Italian Chicken & Pepper Pan Sauce

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the potatoes. Cut off and discard any stem ends from the green beans. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Roughly chop the capers. Roughly chop the peppers. Quarter and deseed the lemon.

Add the diced potatoes to the pot of boiling water. Cook 16 to 18 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the crème fraîche and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Using a fork or potato masher, mash to your desired consistency. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the green beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add 2 tablespoons of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the water has cooked off. Add half the chopped garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a bowl; taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and enough of the Italian seasoning to coat (you may have extra). In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken. Cook 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board.

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 165°F for chicken.

In the pan of reserved fond, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the remaining chopped garlic, chopped capers, chopped peppers, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the juice of 2 lemon wedges (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat; stir in the butter until melted and combined.

Slice the cooked chicken crosswise. Serve the sliced chicken with the cooked green beans and mashed potatoes. Top the chicken with the pan sauce. Garnish the green beans with the cheese. Serve the remaining lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!