Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts Recipe

Chicken Piccata is a very simple dish but one that is full of flavor. This recipe adds a little something more than the old standard recipe. I was inspired by a heat-and-eat dish we buy when we are short on time.
I'm sure this version is much healthier and contains a lot less salt! Really, I just free-styled this recipe based on what we like and trying to make something more healthy. I'm not always successful when I do that but this time worked like a charm. Mr. T asked me to move it into regular rotation. Folks, he's a tough food critic so you know it's gonna be good!

Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast
1 cup flour
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, mined
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1/2 jar marinated artichoke hearts
24 oz low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbs fresh parsley

3 tbsp flour & enough chicken broth to make slurry

Directions:
Rinse and clean chicken. Pound thin. Season with salt and pepper. Mix flour with salt and pepper on a large dinner plate. Prep sauce ingredients.  Coat frying pan with olive oil heat over medium heat. When oil is hot enough to sizzle with a drop of water it's ready. Dip both sides of chicken in flour and shake excess. Add to pan and let cook until golden brown about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set on a paper towel to drain oil.

Add 1-2 tbsp of butter to olive oil. Add chopped tomato and garlic. Smash tomatoes with a back of a fork and reduce to a pan sauce.  Add lemon juice, capers and artichoke hearts. Stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth to pan.  Make the flour and chicken broth slurry. Whisk briskly with a fork. Add to pan and let sauce thicken.  Add fresh parsley and basil to sauce. Add chicken back to pan and gently reheat.

Serve with rice or pasta or just a loaf of crusty Italian bread to soak up the lovely "gravy"!