Chicken with Garlic, Mushrooms, & Balsamic Vinegar

Well, it's been a long week, with a lot of stress (work-related, of course) and some nice dinners. I got to enjoy a decadent, gourmet meal and dessert at The Grey Plume to celebrate my birthday with my in-laws on Tuesday night. I had the squash soup and wagyu beef with sweet potato puree, salsify (a tuber similar to potato), and trumpet mushrooms. I also tried some of Ben's charcuterie tray (even though one of the cheeses tasted like sweaty sneakers) and his halibut. Very yummy. For dessert: chocolate mousse with popcorn, "popcorn powder," and stout gelee. It sounded strange, but the popcorn was a nice complement to the mousse, and the "popcorn powder" was some kind of powdered-sugar mixed with something tasty to give it a crushed-popcorn texture. Odd, but excellent. 

Wednesday was another birthday dinner with family at my sister's house. We had salad, tacos, and mini-cheesecakes. Simple and delicious!

Anyway, on to this week's recipe: chicken with garlic, mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar. Otherwise known as "another attempt to make chicken interesting."  It's very good, I promise. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found the original recipe, so I apologize for not being able to direct you to it. I did make some changes--the original recipe had directions to turn the liquid into a thickened sauce by adding butter and flour, but I left that out for the sake of keeping it lean and healthy.

Enjoy!

Chicken With Garlic, Mushrooms, & Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used "Baby Bellas" from Bakers/Kroger)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth (I use unsalted cooking stock)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one sdie (about 3 minutes).

Add the garlic cloves. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms.

Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I usually like to eat this served over quinoa or rice, but it had been a busy day at work and I was trying to clean the kitchen, empty/reload the dishwasher, and cook at the same time... so the quinoa didn't happen.  Instead, I ate my chicken and mushrooms with some sauteed zucchini (for a little bit of extra veggies) and a slice of rye bread with Brummel spread.

By the way--for those wondering about my portion sizes--I ate 4oz of chicken, 3oz of sauteed zucchini, and about 2-3oz of mushrooms with liquid. Very satisfying, especially after a run!