Sauteed Chicken With Five Easy Sauces

This is a recipe that we have fallen in love with! We have tried all of the different sauces except one. We put the chicken/sauce mixture on top of rice. For extra goodness, pair this with a salad - YUM!


Chicken with Pan Sauce

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp cold butter*
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (2) or onion
2 tbsp whipping cream

*read the recipe all the way through if you are concerned about adding this much butter. I am sure there are other replacements you can make. I would love to know what other people try!

Instructions:

1. Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken lightly to about 1/4" thick. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter of med-high heat. Reduce to medium. Cook chicken for 6 - 8 mins or until no longer pink, turning once. Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm.
3. Add wine, broth, and shallot to hot skillet. Cook and stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Bring to boiling. Boil gently for 10 - 15 mins or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup.* Reduce heat to med-low
5. Stir in cream. Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring after each addition until butter is melted. Sauce should be slightly thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper. To serve, spoon sauce over chicken.**

*Note: It is important to reduce the liquid to 1/4 cup or the sauce will be too thin.

**For the last step, I usually return the chicken to the pan and coat them with the sauce there. This gives them a minute to soak up some of the sauce.


Sauce #2: Balsamic-Caper Sauce

Prepare as above, except stir 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp drained capers into finished sauce.


Sauce #3: Lemon-Herb Sauce

Prepare as above, except stir 2 tsp fresh lemon juice and 2 tsp snipped fresh thyme, chervil, or parsley into finished sauce.


Sauce #4: Mushroom-Tomato Sauce

Prepare as above through Step 1.

In a large skillet, cook 1 cup sliced fresh shiitake, porcini, or button mushrooms in 1 tbsp of butter over med heat until tender. Remove mushrooms from skillet.

Continue as directed in Step 2, using the same skillet.

Along with the cream, add cooked mushrooms, and 2 tbsp snipped, drained, oil-packed dried tomatoes. There will only be 3 tbsp of butter to add in Step 4.

Stir 2 tsp snipped fresh basil or parsley into finished sauce.


Sauce #5: Mustard Sauce

Prepare as above, except stir 1 tbsp snipped Italian parsley and 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard into finished sauce.


Nutrition Info: Per breast half + 2 tbsp sauce all variations: 325 cal, 20 g total fat (10 g sat fat), 117 mg chol, 444 mg sodium, 2 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 27 g pro
Daily Values: 14% vit A, 1% vit C, 3% calcium, 6% iron
Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 4 fat

Rosemary Pork Chop Skillet

This recipe is really light and yummy! We usually eat this as a one dish meal (plus it is listed as "low fat" in the cookbook - yay!). We have only made this with the fresh herbs that it lists; however, if anyone tries this and replaces them with dried, I would love to know how it turns out!


Ingredients:

1 pound boneless pork chops, cut 1/2" thick
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups peeled and cubed (1") winter squash (butternut, banana, spaghetti, and/or acorn)
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
2 tsp snipped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
2 med zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp snipped fresh sage

1. Sprinkle cops with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a 12" skillet heat oil over med-high heat.
2. Brown chops ~4 mins, turning once.
3. Combine squash, onion, and rosemary; spoon squash mixture over chops.
4. Pour broth and juice over squash mixture and chops. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 mins.
5. Add zucchini and sage. Cook, covered, ~5 mins more or until chops are done (160 degrees).
6. Using slottled spoon, transfer chops and vegetables to a serving platter. Cover, keep warm.
7. Bring reserved juiced in skillet to boiling; reduce heat.
8. Simmer, uncovered, ~5 mins or until liquidf is reduced to ~1/4 cup. Spoon over chops and vegetables.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 220 cal, 8 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 63 mg chol, 411 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 24 g protien)
Daily Values: 111% vit A, 49% vit C, 7% calcium, 11% iron
Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 very lean meat, 1 fat

Herb-Mustard Marinade

We use this marinade to coat pork chops which we place in a roasting pan and bake at 425 degrees for 25 mins. The recipe book where we found it states that you can also use it on grilled chicken. Just coat the poultry with the marinade during the last 10 minutes of grilling.

In addition, though the recipe calls for fresh parsley, we have replaced it with dried (fresh can be a little pricey) and it tastes the same to us! Just remember the exchange of fresh to dried herbs:
1 tbsp of fresh = 1 tsp of dried


Ingredients:

2 tbsp creamy Dijon-style mustard blend
1 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tbsp water
1/8 tsp ground red pepper


Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to use.


Easy!!! Woo hoo!