Happy Tuesday, friends! Can you believe that January is almost over. Oh, and apparently Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. You know, the one that says it’s supposed to be winter. Because, it’s going to be over 80 degrees here today. Not that I mind warm weather, but…it is January.
The last couple of weeks have been a little hectic. I feel like I’ve said that a lot recently. But it’s true. I guess such is life when you have a baby! Or rather, when you have a baby in daycare. If you’re a parent, who has a kid in daycare, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Sickness. Natalie got her first cold about 10 days after she started daycare. Which is fine, it’s helping build up her immune system. But this last week was a little different. A little baby in her class got whooping cough. That, my friends, is no joke. So dangerous for the little ones. So, we took the baby to get tested. Thankfully, the results came back negative, but since she already had a little cough they didn’t want to take any chances so they put her on the antibiotics while we waited for the test results. The downside – being treated results in an automatic 5 day quarantine.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I totally understand why they do that, and I appreciate the precaution very much. I am just so busy at work right now, so taking a week off – though I was able to work from home some and took her to the office with me one day – was not ideal for mama right now. I did enjoy the extra snuggle time, though. She will be 5 months old in a couple of days, and it’s amazing how much she’s changed, even over the last few weeks. She’s awake and happy more and more, she’s really found her voice – that girl loves to squeal – and she loves her new jumperoo. This has made dinner time a little bit easier for me. J is able to play with her and keep her occupied while I get dinner ready. But the window is small – if I don’t get it done quickly enough, she’s ready for her dinner. RightNOW. Last night, I just barely finished this amazing creamy herb chicken before she blew a gasket. But ohmygosh, was it amazing.
Speaking of her dinner – we tried solids for the first time over the weekend. She had carrots, and you guys – she LOVED it. I’ve heard about how babies have the tongue thrust reflex and may inadvertently push the food right back out. She didn’t. She opened her little mouth up for the spoon and gobbled it up. And when I put it away, because I didn’t want to give her too much? She was not pleased. It was adorable. And, I may have teared up a little bit that my baby is growing up more and more every day. Inevitable? Yes, of course. And we want her to grow and thrive. But oh, my mommy heart can’t take that my bitty baby is getting to be a big girl more and more every day!
Now, back to this chicken. I have a bad habit of not letting things sear long enough to get the pretty brown crust on it, but not this time! I remember when I turned it over for the first time, I actually thought to myself – now that’s some good lookin’ chicken! And when J brought the baby in the kitchen too see me (she was getting a little fussy and walking around with her helps), he said so, too! And you know how we love our sauces. So, a creamy herb sauce poured over deliciously seasoned chicken breast (and couscous) is right up our alley. And because the chicken is either pounded thin or butterflied, it cooks quickly enough that it doesn’t dry out. Another brownie point for this dish.
I fed the baby while J ate – I don’t like him to wait for me if I need to feed her, because I don’t want his food getting cold. Me? I’m used to cold dinners after nearly 5 months. #momlife
He is always so sweet and tries to feed me bites of his food, if I can’t eat with him. And this creamy herb chicken was everything I could have hoped for. The sauce was divine. And one of the best parts about it, is that it is really simple. No complicated or laundry list of ingredients. Just a few seasonings and herbs, some milk or cream, and a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. Voila!
Perfectly seasoned and seared chicken breasts in a delicious creamy herb sauce, make this dish anything but another boring chicken recipe! A flavorful, yet still healthy, option for dinner.
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded thin
- 2 tsp each, onion and garlic poweder
- 1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp each, dried oregano and dried basil
- salt and pepper, to taste
For The Sauce:
- 4 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp each, dried oregano and dried basil
- 1 cup milk or heavy cream (I used heavy cream)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, until smooth
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with the onion and garlic powders, parsley, dried basil and oregano. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to your desired taste.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and allow to sear for about 5 minutes, before turning. (If it seems like it's browning too much, too fast, turn your burner heat down closer to medium - you don't want to burn the outside and have raw chicken inside!) Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Using the same skillet, Lower heat to medium and add another 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the garlic, with parsley, oregano and basil, and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in milk (or cream) and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring the sauce to a low boil, then add the cornstarch slurry, and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the chicken back in. Turn to coat, top with extra herbs, if desired, and serve!
Notes
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