Family Dinner

My brother and father, along with two of my friends, came to dinner last night. My dad made the request of something "light". Yeah, so that narrowed down the food choices! This was the first time in a while that I had the chance to make a nice dinner for others. I chose to make a chicken dinner with a white wine and mushroom sauce, with a side of sauteed green beans and green peppers.

Chicken with White Wine and Mushroom Sauce

1/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chicken breasts (1-2 per person)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 packages of fresh mushrooms (button, portabella, shiitake, etc), ends trimmed, quartered

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon flour or corn starch

In a large skillet, heat the oil. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to coat and place in the skillet. Cook chicken for about five minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Cook on low heat for four minutes (don't let the garlic burn) and stir occasionally. Return the chicken to the pan. Add wine, broth, basil, and thyme to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a serving dish. To thicken the sauce, add the flour or corn starch. Incorporate well. Spoon over chicken and serve.

Sauteed Green Beans and Green Peppers

Handful of green beans per person, ends trimmed

One small green pepper per person, sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a small skillet. Add garlic, green beans, and green peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs (about 3 tablespoons). Toss well and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese.