It's a Sunshine Day!

OK, since yesterday's blog was titled "The sun'll come out... tomorrow," I figured it was only fitting that I title today's the way I did!...  Cheesy, I know... =)
Hello everyone.  It's Tracy again.  And fortunately I have a much better report than I did yesterday!  Tonight I made Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Heirloom Tomato Salad, and it was yummy!  Easy to make too. I'll post the recipe and a video link at the end.
I actually didn't watch the video until about two minutes ago.  I kinda wish that I had watched it before I made the recipe because I now realize I cut the chicken wrong (cut it in half across the width of the breast instead of cutting it so that each breast was half its original thickness), but it still turned out good so I didn't mess things up too bad!
I did have to make one substitution.  I couldn't find any heirloom tomatoes, so I used roma tomatoes instead.  It was good (though not as pretty), but I look forward to using heirlooms once they're in season.  Also, the recipe doesn't state how much fresh basil to use.  I personally love fresh basil so I added quite a bit!
To ensure that all flavorings were mixed together well so that the chicken was properly seasoned, I actually mixed the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic together in a small mixing bowl and then poured the mixture over the zest covered chicken breasts.  Next time (that's right, I'll make it again!) I'll try the method they demonstrate in the video to see if it makes a difference.
For the sake of time, I let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes as the recipe suggests instead of chilling in the refrigerator for two to four hours as done in the video.
The recipe states that you should "scrape off the herbs" before cooking the chicken.  In the video, he doesn't do that.  Next time I don't think I will either.  I'll leave the thyme and lemon zest on the breasts as I cook them. I think that will make the flavoring a little stronger.  I could taste the lemon, but it was very mild.  I personally like the fresh lemon taste and would've liked it to have been a little stronger.  Although, if I had cut the breasts so they were thinner, perhaps the lemon flavor would've been more prominent.
When dishing up the meal, make sure to put the tomatoes on the chicken.  The salad by itself is good, but when eaten with the chicken...  Delicious!
So...  There are a few changes I'll make the next time I make this meal, but overall, nothing major.  Nick is working late tonight, so will have to reheat the chicken after he gets home.  We'll let you know if it reheats well!
Update:  Nick reheated the chicken and said it was wonderful.  So there ya go!  Two thumbs up!

The video:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/lemon-thyme-chicken/video/index.html

Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Heirloom Tomato Salad

Recipe courtesy Sam Talbot, 2008

Prep Time: 15 min

Inactive Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 8 min 

Level:  Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound mixed heirloom tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

Put the chicken into a shallow dish. Grate the zest from the lemon over the chicken. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil along with the thyme and garlic. Mix everything together so the chicken is well coated with all the flavorings. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the tomato salad: Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and put them into a bowl. Add the vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, tear in the basil leaves, and gently mix to combine.

When you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, scrape off the herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and put a thin coating of olive oil into it. Cook the chicken, working in batches if necessary, until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.

To serve, place 2 pieces of chicken onto a plate, and spoon 1/4 of the tomato salad over the chicken. Spoon on some of the tomato juices as well. Repeat with the remaining chicken and tomatoes and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

Calories 225; Total Fat 10 g; (Sat Fat 1.6 g, Mono Fat 6.5 g, Poly Fat 1.3 g) ; Protein 28g; Carb 5 g; Fiber 1.5 g; Cholesterol 68 mg; Sodium 83 mg

Food Exchanges per serving:

Very Lean Meat: 3 1/2; Vegetables: 1; Fat: 1 1/2

Recipe Analysis Note:

Ingredients without discrete measurements such as "Salt, to taste" or "Ice cream, optional" are omitted from analysis. This is because amounts can be highly variable and difficult to determine.