Chicken with Apricot-White Wine Sauce

Fresh apricots, white wine and tarragon combine in a quick sauce that's delicious on chicken. If you pound the chicken thin it will cook through in just a few minutes.  

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (4 servings )

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence (Recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Preparation

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2 inch.
2. Season with half the salt and pepper.
3. Place flour in a shallow dish and season with the Herbs de Provence and remaining salt and pepper.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

(If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches using an additional tablespoon of oil.)

6. Add add wine and shallot to the pan and cook until reduced by 1/3 (4-5 minutes)
7. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down (2 - 3 minutes).
8. Stir in preserves and tarragon.
9. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

*Serving Suggestion: Sides of brown rice with sautéed spinach (as pictured)

Herbs de Provence

If I had only one herb or herb blend to use it would definitely be Herbs de Provence. To me, there is just no other herb blend that is as versatile or savory.  Use on grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as stews and soups...or a green salad. This herb blend is usually added to foods before or during cooking or used to flavor cooking oil or flour prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavor of the herbs into cooked product.  You can buy a pre-mixed blend in your supermarket or blend it yourself!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried savory
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender  (optional)
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Store in cupboard in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

Per serving: 252 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 66 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 517 mg sodium; 444 mg potassium.