HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
RECIPE: HERB-RUBBED CHICKEN BREAST
This recipe is great for weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time and you need to get something quickly on the table.
Prepare it now, eat it later in the week. It takes five minutes!
Make your weeknight effort even QUICKER by seasoning the chicken in advance and sealing in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator.
I usually double the recipe to have leftovers for low-carb snacks, lunch, or meals later in the week.
If serving with Roasted Broccoli, scroll down for that recipe + timing advice.
PREP TIME: 5 min
COOK TIME: 8-10 min
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHICKEN
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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Salt & pepper to taste
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1 sachet TASTE OF TUSCANY spice bend
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3 TBSP (45 ml) olive oil for the rub
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1 TBSP (15 ml) olive oil for the pan
OPTIONAL SAUCE
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¼ cup (60 ml) white wine
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knob of butter
Use one sachet per 4 chicken breast fillets. Click to buy here.
CHICKEN COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1) Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
2) Mix one sachet of TASTE OF TUSCANY spice blend with 3 TBSP olive oil.
3) Divided herb mixture evenly across the top side of the filets, and rub in with the back of a spoon.
* * * * *
From here you can either seal in a ziploc bag to marinate and cook later (see Cooks Notes below), or proceed to step 4 and cook right away.
* * * * *
4) Add 1 TBSP olive oil to a hot pan and sear chicken, herb-side down, 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.
5) Flip, reduce heat to medium and cook 4-5 minutes (until filets are cooked all the way through).
6) Remove from pan, cover loosely with foil and let rest 2-3 min before serving.
OPTIONAL SAUCE: While the chicken rests, pour ¼ cup (60 ml) white wine in the pan after you have removed the chicken, cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Turn of the heat, add a small knob of butter and stir until melted through. Spoon over fillets as desired.
Salt and pepper each both sides of each fillet, and mix one spice blend with olive oil.
Divided herb mixture evenly across the top side of the filets, and rub in with the back of a spoon.
Sear herbed-side down in a hot pan 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook another 4-5 minutes (until fillets are cooked all the way through).
SERVE
Move to a serving platter or individual plates and serve with veggies or salad of choice.
TIMING TIP If serving with Oven Roasted Broccoli as part of the Week 2 meal plan:
Preheat your oven first, prep your broccoli and chicken. Place broccoli in the oven just after you start to sear the chicken and it should all be ready at the same time.
Served with oven-roasted broccoli
BROCCOLI COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
2) Mix 2 cloves minced garlic with 1 TBSP dried basil and 2 TBSP olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 head (10.5 oz / 300 g) broccoli florets and mix really well to ensure all the florets get hit with the oil & seasoning.
3) Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with salt.
4) Place in preheated oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the broccoli stems start to soften and you can just start to see a tinge of brown on the florets.
Broccoli, garlic, dried basil, olive oil.
Cook until florets just start to brown
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
COOKING TIME
Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. If you are unsure, check after you’ve cooked the second side for 4 minutes by using a sharp knife to slice into the thickest side of the filet - if it’s pink, keep cooking until it’s white!
MARINDAE OPTION
The flavor and moistness of the chicken improves the longer you marinate it.
So IF you happen to think about it in advance, follow step 1-3, place chicken in a Ziploc bag, add 1/4 cup additional olive oil and refrigerate for 1-3 days. This will make your chicken even more flavourful and tender...and then that step is already done, so when you have a busy night – take them out and sear them in a pan. How easy is that?
DOUBLE RECIPE?
I often double this recipe and cook the next 4 breasts after dinner, then carve them up and store. Reason? This is such a great staple to have on hand in your fridge – for a low-carb snack, or add to a salad, or add to stir-fried veggies for meals later in the week, when time is tight.
COOK'S NOTES
