With her new cookbook “Eat Better, Feel Better”, head chef Giada De Laurentiis would like to help you take the first step on your health journey.
On Friday she conjures up a simple chicken piccata and a tough almond-cherry thumbprint cookie for the co-moderators at “The View”. See how you can try them out for yourself.
All recipes are courtesy of “Eat Better, Feel Better” by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2021 by GDL Foods Inc. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
EASY CHICKEN PICCATA
For 4
“This is a classic for good reason: it takes less than twenty minutes to cook, uses ingredients straight from the pantry, and is enjoyed pretty much everywhere. De Laurentiis says in her cookbook. “Make sure the pan you’re using has a metal handle that won’t melt under the grill, and be careful – it gets extremely hot!”
ingredients
• 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
• 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
• 2/3 cup, homemade (page 96) or store-bought, low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of drained capers
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Directions
• Place a wire rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the grill.
• Season the chicken breasts evenly with salt and rub with olive oil. Arrange them in an oven-safe pan large enough to hold without overlapping. Add lemon zest and juice, chicken broth, and capers to the pan.
• Place the pan under the grill and cook the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, until it is browned and the internal temperature reads 160 ° F on an instant thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of a breast. Transfer the chicken to a platter to rest.
• Put the pan on the stove and bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the butter and any juices that have built up around the chicken and stir them into the sauce until incorporated. Stir in the parsley. Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce spooned on top.
TOUGH ALMOND AND THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Makes 24 cookies
“Cherries and almonds go together like peanut butter and jelly, and this combination is particularly beautiful with these homely biscuits,” writes De Laurentiis in her book. “Roasting the almond flour intensifies the nutty taste of the cookies and makes them extra crispy, so don’t skip this step.”
ingredients
• 4 cups of almond flour
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• ¼ cup of honey, such as thyme or clover
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons of limoncello or fresh lemon juice, made from 1 lemon
• 1 large egg
• About ¼ cup of whole fruit cherry jam
Directions
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Spread the almond flour on a baking sheet with a rim and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the flour is golden brown and roasted. Immediately scrape it into a medium bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Add sugar, honey, salt, lemon peel, limoncello and egg to the roasted flour. Stir with a rubber spatula until everything is well mixed.
• Scoop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between the biscuits. Slightly flatten them with the palm of your hand. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill each well with ½ teaspoon of cherry jam.
• Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes until they are golden brown and just set. Let cool slightly on the pan for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. The biscuits can be kept in an airtight container for one to two days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Every episode of ABC’s award-winning talk show “The View” is now available as a podcast! Listen for free and subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, stapler or the ABC News app.
