Chicken & gnocchi with spinach and peas in a lemon cream sauce

Ladies and gentlemen: what kitch has for you today is another creation out of guest chef Neil’s kitchen.  This started off as a vegetarian dish to which Neil added chicken for protein, but it could certainly swing back to veg in a heartbeat.  He pulled off a cream sauce made with no butter and no cream- amazing!  And it tastes great.  The sauce has a soft heat from the red pepper being simmered into the milk, add to that a zing from the lemon, the sweet crunch of the peas… I could go on and on- just make it.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
½ cup flour
Olive oil
1 cup frozen baby peas
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 cups packed baby spinach (3 ounces)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound gnocchi
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Directions

  • Put on a pot of salted water to boil for the gnocchi
  • Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks, season with  salt & pepper  and dredge in flour
  • Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add some olive oil, cook the chicken
  • Set cooked chicken aside on a dish
  • Simmer peas with evaporated skim milk, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the skillet, covered, until tender
  • Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.
  • Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.
  • Add gnocchi & chicken to the sauce with the cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary

J

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