Bon Appétit Calendar: Take 1

I have an obsession with calendars. A seriously unhealthy obsession. In my office, I have no less than 5 calendars decorating my work space. In my childhood bedroom, I had probably twice as many hanging from my walls. I love calendars. They are the perfect decoration - just when you are getting sick of a picture you get to change it! My most favorite calendars are the page-a-day style. Every morning, I anticipate flipping the page and seeing what my decor will be for the day. My Dog Page-a-Day calendar makes me happy-especially when there is an exceptionally adorable puppy. But 2008 began as a year with new food resolutions, including this blog. I had to incorporate food into my daily calendar anticipation, and so the Bon Appétit Day-to-Day Calendar was purchased.

The calendar itself isn't very beautiful or flashy. It definitely isn't contributing to my decor, but it is expanding my culinary horizons. I am taking the time to read recipes I would normally skim over. The first recipe that really stood out to me was only 9 days into the new year! It didn't take long for Bon Appétit to deliver. I immediately marked the recipe (the calendar came with handy dandy bookmarks!) to sample when I had a chance.

Well I finally had the chance to make the Braised Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Cream, and it, too, delivered! One thing that made me very happy about this recipe - it only serves two!! It is nice to have recipes available for just me without having to think about fractions or division. The chicken in this recipe is very tender and the sun-dried tomatoes provide a ton of flavor. I had forgotten about sun-dried tomatoes, and all I can say is a BIG thank you to Bon Appétit for reminding me! The sharpness of the tomatoes was perfectly offset by the creaminess of the sauce. To further contrast the zippy tomato flavor, I served the dish with a quick wild mushroom risotto and arugula. This will definitely be a repeat recipe in my house- and I think you could reduce the amount of cream to be a little healthier.

Braised Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Bon Appétit | June 1997

To complement this Provençal-style entre, sprinkle torn radicchio with oil, vinegar and Niçoise olives, and mix chopped chives and grated Parmesan into pasta. Finish with a purchased lemon tart.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Makes 2 Servings; can be doubled.

30 Minute Main Course
ingredients
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon oil from oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
preparation
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add white wine, cream and tomatoes and bring to boil. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Add basil to sauce in skillet. Increase heat and boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken and serve.