A deviation from "The Plan"

I started this blog with a plan--to cook from one cookbook until...I did something different! I knew that there would be times that I just couldn't be limited to one cookbook. Tonight was one of those times. I needed to use up some boneless chicken breasts and didn't really feel up to a labor-intensive meal. I asked my friends over on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board for some inspiration. They had loads of good ideas, and I chose Sauteed Chicken with Balsamic Pan Sauce from an old issue of Cooking Light.

In an effort to stay true to the Barefoot Contessa, I included her Sauteed Carrots from Family Style and Mustard-Roasted Potatoes from Barefoot Contessa Cooks at Home. Doesn't it all look good? See how the sauce caresses the chicken? Well, don't believe everything you see. First, I absolve any of my bulletin board friends from responsibility. Operator error resulted in a sauce that was more like vinegar candy than...well...sauce. You don't even want to know what it took to clean the pan!

On a happier note, the carrots and potatoes were excellent. The grainy mustard tossed with the potatoes and onions before roasting lent an intriguing note to the dish. The carrots are "the essence of carrotness" according to Ina, and I have to agree. They saute in a bit of water until crisp-tender, then cook in a sweep of butter for flavor before tossing with the dill and serving.

Today's mail brought yet another cookbook, Stop and Smell the Rosemary, which I scored for a mere $5.00 at the Barnes & Noble online, after-Christmas sale. It looks wonderful, and might be a contender for the next-in-line cookbook for this blog.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Pan Sauce

Copyright: Cooking Light March 2004

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Chopped parsley (optional)

Combine broth, vinegar, and honey. Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. While butter melts, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add shallots, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes).

Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast and 2 tablespoons sauce)