Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Carolyn Malcoun

 

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

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It's easy to get into a rut cooking the same old chicken recipes every week. When I was growing up, my mom had a huge stack of chicken cookbooks (and still does), which she would use to plan our weekly menu. Sure, she had her standbys, but she always tried different recipes each month. She'd make notes alongside a recipe to remind her how she tweaked it or what she'd do differently next time. I'm glad she had all those cookbooks, because we had chicken at least three times a week back then. And if you're an omnivore, chicken is most likely for dinner more than once a week at your house too.

Change is good -- especially when you're cooking. Trying new recipes can help you learn about new foods, find out about ingredients you've never used, and discover easy substitutions for making foods you know and love healthier. One of my new favorite recipes is Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce. First off, it's a recipe for two -- perfect for my household, but it can easily be doubled. The touch of vermouth in the dish adds sophistication. It's a great way to learn how to make a creamy pan sauce with a mere 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. And the sauce is so rich and delicious that you'll never miss the rest of the fat.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Serves 2.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

The secret to a good cream sauce is always the same: not too much cream or it can be overpowering, masking the more delicate flavors. Here it contains a bountiful amount of mushrooms and is served over chicken breasts.

2 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and tenders removed (see tip)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps

2 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens

Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 F, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in vermouth (or wine); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions); return to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Tip: It's difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast -- the "tender" -- removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 274 calories; 15 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 425 mg sodium; 402 mg potassium

0 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

Chicken Main Course, French

 

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