually my first time making it and I've been eyeing it for a while but just never got to the actual task of preparing it.  So in planning my menu for the week, I went through my list (yes, I have a list...a long list, actually, of dishes I'd like to make in the next couple of months) and saw it on there.  It actually reminds me of an adaptation of Chicken Piccata, which if you're ever looking for a good recipe, Ina Garten's version is definitely the best!

Anyway, this recipe is a little more heavy than Chicken Piccata but the lemon juice helps to lighten it up a touch and the breading on the chicken is rather light as well.  All around, it's a great dish to make for Fall and into the Winter and served with a nice salad and some Italian bread, it'd be a great meal to entertain with as well!

Chicken with Lemon & Artichokes

Ingredients
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Flour
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (I prefer Panko)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Olive Oil
1 Sm. Onion, minced
1- 12oz. jar Artichoke Hearts, roughly chopped
1 Lemon, juiced
1/3 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 cup Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2lb. Spaghetti, cooked

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.

Set up a station to coat the chicken breasts with 3 shallow bowls.  In the first bowl, add the flour.  In the second bowl, combine the eggs and milk; whisk until blended.  In the third bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese; mix until combined. 

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and begin the breading process by dipping each breast in the flour, then into the egg mixture followed by the bread mixture (be sure to coat both sides). 

Carefully place each chicken breast into the hot skillet and saute' until golden brown on each side (about 1-2 minutes). 

Remove the browned chicken breasts to a baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (about 25 minutes).

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over med-high heat.  Add in the onion and saute until tender.  Add in the artichokes, lemon juice and chicken stock; mix well and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  Mix in the basil and butter to create a smooth sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken over the pasta and top with the lemon and artichoke sauce.


Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Grand Temptations