Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Rosemary Chicken with Two-Corn Polenta

A couple of months ago, I decided to decorate the completely bare patio at my townhouse.  By decorate, I mean I bought a small basil plant and a small rosemary plant.  That's it.  I thought about buying some furniture, too, but lost track of that idea.

I'm also totally okay with the generous amount of basil and rosemary I've enjoyed from my little ol' plants.  I've been enjoying lots of meals with fresh herbs, including this one.  The rosemary added the perfect bit of earthy flavor to this healthy dinner.  As an added bonus, it was so quick and easy to prepare, I'll be adding it to my arsenal of fantastic weeknight meals.

rosemary chicken with polenta

Rosemary Chicken and Two-Corn Polenta
from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
Ingredients:
For the polenta:
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. water
1/2 c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen and thawed)

For the chicken:
4 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Directions:
1.  Place cornmeal and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large saucepan.  Gradually add water, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for ten minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in corn kernels.  Cover to keep warm and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan.  

3.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Place in saute pan and saute until cooked thorough, about three minutes on each side.

one year ago: banana-oat muffins with apricots
two years ago: classic roasted chicken and vegetables, a family favorite