I came up with this several years ago for two reasons – to use up a bunch of garden vegetables that would have gone bad otherwise, and lack of planning.
Having to make something for dinner, I remember looking through my kitchen for basically anything to make. I had lots of vegetables, and there happened to be some chicken breast in my refrigerator. With that, I gave this a go.
Just a heads-up, since there’s no real method to my madness here, what I’m about to give you is just a long list of ingredients. Use whatever you want, like, or have, and leave out the rest.
Other than some chopping, this is pretty easy to put together. Don’t get hung up on amounts either. For reference, I fill up a medium-sized sauté pan for Stacy and me.
For what it’s worth, in addition to chicken, I’ve also used this on salmon and various types of whitefish. For you non-salmon eaters, Stacy’s not a big fan either, but when it’s prepared this way, she likes it!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken breast, pounded 1/2 inch thick
- Zucchini (or any type of summer squash), chopped
- Grape tomatoes (or any type of tomato), halved or chopped
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, chopped
- Kalamata or green olives, sliced
- Capers
- Oregano, chopped
- Thyme, chopped
- Parsley, chopped
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Pour some olive oil into a medium-sized sauté pan – enough so your vegetables and herbs don’t dry out. You can always add more while it’s simmering, so don’t worry.
- Add everything to the pan except the chicken breast and lightly simmer on low heat until desired tenderness is achieved. Once there, turn the burner to the lowest setting possible and it can remain warm indefinitely. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. You can also add some more olive oil depending on the amount of “sauciness” you prefer.
- While the above is simmering or being kept warm, place a sheet of wax paper on the counter, place the chicken breast on it, and then a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the chicken, and pound the chicken to one-half inch thick. Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired.
- Pour about two tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan and heat on medium-high heat.
- When the olive oil and pan are fully heated, cook the chicken breast for approximately 3 minutes per side.
- When finished cooking, transfer chicken to a plate, top with vegetables, and serve.