CAPRESE CHICKEN

This recipe combines two of my loves - mozzarella and Pinterest, where I found this recipe. I originally cooked it last Friday night but as I was distracted by the dance competition going on between Arabella & her godmother Ceri, I made a couple of mistakes and it wasn't as good as I thought it could be. We still ate it, along with Arabella's entire sweet tin and several of Pascal's chocolates but I wanted to try it again as I knew it could be lovely…..and practise makes perfect!

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
350g cherry or small plum tomatoes, cut in half
2 handfuls of basil leaves, halved
125g ball of buffalo mozzarella, sliced into thick 1/2" slices
Balsamic vinegar, to taste

First things first, salt & pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil (more if you need it) to a large sauté pan over a warm heat. Add the chicken breasts, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on one side.

Towards the end of the 10 minutes (maybe after about 6 minutes) add the remaining oil to another pan and add the garlic for a minute and then the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat.

Flip the chicken to cook the other side - it depends on the size of the breasts but I only did a further 5 minutes and that was more than enough (I should have done less). Then take the chicken off the heat.

There is a lot of moving back and forward between the pans!! After the tomatoes have been cooking for 5 minutes also take off the heat and stir in the basil.

Cover the chicken breasts with the mozzarella and pour the tomato mixture over the top. Put it back on the heat and cover the pan with a lid once again. Cook for 2-3 until the mozzarella melts.

Drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

I added some fresh basil leaves on top and served it with a green salad. 

It was delicious (much better than last time) - it looks pretty and tasted yum - a very good mid week supper. Despite the going to & fro between the pans, it was easy and quick and I would cook it again. It definitely needed seasoning and you need to make sure you don't over cook the chicken but it was simple, appetising and healthy and that is good enough for me!