Sauteed Chicken Breasts With Fennel and Rosemary

justcallmetoni's Note:

The flavors of fennel, garlic, and rosemary married with chicken. The original recipe appeared in Food and Wine and later reprinted on another site. This is my own rendition designed to be both WW point friendly and core. This works really well with steamed carrots, polenta or mashed potatoes.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 teaspoons olive oil, separated
• 1 large fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1 1/4 pounds, use 2 smaller heads if need be)
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup fat free chicken broth
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 1/2 teaspoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the fennel and half of the rosemary.
2. Cook, stirring frequently, until the fennel is golden brown and almost done, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the fennel is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the fennel and the cooking liquid from the pan.
3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over moderate heat. Pound chicken breasts so they are of an even thickness. Season the chicken with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the chicken to the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon of rosemary and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until almost done, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the fennel and its cooking liquid and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer. Move the fennel so that it sits on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and simmer on very low heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Reviews

[10887958]

The whole family enjoyed this one! Even my five and six-year-olds.

[xGhost1x]

I just prepared four meals ahead of time for my diet (BTW, perfect for it!!!) and chose this recipe. The only thing I did differently is I added 1 stalk of lemongrass and 1/2 tsp. of lavender to the fennel. It works extremely well together. Love this recipe!! Its absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing!!

[mersaydees]

Wonderful entree! Made as directed and wouldn't change a thing! Greatest thing about this recipe is that you get the big taste from the olive oil, garlic and herbs, without the addition of heavy cream! Great flavors without being to heavy and rich! Thanks, JustCallMeToni! Made for Photo Tag.