Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Almonds

Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Almonds

In a dinner jam?  Get a little help from a breakfast staple to make your ho hum chicken breasts shine as the star of your dinner.  Orange juice is the main ingredient in the velvety sauce which coats pan sauteed chicken breasts.  Add in the crunch of toasted almonds and dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes.

Toasting almonds is an easy way to add another taste dimension to your dish.  A simple way to toast nuts is in a small pan over the stove.  Place the nuts in a pan over medium high heat and stir or shake the pan often so the nuts do not burn.  In about 5 - 6 minutes you will smell the toasty almonds that will be lightly browned and ready to enjoy.  Remove the almonds from the pan immediately as the hot pan will continue to cook the nuts and they will burn.

The inspiration for this recipe came from the Cuisine at Home Weeknight Menus cookbook which I got as a free gift when I renewed my subscription a couple years ago.  I am a cooking magazine junkie and Cuisine at Home magazine is one of my go-to sources for quick dinner recipes for my family and my EAT! A Personal Chef Service clients.  The recipes offer impressive results with minimal effort.

By using ingredients you have in your refrigertor and pantry, dinner can be on the table in a flash.  Serving a dish that is a little out of the ordinary keeps dinner time interesting and your family will be coming back for more.


Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Almonds

adapted from a recipe in Cuisine at Home Weeknight Menus cookbook

serves 4

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless about 6 ounces each
salt
pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup white wine
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter
4 thin orange slices, halved
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Heat a nonstick saute pan to medium high heat and add the olive oil.  Add the chicken and saute for 3 - 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the same pan over medium high heat, add orange juice, wine and mustard.  Whisk to combine and reduce liquid by half.  Turn heat to low and whisk in the butter.  Return chicken to pan and add orange slices and heat through.  Sprinkle with almonds and parsley and serve.