Sauteed Chicken Breast with Chive Sauce

Howdy food-friends! Jessi and I have been in a bit of a meal slump lately. It seems we've not been firing on all cylinders in the kitchen. I don't know if we've just been picking lame recipes or taking the wrong shortcuts but it seems that we're not churning out exceptional meal after meal. That's the way I like it, but I guess, unlike Burger King, you can't always have it your way.

This recipe marks one of these dishes in the land of mediocrity. We had almost 2 lbs of chicken breasts (original recipe called for 1lb), so we decided to double the sauce ingredients. This usually works for us b/c we always feel like recipes from Eating Well/Cooking Light just don't have enough sauce (which contributes to the healthiness). In this case, our modification slightly failed. It still was tasty, but was not creamy like it was supposed to be. Next time, we'll cut down on amount of chicken broth. So now I'm sure you're all itching to go make this dish—not! I do feel the need to post these dishes though because it helps us to remember what does and doesn't work in the kitchen. We also like it when you guys have suggestions for improvement, helping us build our culinary skills. This is one of the most important ways to becoming a better cook, I feel. The recipe below reflects what we made, if you want to check the original recipe, click here. Modified from Eating Well, serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup vermouth or dry white wine
• 2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped chives
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Directions

1. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Season both sides of the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt. 
2. Place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.
3. Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. 
4. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.
5. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. 
6. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.