Pan-Cooked Chicken Breasts with Zesty Itailan Sauce

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The sauce will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for several months.


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes, drained,

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons of basil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. When it begins to color, add the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often and crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes are cooked down and beginning to stick to the skillet, 15-25 minutes. Stir in the basil, taste and adjust the salt and garlic. Remove from the heat.

2. Brush the chicken breasts on both sides with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Heat the grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a bit of water on the skillet and if it sizzles away at once, the skillet is hot enough. Cook the chicken breasts until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Check one breast to make sure that it's cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer to a platter or plates. Spoon on the sauce and serve.


You can serve this with pasta or rice and a side of vegetables of your choice.

PER SERVING: 9.5 GM TOTAL FAT, 1.6 GM SATURATED FAT, 241 CALORIES, 8.6 GM CARBOHYDRATES, 28.8 GM PROTEIN