Chicken and Mushrooms in Lemon Sauce

I am one of those people who collects cookbooks and along with the cookbooks, come the cooking magazines and newspaper clippings of recipes, but why stop there?  There are a multitude of websites dedicated to cooking….there are cooking show, chef and blogging websites, there are also recipes at brand name websites, and yes, each recipe can be printed.  So along with cookbooks, magazines, and clippings, there is a stack of papers, all of which need to be sorted or labeled in some way so that the special recipe can be found once it has been set aside with the good intention of making it….someday! So the question is:  Why haven’t I organized everything?  Do I just enjoy watching the pile grow and the cupboard fill up?  Am I such a pack rat that I cannot make myself toss anything?  Or, has it become so overwhelming that I cannot face looking at any of it?  Is there just not a system?  I wish I could answer the question.  

So, just how are all of the resources managed?  At the moment, I am filing papers horizontally.  (Yes, I know that solves nothing….but it is somewhat tidy.)  And, just when I think I am going to start weeding the cookbooks….I find that one cookbook that is dogeared and stained, with pages falling out and notations here and there.  And, as I page through, I know that this is the one that I will be cooking from this week….I am easily distracted from weeding….

I did pour myself a glass of white wine as I began to gather together the ingredients while the mister pounded the chicken breasts to even them out…just a bit.  This is a recipe that we both remembered for the tender chicken and the wonderful flavor…and, the best part, it goes together easily! 

Chicken and Mushrooms in Lemon Sauce

adapted from Pacific Fresh by Maryana Vollstedt

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced

6 green onions, sliced, include some of the green tops, also

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded slightly to even out

1/4 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic and saute until slightly soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Mix together the flour, pepper, salt and paprika on a plate.  Dust the chicken pieces with the flour mixture, coating them evenly.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt over medium heat.  Add the chicken pieces (be careful not to crowd them) and brown them on all sides, turning frequently, about 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on the dish with the mushrooms and onions.

Add wine and lemon juice to the pan and bring it to a boil.  Using a wooden spoon, stir and loosen the browned bits.  Reduce the liquid by one fourth, about 1 minute.

Return chicken and mushroom mixture to the pan.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the parsley and serve immediately.

Note:  Serve the chicken with rice or noodles to absorb some of the delicious sauce.  The original recipe called for 8 chicken breast halves.  I reduced that by half but left the remaining proportions the same.  I love the extra sauce!

PRINTABLE RECIPE