Creole Chicken

Mondays are busy days for everyone I know and when five o’clock rolls around, as much as I enjoy cooking, the last thing I need is to spend hours preparing dinner. Sometimes Monday dinner is Sunday’s left-overs and when not, I like to think of simple, quick solutions to cooking an appetizing meal. Today’s recipe is just that. Baked chicken breast with a wonderful Creole sauce (make this a day or two before) paired with roasted asparagus makes for an ever so easy meal. Enjoy!




Red Creole Sauce
~this is a really good sauce for many kinds of dishes and especially good with crawfish

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 -28 oz can tomato sauce
1 -28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon mustard seed, optional
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less)

Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large skillet. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook about 15 minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaf and keep warm.



Creole Chicken

4 chicken breast -bone in, skin removed
Salt & pepper
Vegetable oil
Red Creole Sauce –from above

Score the chicken meat several times cutting down to the rib cage on each breast. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper rubbing into the cuts.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a little oil in an ovenproof skillet and brown chicken. Remove from heat and spoon about a third of the sauce over the breast.

Place skillet in the oven and bake until chicken is done, about 20 minutes. Check meat to be sure juices run clear.

Remove from oven and plate with added sauce.



Roasted Asparagus

A very simple side ~ Wash and trim ends of spears. Take a ring from a red pepper and use to hold spears. Place in a pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs or seasoning of choice. Roast in a 500 degree F. oven for about 15 minutes.