Chicken with Tarragon-Raspberry Cream Sauce

 This is a great spring chicken recipe. I forgot carrots so I substituted yellow summer squash in their place and it was great.  The fresh raspberries, tarragon and watercress make this tasty dish super flavorful and very healthy. I served this chicken with roasted gold butter potatoes. I am sure this would be good if you wanted to sub spinach for the watercress but the watercress has a very distinct flavor that complimented the raspberries very well and completed the meal.

Prep: 20 min  Cook: 25 min

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup 1/4 inch thick slices spring onions (white portion only)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 whipping cream
1/3 dry white wine
2 tbsp snipped fresh tarragon
12 ounces small baby carrots, peeled and tops trimmed
1 small bunch watercress, thick stems removed
1 cup fresh raspberries

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium~high heat; add butter.  When butter melts and starts to bubble, season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet.  Cook for 10~12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.  Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.

2. Add onions to the skillet.  Saute for about 3-4 minutes, or until just tender; transfer to platter with chicken. Add broth, cream, and wine to skillet.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium~low. Simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in tarragon.  Return chicken, onion, and accumulated juices on platter to pan.  Reduce heat to low, cover and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook carrots in lightly salted boiling water about 10 minutes or until crisp tender.  Drain and return to saucepan.

4. To serve, toss watercress with carrots to warm slightly.  Lay out carrots and watercress onto serving platter.  Top with chicken.  Gently stir raspberries into remaining sauce in saute pan; spoon over chicken. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min

This is a great recipe for a busy week night. There are not many ingredients and cooking the chicken and sauce in the bacon drippings gives this easy dish a great flavor. Great spring and summer dinner.

Ingredient

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/4 pounds total) 

   Salt and ground black pepper 

4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth 

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed

1 yellow summer squash, halved crosswise and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 

   Lemon wedges  

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan cook asparagus in boiling water for 3minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop cooking, set aside.

2.  In a very large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. 

3.  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot drippings over medium high heat for 12 minutes or until brown, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet, keep warm.

4.  Add squash to skillet and cook 3 minutes. In a medium bowl whisk together broth, flour and lemon peel. Add to skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and asparagus back to skillet. Cook 6 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.