I have a confession...I am obsessed with watching cooking videos from this 81 year old Italian man named Pasquale Sciarappa, the creator of Orsara Recipes. He lives life so fulfilled, he enjoys what he makes, as much as eating it. He always drinks a little of whatever he uses in his dish, and whistles while he works...this guy is my spirit animal. He posted a recipe for Chicken Caprese, which looked fabulous, but loaded with cheese. I realize that "Caprese" in Italian is a salad made of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, but I liked the name, so it stayed. Feel free to add mozzarella at the end during the rest, but in my opinion, you don't need it. My kitchen smelled wonderful and my whole family enjoyed this one! We loved this dish because it is...
Fragrant
Delicious
Filling
Quick
A one-pan-wonder
Ingredients
5 chicken breasts, skinless and thinly sliced
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 cloves of garlic, minced
10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced (optional)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Directions
1. Clean the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, coat evenly and generously with salt and pepper on all sides
2. In a large pan on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked and slightly browned, remove from pan and set aside
3. In the same pan, add the garlic, basil, tomatoes, mushrooms, dash of salt and pepper (if needed) and stir occasionally for about 4-5 minutes
4. Add the chicken and balsamic, cook turning occasionally for another 5 minutes (don't let it stick to the bottom and burn, wiggle them around here and there)
5. Remove from heat, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes (helps the chicken not dry out!)*
*Can add fresh mozzarella during the step and cover over low heat until melted
Notes
-Easily made vegan by substituting chicken with a small eggplant or zucchini sliced in half, length wise. Ideas: feel free to add 1-2 ounces of veggie stock and a pinch of smoked paprika during step 3 for extra flavor if making this vegan.
-You can add any almost veggie during step 3, be mindful to cut them small to minimize cooking time, just cook until sauce is reduced to slightly thicken it. String beans would be wonderful for an earthy crunch.