Thursday, January 16, 2014

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes



It is so nice to be back in the kitchen again! Not only am I enjoying making new dishes, but since The Picky Eater was warned by his doctors that he has to keep an eye on his sodium intake, this is the best way for me to make sure he’s getting tasty, low-sodium meals.



I saw the original recipe for this herbed chicken dish in the coupon section of our Sunday newspaper. It is from the folks at McCormick, whose spices I use all of the time. Of course, I tweaked it a little bit. (That’s what we food writers do, right?) I cut the amount of garlic powder and used a fresh garlic clove instead. The Picky Eater doesn't like strong garlic flavors, so I thought this would be the best way to go. I also used regular diced tomatoes instead of petite diced since that was what I had on hand.

The dish was delicious! Best of all, it got The Picky Eater’s seal of approval. His only suggestion was to use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes, since he doesn't care for chunks of cooked tomatoes in dishes. (I told you he was picky! Thank goodness he’s also a sweetheart.)

This will now be a regular dish on our weeknight menu.

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons flour, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons half-and-half
8 ounces spaghetti

In a shallow bowl or pie dish, mix together the dried basil leaves and crushed rosemary. Transfer 2 teaspoons to a small dish and set aside. Add the garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of the flour and mix together.

Heat 2 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Dredge the chicken breasts into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side. Remove the chicken and place on plate. Cover with foil and set aside.

Set a large pot of water on the stove over high heat so it comes to a boil. Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to the skillet. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, and then add the remaining flour to the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and remaining seasoning, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, add the chicken and heat through.


Boil the spaghetti to desired doneness. Drain and divide between 4 serving dishes. Place a piece of chicken on top of the spaghetti. Add the half and half to the remaining tomato mixture and spoon over the chicken. Ready to serve!


3 comments:

  1. Sounds delicious Linda and looks pretty darn good too! Marion shies away from anything garlic but I've learned to compensate by cooking in two different pans when possible. I love the stuff!!! I was just reading about the benefits of garlic except I didn't know that you were suppose to mince it and let it sit for 10 minutes before using it to get all the benefits! Let me know if you want to read it on Lisa's blog.

    McCormick spices are my go to also. We were just talking about how long they've been around. I believe since the late 1800's.

    So glad Mr. Picky Eater enjoyed this meal. It's good to "see" you back in the kitchen!!! Thanks for sharing...

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  2. Dear Linda, I am so happy to see you cooking and doing what you enjoy.
    I hope that your dad and sweetie are doing better.
    The chicken is a tasty and healthy meal.
    Keep well and warm and cozy. Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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  3. This looks like a really delicious recipe! We love garlic here so I would add probably 3 or more cloves lol :-)

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