Yesterday I was in the mood for chicken. And because I love sauces, I wanted my chicken smothered in a delicious sauce. Now granted, I should not be eating sauces. But hey, a cooks got to derive some pleasure from the food she/he has spent time fixing! So, justification firmly in mind, I enjoyed the heck out of this dish last evening. And Mr. C. loved it too. In fact, he raved about the dinner.

And of course, serving the chicken over Creamy Polenta didn’t hurt. But I was very careful not to eat more than one piece of chicken and not too much polenta. And I balanced the meal by eating quite a large serving of steamed broccoli. (Not a problem for me. I love broccoli.)

Anyway, this dish based on a recipe I found on the savingdessert.com site, is reasonably quick and easy to prepare and is absolutely of company quality. Served with a green salad or veggie, you have a meal fit for a king. Or queen. Whatever!

Well, that’s it for today. I am still reeling from the supreme court’s ruling on women’s rights. A truly unexpected setback to the rights of a woman to make a decision that affects her own body.

And it leads me to wonder what other rights, that the majority of our citizens consider essential to a fair and decent way to live, are next to be eliminated. Birth control, same sex marriage, adoption by same sex partners? At this point, even the right to vote for women would not surprise me as a topic to be decided by the current members of the supreme court. In fact, nothing about this one-sided group of people would surprise me!

If ever you had a question about which party to back in upcoming elections, now is the time to put party preferences aside. Now is the time to vote from your heart, for whichever politician you feel will take human rights into consideration and will promise to fight for the greater good for all our citizens. Especially for the citizens that have a different lifestyle. Or have made life choices that some might even find repugnant. It’s their life and they should be able to live it as true to their nature as possible.  

Because having a choice as to how each individual decides to live his or her life is what living in American is all about. It’s the foundation of the democratic process. We simply cannot let a few conservative individuals make decisions that most Americans disagree with and would reverse if possible. Change will have to come from each and every one of us and how we vote in upcoming elections.

As always, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay connected.  

Peace and love to all.

¼ c. whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, divided

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. button mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 lg. shallot, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ c. dry white wine

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried

1½ c. chicken broth

½ c. heavy cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water or broth

In a shallow pan (I use an 8-inch cake pan) whisk the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper together.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Cut off the thin end of the chicken breast at just short of the half-length of the piece of meat. Cut the remaining thicker piece in half horizontally. (You will have a total of 6 pieces of chicken.)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil in a large fry pan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, coating both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Add the coated chicken to the skillet and cook until well browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate. Set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms are very dark on the first side. Stir and turn the mushrooms and continue cooking until the moisture is released and then evaporated, and the mushroom slices are well browned.

Add the sliced shallot to the pan and cook until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze.

When the wine has all but evaporated, stir in the thyme, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Bring the sauce back to a light simmer and add the chicken.

Heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning.   

Serve over Creamy Polenta, rice, potatoes, or noodles.

CREAMY POLENTA

1 T. unsalted butter

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. chicken broth

1 c. yellow cornmeal (not instant polenta, you need the real thing)

4 oz. (½ pkg.) cream cheese

Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Add the granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and the chicken stock; bring to a boil.

Slowly whisk the cornmeal into the chicken stock until no lumps remain.  Cook over low heat, whisking frequently, for 15 to 18 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. (The polenta should appear soft and creamy when done.) Remove from heat and whisk in the cream cheese. Cover until ready to serve.