Lemon Chicken Piccata + Kitchen Clean-Up Tips

Lemon Chicken Piccata with Vegetables only requires one pan, is simple to make and is loaded with a tangy lemon sauce that is sure to become a family favorite!

I love to cook but what makes me crazy is the cleanup. Our kitchen is also where we enter our house so it can often get very messy, even before I start cooking. It is the place where our lunch bags full of dirty dishes, Adalyn's diaper bag, etc. goes. Seeing my kitchen messy makes me feel unorganized and therefore, I am constantly working at organizing it to make it look clean and not have clutter.

When I cook dinner, I am never just cooking dinner. I am also usually entertaining a toddler, letting the dogs out/in/feeding them/giving them water, making our lunches for the next day and cleaning the kitchen. Since I am a working mom, wife and blogger, I am limited on time and try to get stuff done as I go. Here are my tips for cleaning as you while cooking, mostly for sanity!

1. Scrub your dishes as you go

It makes cleanup so much quicker not having to do it all at the end.

2. Get Out All Ingredients

While I cook, a tip that I started using a couple months ago that has helped me a lot is getting out all of the ingredients for a recipe before I start cooking. Especially with baking, it is helpful to have everything right where I need it on my counter. This saves me from running around like crazy while I am actually cooking.

3. Put Everything Away Right Away

My other tip is to put everything away as you are done with it. Done with the garlic powder? Put it away! When I do not do this, I hate coming back to my kitchen after dinner and seeing a big mess. Therefore, it always pays off to clean as I go.

4. Put Dishes Away/Load the Dishwasher

If there are clean dishes in the dishwasher, I will put them away as I cook dinner and load the dishwasher as well. I also unload our lunchboxes from the day before and make Troy and I's lunches for the next day.

5. Wash the Pots and Pans

Something that I am not the best about is washing my pots and pans after each meal. Troy and I both dislike hand washing dishes so we usually wait a couple of days before we do them. This is something that I am working on improving on because seeing a bunch of big dishes in the sink makes me crazy. I created this chicken piccata recipe because it is one of my favorite dishes and I cannot believe that I have not made it before for the blog.

6. Wash Down the Counters

When I am done cooking, wiping down the counters is something that takes no time and makes the counters look clean. Then, when my daughter wants to sit on the counter the next day to have a snack while I make coffee, she can do so on a clean counter.

Lemon Chicken Piccata with Vegetables

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons juice from capers
2 teaspoons capers
1 lemon, sliced
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Mix together flour, garlic and onion powder and black pepper. Dip chicken breasts in flour mixture.

2. Heat up butter in a pan and saute chicken until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.

3. Add in zucchini and mushrooms and cook for several minutes. You may need to add a little water to prevent sticking.

4. Add the chicken back into the pan. Add butter, lemon juice and caper juice to pan. Let simmer for a minute and top with capers, lemon slices and parsley. Enjoy!

This recipe turned out better than I could have imagined. My mom is the expert chicken piccata maker and I got tips on how to make this from her. I will definitely make this again. I was intimidated to make it all along but now that I know how, will make it often!

Check out The Nutritionist Reviews recipes Pinterest board for more healthy and fun recipe ideas!

Like this recipe? Check out some of my other similar recipes:
Sesame Shrimp Kebabs

Fully Loaded Ham Sandwich

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

Garden Fresh Grilled Burgers