The lemony, buttery flavor of chicken piccata is one of my favorite Italian dishes, especially served with delicate angel hair pasta, yum! But unfortunately, we can’t indulge in all those carbs and butter as often as we would like, so I lightened up the dish using a lot less butter, and served it with spaghetti squash instead of pasta. This healthy variation is absolutely satisfying and the spaghetti squash adds a slightly sweet flavor that compliments the other bright flavors really well. Now you won’t have to limit yourself to chicken piccata to only once a year! =P

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, low carb, heart healthy, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly, kidney friendly

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in half and pounded to 1/4 inch (about 5 oz. per serving)
• Salt
• Sodium-free seasoning
• Pepper
• Flour
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for squash
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons capers, drained, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Small spaghetti squash

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut off ends of the spaghetti squash, then cut in half vertically.
3. Scoop out seeds and “guts”.
4. 
5. Brush squash halves with olive oil and season with sodium-free seasoning and pepper.
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7. Place squash face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
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9. Bake for about 30 minutes or until just tender. Be careful not to overcook or it will become watery and mushy. Set aside until cool enough to handle. If it did cook for a little longer than preferred, no worries, just drain extra liquid.
10. While squash is baking, season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in a light coating of flour and shake off excess.
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13. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter with olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate.
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15. 
16. 
17. Into the pan, add mushrooms and cook until browned. The, add lemon juice, stock, artichokes and capers.
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19. 
20. Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Sauce should also thicken a bit.
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22. In the meantime, pull the spaghetti strands from the squash with a fork. It will be 1 serving per half.
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24. Top spaghetti squash with chicken, and ladle veggies and sauce over top. Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley. Enjoy!