Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Garlic Sauce

This past weekend was Pickle Fest 2014.  Again my mother and I went to the Beaverton Farmer's Market to gather all of the pickles, dill, and red peppers we needed.  This year we even came across white pickles, I haven't ever seen or heard of them but they were perfect size for pickling so we bought several pounds.  This year we ended up only pickling 25lbs because we have so many left over from last year, so hopefully we don't run out!  After a long, boring, taxing, and uneventful Tuesday I decided I needed to go to the gym and then go home and cook a lovely meal.  No matter how lame of a day I have when I go home and cook and create a delicious and healthy meal it always turns it around.  Creating a meal isn't only an accomplishment, it is immediately satisfying, and a way to express love to your significant other.  I adapted this recipe for the chicken, as for the wilted 4 cups of spinach and 1 cup tomatoes in 1 1/2 Tbsp. pesto...well just do exactly how it sounds and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Serves 2

The Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
1/3 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 egg
1/3 cup almond flour
1 tsp. paprika (or Creole seasoning)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. bacon fat (or olive oil)

Sauce
1/4 cup broth or stock
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Italian parsley to garnish


The Process
1) Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2 in. thick using a meat mallet.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.

2) Get out 3 shallow bowls and line them up next to the stove. In the one furthest from the stove, mix the arrowroot powder with the garlic and onion powder. In the middle bowl, lightly whisk the egg. In the bowl closest to the stove, mix the almond flower with the paprika, thyme, and salt.

3) In a bowl or measuring cup, mix the broth with the lemon juice and garlic cloves. Set aside until the chicken is cooked.

4) Melt 2 Tbsp. bacon fat over medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan. Lightly dredge the chicken in the arrowroot mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip it in the egg, then dredge it in the almond flour mixture, again shaking off any excess, and lay it carefully in the hot pan. Do the same with the other chicken piece.

5) Cook chicken for about 5 minutes each side until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through. If the pan is dry when you flip the chicken, add the additional bacon fat. Once cooked, remove to a plate.

6) Quickly add the sauce ingredients to the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. When the sauce has reduced a little, this takes about 30 seconds, pour it over the chicken, sprinkle on the Italian parsley, and serve.