February 4: Sauteed Sweet Chicken Breasts with a Spicy Fresh Tomato Chutney and White Rice

2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
2 cups white rice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
   Green vegetable of your choice

Bring the chicken broth and a drizzle of EVOO to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook the rice covered, stirring occasionally, for 17 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Fluff with a fork.

In a bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the cilantro, scallions, parsley, honey, and a little salt and pepper.

Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Remove the chicken breasts from the pan to a serving platter. Serve with the white rice and your green vegetable.

4 SERVINGS

I did not make the spicy fresh tomato chutney for these reasons: 1) my husband wants comfort food on Friday nights, 2) he doesn't like chutney or tomatoes, and 3) I don't care for spicy food that much. I've made it before, and it was good, but very spicy. Here is the recipe:

1 tablespoon EVOO
6 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 Serrano or jalapeno pepper, half of the seeds removed, then finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

While the rice cooks, work on the spicy fresh tomato chutney. Heat a medium-size skillet over high heat with a tablespoon of the EVOO. Add the quartered plum tomatoes, cumin, coriander, serrano peppers, shallots, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the sherry vinegar, brown sugar, and 1 cup of water. Turn down the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the tomatoes have broken down and are slightly thickened. While the chutney is cooking, prepare the chicken.

The rest of the recipe is pretty straightforward. It tastes pretty good too. The only thing I did differently was I cooked the chicken over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes to ensure it would get cooked all the way through.