Thyme for Chicken

The best thing about summer is all the fresh vegetables and herbs. I used thyme from my garden, and vegetables from the farmers' market to prepare this supper. I served this chicken dish over mashed potatoes. I prepared a green salad with those fresh veggies to serve on the side. You can't beat fresh summer tomatoes. I was able to try a new tomato at the farmers' market called a chocolate cherry tomato. It tastes like a tomato, but it is deep purple in color. Very good!

Chicken Tenders with Baby Portabella Mushrooms and Thyme

Sauce starter:

2 cups chicken broth (1 can)                       

1 small carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

¼ cup onion, diced

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine above ingredients in a sauce pan and boil for 10 minutes, reducing by half. Strain and reserve liquid. You will use this later for the sauce.

6 chicken tenders

1 cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dust chicken with flour mixture and brown on olive oil and butter over medium heat. You want a nice brown crust on the chicken, but it doesn’t have to be cooked through as you will finish it in the oven.

2 cups baby portabella mushrooms

¼ cup onions sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups water

Sauce starter

In same pan that you browned chicken, add oil and butter and deglaze pan.  Sauté onion and mushrooms until soft. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add sauce starter to mushrooms and then add cornstarch mixture, and thyme and stir until thickened. Add chicken tenders back into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I use an oven-proof skillet, but you may use a baking dish if you choose.

Serve over mashed potatoes and an accompanying green salad. Your family will thank you!