Special surprise recipe! Chicken Piccata

During this pandemic, I've been cooking more than ever before, trying new recipes and actually enjoying cooking!  What???  My friends know that I've never been interested in culinary art, but now, I'm searching for things to fill my days, and since my husband and I used to love going out to eat, this is the next best thing till this pandemic is over!   We often cook together too, which I have to admit, I'm hoping Dick will love it so much that he will take over someday. (wink, wink)  I've decided that from time to time, I will be sharing some of my most favorite recipes.  And as a bonus, I am adding one of my latest paintings, just for kicks.  This painting is available for the first person to text me for only $50, half of my usual price!  This chicken dish is a combination of many different recipes that I found online, and I concocted my own version, based on our own tastes.  Hope you enjoy it! 

"Creative Energy"      7" x 11", watercolor and collage

"Chicken Piccata"

6 chicken thighs 

Flour (optional)

1/2 t. Kosher salt

1/2 t. Black pepper

3 T. Butter

1/2 c. Dry white wine

1/4 cup Capers, drained

3 or 4 t. minced or chopped garlic

1/3 t. thyme 

1 T corn starch

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 T. Fresh lemon juice and sliced lemon

3 Chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Optional:  Coat chicken with flour lightly, if preferred.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Using 3 T butter to pan, fry chicken for 5 minutes.  Turn chicken over. Cook 2 - 3 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and place them in a 9 x 13 pan.  Baste chicken with some of the butter that is still in the skillet.   Add corn starch, wine, capers, garlic, 2 T. lemon juice, and thyme to skillet.  Cook 2 minutes till slightly thicker.   Add sauce to 9 x 13 pan, but try not to pour over the chicken, so that the chicken will remain crispy on top. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes till internal temp of the chicken should register 190- 200 degrees. (I put loose foil on top of the pan for the first 15 minutes, then removed it for the last 15 minutes to allow the chicken to get crispy.  Sprinkle evenly with green onion, garnish with sliced lemons.  Serve over jasmine rice. 

Day 15 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Heart on a Stick"      $75
Watercolor and Collage      7" x 10"

"Heart on a Stick" started out as a scavenger hunt.  I cut out words from a magazine and even though I cut off the top and the bottom of the word, "Scavenger", I could still read it.  So, my first title for this was was to be, "Scavenger Hunt".  Then as the painting progressed, I saw this heart shape at the top of the long vertical white strip, so I went with it!  I love the color combination of this one.  My colors were Holbein opera pink, Winsor Newton cad yellow, scarlet lake, permanent rose, Holbein cobalt turquoise light. I love the vibration of the turquoise against the red and orange colors.  Below is the first stage of this painting.  If you look closely behind the heart area on the finished painting, you might even imagine the word, Love.  Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Step 1- Watercolor and Collage

Day 13 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"You Never Walk Alone"     $75
Watercolor and Collage      (7" x 10")

I painted this while visiting a good friend who lives in Sanibel Island, FL.  Every year, Karlyn Holman, Tammy, and I do this.  I started with a watercolor collage just like the other paintings.  (See below)

Then, it's a matter of lots of layering and watching for the bounce of color vibrations.  I had so much fun painting next to friends, lots of laughs, and lots of stories.  This is such a fun workshop to teach.  Check out my website to see a location near you!

Day 12 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Bird on a Branch"      $75
Watercolor and Collage     7" x 10" image
Wow!  I'm over 1/3 done with this challenge.  It has been a tough time crunch for me, as usual.  Right now, I'm visiting a friend who lives in Sanibel Island, FL.  We are painting together during the day and taking a boat ride at sundown.  Yes, it's a tough life.  But, my point is that life does get in the way of these challenges, and you just have to get ahead if you know that busy times are ahead.  For the collage of this one, I used a copy of an earlier wire drawing.  This is part of my workshop for Dillman's Resort, where we use earlier drawings to enhance new paintings.  I'm hoping to do an abstract person in one of the new few paintings.  Time will tell if that happens.

Day 6 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Trapeze Act"      7" x 10"
Watercolor and Collage     $75

I had a GREAT day today!  Went to Casperson Beach with the Venice Plein Air Club and actually pretended like I knew what I was doing.  I was so nervous to paint with all the pros from this area.  The funny thing was that everyone who I met, immediately stated that they don't know how to paint on location and usually don't like what they do.  I thought to myself, "Who knew?  We are all alike with the same fears and the same feelings of inadequacy."  Anyway, I truly loved the experience.  I did a value sketch first in my small notebook, just to warm up and to figure out my "light Pathway", that I always preach about in my workshops.  It was a beautiful day, 75 degrees, sunny with great long shadows.  I found a shady spot, and painted a quarter sheet watercolor painting of the scene.  It isn't done yet, but so far, I kind of like it.  Anyway, when I got home in the afternoon, I was excited about painting my 30 Day Challenge painting, and this was the outcome.  If you look closely, you will see hearts all over the place.  I did NOT paint them.  They just showed up.  My late friend, Connie Cuthbertson used to collect heart rocks, and now that she is passed on, I know when hearts show up in my painting, it means that she is with me.  I really believe that.  Anyway, after I completed this painting, I thought it resembled a trapeze act, thus the title. 

Day 2 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Flags Waving"       Image:  7" x 10"
Original Watercolor and Collage     $75

This is a companion painting for yesterday's painting, "Bridge over Troubled Waters".  I used Cobalt turquoise, raw sienna, burnt sienna, and quinacridone gold for both paintings.  Limited pallette is one way to avoid color troubles.  We are now in Florida, enjoying our escape from winter weather, so I expect my colors to change dramatically.   Full disclosure: These first 2 paintings, I had done ahead, knowing that I would be traveling for 4 days to get down here.  :)

30 Paintings in 30 Days-2018!

"Bridge over Troubled Waters"

Image:  7" x 10.5"       $75

Original watercolor and Collage

I'm so excited to again participate in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!  Click on this link to check out all of the other participants in this challenge.   https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30.html This year, my theme is to paint abstract collage paintings.  I predict that these will eventually have something recognizable in them, but to start with, I'd like to keep them totally abstract.  These colors were requested by my friend, Jennifer Stone.  And since I just returned from the Sedona area,  I was easily inspired to paint in these colors.  Look closely and you will see the collage in this piece too.  I thought it resembled a river with a bridge over it, so that's where the title came from.  All of my paintings in this 30 day challenge are available for the reduced price of $75 each.  Heads up:  tomorrow's painting is a companion piece for this one.  I usually paint 2 of these at once.  It's a win/win.  2 paintings that go together AND it helps with the timing, so no blow dryer is needed.  :)