"Chicken Scampi-ish" over "Rich and Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash"

This evening I was in the mood to make something using chicken since I had a few packs of boneless chicken breasts in the fridge.  I decided to make Chicken Scampi (most people are more familiar with shrimp scampi).  Since I sort of went a little out of the normal boundaries for traditional scampi, my recipe is for "Chicken Scampi-ish" -- mostly like scampi, but with a few little additions. Scampi is traditionally served over angel hair pasta.  I considered making my yellow squash angel hair "pasta" but decided instead to think out of the box a little tonight.  I just happened to have a couple heads of fresh cauliflower in my fridge, so I decided to serve my "scampi-ish" over "Rich & Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash".  I have to tell you...this was not just good...it was outstanding -- another "top 10" meal in my opinion.  Hubby really loved it too and said he felt like he was dining in a fine restaurant.   If you read my blog regularly, you probably have already figured out that I prefer foods with lots of color since I taste with my eyes before tasting with my mouth.  Since I love colorful food, I added sauteed diced red, yellow and orange bell peppers and sliced fresh mushrooms to my "scampi-ish" to give it not only a little pop of color, but also a little pop of flavor as well!  This is not an exact or precise recipe.  You can alter it to suit your tastes.  You can increase or decrease the garlic...or omit the veggies that I added in...or omit the little bit of dry white wine or increase or decrease the fresh lemon juice.  You can make it suit your own taste very easily.  You could also be more traditional and use shrimp instead.  I served it over a couple large dollops of the Parmesan Cauliflower Mash and then sprinkled with some shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley.  Below are a few photos as well as the recipe that I put together.  Enjoy!

Chicken Scampi-ish

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise into approximate 1/4" thick slices
1/2 cup diced red, yellow or orange bell peppers, sauteed until crisp tender
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, sauteed until tender
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:

In a medium to large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high; once the pan and oil are hot, add chicken and saute quickly, stirring frequently and cook for a few minutes, just until chicken turns white and is cooked (do not overcook).  Remove chicken and place in a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and the minced garlic, cooking on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until garlic is almost tender.  Add additional tablespoon of butter to the pan with the cooked garlic along with the dried oregano and basil.  Add the lemon juice and white wine and simmer lightly for a couple minutes, stirring constantly.  Season with salt, pepper and cayenne; stir in the fresh parsley and cook about one minute.  Add the cooked chicken with their juices back into the skillet along with the cooked diced peppers and sliced mushrooms.  Toss until everything is combined and heated through; taste for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary. Serve Chicken Scampi-ish over a couple large dollops of Rich and Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash.  If desired, sprinkle with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese.

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Rich and Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients:

1 medium head of fresh cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets (about 2 pounds)
1 cup chicken broth or stock
2 ounces brick style cream cheese (1/4 of an 8-oz brick)
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, place cauliflower and chicken broth; bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer until cauliflower is very soft and tender and chicken broth has completely cooked into the cauliflower (about 20 to 30 minutes).  Make sure there is no liquid left at all in the bottom of the pan (remove the cover, if necessary and cook until any remaining liquid is gone and the cauliflower is no longer wet looking). Remove pan from heat; add cream cheese and heavy cream.  Using an immersion blender stick, blend or puree the cauliflower until the cheese and cream are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  Add grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, to taste.  Blend another minute.  Adjust seasoning and add additional cream, if necessary, to thin out a little bit, or additional cream cheese or Parmesan if additional thickening is desired.  The cauliflower mash should be thick and not runny.