Why go out? - Chicken...uh, Surprise!

So here's one I came up with when I had no idea what I wanted to do for dinner. It was the woman and I, and we had a friend stopping by to assist us in devouring some groceries. So, I stared into the fridge and pantry back and forth for about 20 minutes, and here's what we got:

Protein and Breading Process:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• All Purpose flour (to dredge chicken in)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh ground sea salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium white onion, diced finely
• 2 lemons, zested
• Juice of 3 lemons
• Salt & pepper to taste

After you've pounded the will to live out of your chicken breasts, set them aside. Place your flour in a bowl/plate and add in your seasonings to flavor it. Next, coat the chicken in your flour mixture and set aside...again.

Take a large skillet and add your butter and oil to it. Turn the stove on to medium high until it's hot enough to fry your chicken. Brown your chicken breasts in the pan until they are about 2/3 done (about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. If they are very thin, about 1 minutes per side should do).

Guess what now? Yep...set the chicken aside on a few sheets of paper towel (to drain the oil). In the same pan, saute' your garlic and onion to 'sweat' it (you may need to add more butter). Next, add in your rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and juice. Continue to simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes.

You may choose to add some of the flour from your dredge to thicken the sauce (optional). Place the chicken back in the pan and finish cooking on low heat (5-6 minutes) to absorb the sauce.

Plate your chicken and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken prior to serving. Add salt & pepper as needed, and dish it out. Enjoy.

All in all, I was kind of proud of this dish. I served it with a salad and some side pasta I cooked with garlic, olive oil and Parmesan. It made for a light yet satisfying dinner.

And with a da(m)n good meal like that....why go out?