Valentine’s Day is coming, and who knows more about being romantic than the French? This month’s recipe is my own take on French cooking. Try serving it with asparagus in browned butter, almond rice pilaf, and a salad of butter lettuce with French vinaigrette dressing. Dip strawberries in melted chocolate for dessert. Don’t forget the candles.

This recipe serves four. You can either cook just two pieces of chicken instead of four, or save the other half to reheat in a few days.

French Chicken Sauté

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ C. white wine
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp. rosemary and/or tarragon
Olive oil & butter for sautéing
½ lb. mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. crumbled bacon
½ tsp. tenderizer
½ C. chicken stock

Marinate chicken for 2 days in wine, garlic, and herbs. Remove, pat dry, reserving marinade.

Heat half oil and half butter in skillet. Saute onions and mushrooms until limp and onions are starting to caramelize; add bacon. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with tenderizer and lightly brown on both sides in remaining oil and butter. Add marinade and stock. Simmer on very low heat until cooked and tender. Add veggies to pan and heat through to serve.

Cream sauce version: Move chicken and veggies to serving platter, leaving juices in pan. Add 1/2 C cream and 1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese to pan; boil until sauce is thickened and reduced. Pour over chicken.