This seems like a fussy dish to prepare but it's fast and easy as well as inexpensive. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which you can usually find on sale, are sliced thin, floured, and sauteed briefly. Then they're nestled in a quick-cooking sauce that's flavored with fresh rosemary and orange juice and zest. The sum of the parts is an incredible tasting dish that can be pulled off in less than half an hour and that's company-worthy. Really. This is a dish you'd love to have in a fancy restaurant, but that you can do at home better and for far less money. In fact, you'll probably have enough of your grocery budget left over to splurge on a the ingredients for a special dessert. So stay tuned! Dessert options are coming! But, in the meantime, try the chicken!
Rosemary-Orange Chicken -- Serves 4-6
1-2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 - 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or reconstituted "Better than
Bullion")
4-6 sprigs of fresh time (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (4--6 inches long)
1 teaspoon of orange zest
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 tablespoon of butter
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a couple of teaspoons of oil. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Put the slices, the flour, and the salt and pepper in a plastic bag, seal the bag, and shake the bag gently until the chicken slices are coated with flour. Put about half the slices in the hot pan and saute them on each side for a few minutes or until lightly browned on each side. Remove the slices to a plate and brown the remaining chicken slices, adding more oil, as needed. Remove the second batch of slices from the pan and add the chicken broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to incorporate the browned bits. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs and the orange zest and juice. Let the mixture cook until it's reduced by about half (5-8 minutes). Add the chicken slices back to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook until it's done. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat, move the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the butter to the sauce. Stir the sauce and spoon it over the chicken. Remove the rosemary sprigs and serve the chicken and sauce with pasta, rice, potatoes, or even "as is" with some crusty French bread alongside. Yum!
