Chicken is good!

My favorite animal protein has definitely to be chicken, chicken breasts, that is. I like meat and adore fish, but chicken is the number one. It is light and doesn’t have strong flavor, which allows for a ton of different dishes, accepting a variety of seasonings and spices, and cooking methods as well.
However, as versatile as it is, I always seem to go for chicken recipes with simple flavors and sauces. For example, I love grilled chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and herbs, my favorites being basil or rosemary. Sometimes I will add yogurt to the marinade for a delicious tang. So good!
The only thing about chicken breasts is that you cannot overcook it, or you get very dry meat and that is not fun to eat. Plus, for oven roasting I learned that the best way is to do it with bone-in, skin-in breast, this way the chicken is sure to stays moist.
Today’s recipe is done on the stovetop, uses chicken breasts and has a very flavorful sauce. And being the garlic fan I am I could not wait to try the Skillet Chicken Breast Aglio Olio. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew I had to make it. And I am glad I did; it was delicious, so much flavor in it, and yet very simple to make!
No secrets here, the ingredients are as simple as can be, and the end result is a very yummy and moist chicken, covered in a sauce infused with the saltiness of the capers and a very subtle garlic flavor, nothing strong at all.
I omitted the hot pepper and did not add the extra salt, but did the rest just as the recipe says. (Since I liked the look of the hot peppers in the magazine picture, I added some chopped red bell pepper to mine, just so that it would look pretty!) At first I wasn’t sure about the addition of breadcrumbs to the sauce but I loved it at the end. The crumbs added such a pleasant texture and thickened the sauce without making it gummy, I will try adding breadcrumbs to thick similar sauces from now on.
I served it sautéed vegetables (carrots and chayote), brown rice and beans. A very good recipe, yummy and tasty, one that will surely be repeated here!

Ana

Skillet Chicken Breast Aglio e Olio
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons capers, drained
4 pickled hot cherry peppers, halved and seeded
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge chicken in flour.
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add capers and peppers; cook 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until liquid thickens (about 1 minute). Taste sauce, and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, if needed. Remove from heat; sprinkle with parsley.Yield: 6 servings.
Cooking Light, March 2006