Chardonnay Chicken and Vegetables

I am often inspired by looking at frozen dinner packages. Whenever I pass by the frozen food section I always take a look at the newest creations that they have added. The photos are often mouth watering. But, the actual product is usually more than disappointing. So, I usually look to see what is in the dinner then come home and make it myself. The recipes are usually easy to make and a lot less expensive when you make them yourself.

One dinner that I looked at often, because we stock it in my store, was "Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Roasted Chicken Chardonnay." Any meal that includes rosemary, basil, and garlic has to be good. Now, let's get on with the ingredients:

1 chicken breast- flattened to 1/2" 
1 med zucchini
1 large yellow squash
1/2 med onion, diced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, julienned (cut into small strips)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 can of tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Chardonnay wine
1 cup chicken broth
angel hair pasta or other pasta of your liking. One of my fav's in penne pasta.
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Begin by salting and peppering your chicken breast. Grill breast on both sides until pink is gone. Do not over cook. Set the chicken to the side and let cool. Once the chicken is cooled cut it into bite size cubes or strips. You may cook the breast in a large skillet on the stove if you prefer. In this case you would add olive oil to the pan, cook chicken, remove the chicken, then continue with the rest of the recipe.  (Note: Often, when I grill out, I will cook a few extra breasts to have on hand for times like this. This saves time, especially when cooking during the week. I will throw them in the freezer and thaw as needed.)

Next, add olive oil to a skillet on the stove and add your onions. Cook until tender, then add garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash. Cook for about 1 minute. Add Chardonnay and bring to a boil, reducing liquid to half. Reduce heat. Add chicken broth, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper to taste and stir. Let cook for about a minute then add 1 can of tomatoes with liquid. Add chicken then cover and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes. You do not want the vegetables cooked until they turn to mush. You want them still a little firm.

While waiting for the dish to simmer put on a pot of boiling water for the pasta. The pasta will not take long if it is angel hair pasta. Others will take a little longer. Go ahead and cook per package directions. Do not overcook. Once cooked you can pour off all of the water, pouring the pasta into a colander, then rinse the pasta in cold water. This stops the cooking process. Set pasta to the side. The amount of pasta you add is up to you. I usually only add a little, just enough to know there is pasta in the dish. The pasta is not the main part of the dish, so you don't want too much.

Once the dish has simmered you can add the pasta to the dish.  Cook long enough to heat the pasta back up. If the dish looks too watery you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken. Now, it's time to eat. Plate up and top with Parmesan cheese and serve with a side salad. Mmmmm!! Enjoy!

Options: This is a very versatile recipe. I change up ingredients depending on what I have on hand. Here are some suggestions-
Pasta- use Penne, angel hair pasta, regular spaghetti noodles, even shells would work nice.
Mushrooms make a very nice addition to the dish. Add about 1/2 cup after adding the broth.
Broccoli and cauliflower make excellent additions. I often cook it with about 1/2 cup of each.

The original recipe will feed about 2-3 people. If you add ingredients such as broccoli or cauliflower it will make more. You may also have to add more liquid. You just need enough liquid to keep it all moist. you don't want it soggy or too watery.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please feel free to leave your comments below.