Oh boy was this dinner good!
After a long streak of recipes that were just “meh” I was starting to get pretty irritated. I love to cook and consider it the perfect way to wind down after a long workday, but the real payoff is getting to eat it!
I made a Black Bean Spinach Pizza that I had high hopes for but didn’t love.
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| Even lots of extra cheese didn’t make this one a winner :( |
Then there was the Grilled Corn Chipotle Soup that had great potential but would have needed to simmer 2-3x longer than the recipe suggested in order to properly thicken up.
I made a simple Greek Chicken Stew that was ok, but nothing to write home about either.
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| Tangy and fresh, this dinner was ok and I might even make it again if I have garbanzo beans and tomatoes in the pantry. |
I’ve linked up to the recipes in case you want to take a stab at them or even try to improve on them, but ultimately I didn’t love them, so I didn’t want to highlight them on the ol’ blog.
I want to only share recipes with you if I really like them, and these were not “Rebecca Approved” so onto the next!
The Tomato Pan Sauce recipe didn’t sound overly amazing when I first read it, but I took Annie’s word for it when she said it was great. I’ve loved just about every one of her recipes and she referenced several other bloggers who also recommended it, so I went for it.
Boy am I glad that I did!
Preparing the tomatoes as instructed was a little nerve racking. The pan gets really hot and the tomatoes start making lots of noise and turning black. I stuck with it though and followed the directions only shaving 1 minute off the cook time to compensate for differences in stove temps.
The incredible flavor that develops when these little grape tomatoes freak out and burst open is so worth it! The herb butter used to cook the chicken and richen (That’s a word…I just made it up) the sauce is out of this world.
I added spinach to the sauce and we liked it so much that I’d definitely do it again next time.
The other star of the show was the garlic pilaf. I was pressed for time so I didn’t follow Annie’s recipe (baking the rice twice), I just prepared the rice on the stove with chicken stock instead of water and added a few pats of butter and cloves of garlic (pressed).
The aroma of the garlic pilaf make me salivate for hours after dinner since it hung in the air all evening.
Do yourself a favor and make this recipe. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine (we had Pinot Noir) and savor each bite. You’ll be glad you did.
- FOR THE CHICKEN
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved (4 halves total)
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ cup flour
- FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1½ tsp. fresh oregano, minced
- ½ tsp. sweet paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine or chicken broth (I used Pinot Noir - red wine)
- 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach (long stems removed)
- FOR THE RICE
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.
- Start cooking the rice by adding the chicken stock, butter and garlic to a saucepan over high heat. Add the rice, stir a few times to evenly mix with the broth, butter and garlic and then bring to a boil. Boil for one minute uncovered, then reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Do not remove the cover before the 20 minutes is up!
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil. Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
- Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes (I did 4 minutes). Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining butter mixture to the pan. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted. Add the wine to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Cook for a minute more until well blended. Add the baby spinach and toss gently till the spinach is wilted.
- Slice the chicken and transfer it to serving plates on top of the garlic pilaf. Top with the pan sauce and enjoy!
OMGOSH Rebecca, you could get a job taking food photos, your even not faves, look to die for!!! I definitely want to try the Tomato Pan Sauce one!
This one was surprisingly exceptional! Loved every bite!!
Your Uncle Ed would just be thrilled with your “below par” recipes Rebecca. I wish I still had your enthusiasm. They ALL look delicious! Keep inspiring me and your audience…you are a writer and cook extraordinaire!