It has admittedly been a while since I cooked dinner. Ever since my son was born (3.5 years ago!), my husband has taken over most of the cooking responsibilities. He's grown to really enjoy it; it's his way of relaxing when he is at home and not travelling for work. He has recently started a new job where he doesn't have to travel nearly as much (woohoo!). So, I figured I better start getting back into cooking since I can't very well be a stay at home mom who can't even pull her weight in the kitchen!!
I concocted this little number and it was extremely well received by my hubs so it'll probably be added to our weeknight rotation. The chicken and sauce are cooked in the same pan so there isn't a huge mess to be made there. The green beans can be fresh or frozen. For a short cut, I used Trader Joe's frozen green beans and they are one of my favorite go-to veggies to have on hand when you don't have something fresh. And they can be doctored up in so many ways.
First, the green beans.
Shallot Sauteed Green Beans (serves 4)
What You'll Need:
3 cups frozen green beans*
1 large shallot, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, diced finely
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chicken stock (approximate - add more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
What You Do:
Heat olive oil in the pan and sautee shallots until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Add in garlic and sautee that for about a minute. Remove from the pan. Add green beans into the same pan and add chicken stock. Once the chicken stock is absorbed and the green beans are tender, you can add back in the shallots and garlic and add the butter. Season generously with salt and pepper.
*If you use fresh green beans, you will probably want to boil them and then blanch them in ice cold water first so that the cooking process starts and then they will stay green. It adds a couple of steps but isn't difficult to do.
Here are the green beans in process. See last pic for the final look with the shallots and garlic mixed in. They are so yummy!
Now it is time for the chicken!
Herby Saucy Chicken (serves 4)
What You'll Need
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup half and half (or use heavy cream if you really want to go for it!)
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 cup and 3 tablespoons of chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 -2 tablespoons olive oil (or other preferred oil to cook chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
What You'll Do
Dry the chicken thighs off with a paper towel and then season liberally with salt and pepper. On a plate, mix together the fresh herbs (saving back 1 tablespoon of the parsley) and the onion powder and poultry seasoning. Mix the ingredients together on a plate and then coat each chicken breast evenly on both sides with the herbs and spices mixture.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook through, approximately 4-5 minutes per side. Don't move them around a lot when they are in there so they get a nice brown, crispy sear on the outside. Once they are cooked through, remove them from the pan and set aside under tented foil. If you tent the foil instead of covering the chicken completely, it will keep the chicken crispy and also help keep it warm.
Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of chicken stock. Once all of the yummy bits are picked up, add in the half and half and fresh parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining three tablespoons of chicken stock. Pour that into the sauce mixture and stir together to thicken the sauce. After about a minute, add back in the cooked chicken and let the sauce coat the chicken. Serve a chicken thigh generously covered in sauce over rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta. Serve with a side of shallot sauteed green beans.
Enjoy! xo
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