Chicken with Brussels Sprouts, Rosemary Potatoes and Mustard Sauce

I'll start off by saying I'm not a huge fan of chicken. Yes, it's versatile and can be prepared many ways, but I often find that it dries out too easily, and when it does, I consider it an epic fail. Low and behold, this dish changed my mind about chicken (well at least this time, anyways).

The chicken is cooked first and then rests while the sauce is prepared. Like other meat, and especially with chicken, you want to keep the juices in for as long as you can - if you cut it as soon as it's done, they come spilling out and you end up with, well, a dried piece of meat. I made sure to time everything perfectly so that the potatoes would be ready to come out of the oven at the same time my brussels finished up. Many a time I forget this important step and end up with one of my sides (or even my main, gasp!) ending up cold in the process.

Preparing brussels take a little bit of work but I did this step earlier in the day so I could just throw them in later when needed. First, you must chop off the hard base - a sharp knife makes this easy. Next, peel off some of the tough outer dark green layers with your fingers. Finally, slice them in half lengthwise. Everything else was a snap to put together. I substituted Dijon mustard for whole-grain since I'm not a fan of this tangy variety, and I used packaged apple cider mix instead of purchasing a half gallon of the prepared stuff.

The mustard sauce was delicious as hints of apple came through without overpowering the other flavors. The combination of butter and olive oil to cook the brussels in was really nice. It was just enough to give you that buttery flavor without it seeming too oily. Finishing them off with chicken broth made them tender underneath the partially caramelized exterior. The rosemary potatoes were wonderful. We have more rosemary than we know what to do with in our garden (look for a future post using this wonderful herb!), so this was a great way to incorporate our bounty into a meal. They were crispy on the outside and pillowy-soft in the middle - just what you want from potatoes. Beginning to end this meal only took about half an hour to cook and could definitely make it on your weeknight rotation. Pour yourself up a glass of chardonnay and enjoy!


Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 

Preheat oven to 450°. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve sprouts with chicken and sauce.


Adapted from Cooking Light



Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces quartered red potatoes 

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and potatoes in a bowl. Spread potatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.


Adapted from Cooking Light