Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Garlic Rice Pilaf

One of my favorite blogs is Annie's Eats.  Her food is delicious and simple, and her photography is beautiful.  Last week I discovered two new recipes on her site and - lo' and behold - a new meal was inducted into the Dinner Hall of Fame.  I made two tiny tweaks to these recipes. Here are my versions with links to the original below the titles.  I served this with Oven Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.  The memory is making me drool.  Please forgive my badly lit photo, and make this soon!

Lemon-Thyme Chicken
from Annie's Eats

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 handful white whole-wheat flour
1½ tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp. butter

Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes per side, and an instant-read thermometer reads 160˚ F in the thickest part of the chicken.  (Keep in mind that pieces of different sizes will finish cooking at different times to avoid overcooking.)  Remove the chicken pieces to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.

Add the garlic and thyme leaves to the pan and sauté  just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  (If necessary, add an additional small drizzle of olive oil if most of the oil was absorbed by the chicken.)  Off the heat, add the wine to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.  Return the pan to the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.  Stir in the chicken broth.  Reduce until the sauce has thickened, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the lemon juice to the pan.  Add in the butter and whisk until completely melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately, spooning the sauce over the chicken.


Garlic Rice Pilaf
from Annie's Eats adapted from What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen

1 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup brown white rice
2½ cups chicken broth, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice 

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a covered casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes.  About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.