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Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Ingredients
4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoons Garlic Paste
All purpose flour (approx. 1 cup)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup young, fruity red wine (suggest Merlot)
1 cup Beef Broth
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 14 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes (juice drained)
Salt and Pepper
Onion Powder (or your favorite seasoning spice)
Couscous

To Make...

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and onion powder. Let stand for 10 minutes, turn and season the opposite side.

2. Most chicken breasts have a natural separation point where part of the breast is and fill it with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the garlic paste. (If there is no noticeable pocket, use a very sharp knife to create one. Make sure you don't cut all the way through the breast, just deep enough to create a little trough).

3. Fold the pockets back up and dredge each chicken breast in flour. Shake off any excess. You do not want the breast covered in flour, just a thin layer of white will do.

4. Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat with olive oil (just enough to cover the pan). Sauté the chopped garlic for approximately 30-60 seconds.

5. When the oil is quite warm, place each breast in the pan (don't let the oil splash onto you, it is hot!)

6. Allow the chicken to cook until it is golden brown on one side, then turn and do the same. It should take between 5-8 minutes for your chicken to be golden brown on all sides. When you have reached this point, remove the chickens.

7. In the same pan, add more olive oil (again, just enough to cover the pan). Sauté the chopped garlic for approximately 30-60 seconds.

8. Add to the pan the wine, beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and let bubble for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

9. Reduce heat to medium, add tomatoes. Place the chicken breasts back in the pan, making sure they get well coated by the sauce. Cover the pan and let cook for 5-10 minutes.

10. Begin couscous as directed on box (the entire couscous operation lasts less than 10 minutes).

11. After the chicken has cooked, cover for 5 minutes, add rosemary and stir into the sauce.

12. When the chicken breasts are cooked all the way through (you can check them with a meat thermometer if you like... they need to be 180 degrees in the middle) turn off heat.

TO SERVE

I suggest spooning a mound of the couscous on the side of everyone's plate. On the other side, place a spoonful of the chicken, then ladle some sauce over the chicken, allowing some to slowly make its way to the couscous. Don't feel like you have to use ALL of the sauce in the chicken pan. It's simply there to flavor the chicken, use only as much as you need to add a little liquid to the plate. (Use a slotted spoon to get all the tomatoes out and onto the plates)

Be warned; couscous gets very mushy very quickly. I do not recommend using the couscous as a bed for the entire dish, allowing sauce to cover it. It will be like chicken oatmeal.

RECOMMENDED SIDE DISHES

There's plenty on the plate already, but there are two great options you can add to this if you need a more balanced meal.

Sourdough/French Bread: Either Garlic style, or served plain and warm. This will allow guests to soak up any remaining liquid. The garlic bread will go nicely with the flavors of the meal.

Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette: A great salad to serve with this. A simple handful of mixed greens for everyone, with the dressing already on the salad. To make this work, you HAVE to serve a balsamic dressing. Something like Ranch or Bleu Cheese will completely clash with the flavors of the main dish and ruin the whole thing.

To make balsamic is simple; Use excellent Extra virgin Olive Oil and Excellent Balsamic Vinegar. You want the dressing to barely cover all of the salad, as if it has just been rained on (no excess liquid in the bowl!) The right formula is 2 1/2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic.

RECOMMENDED BEVERAGES

Wine: Traditionally, you drink the same wine you cooked with, that way things match up perfectly. Remember, also, that you should never cook with a wine that isn't good enough to drink.