11 Ways to Cook Your Goose….er Chicken: Day Three

So, I was perusing my stable of saved recipes for the next adventure in chicken preparation when I came across Chicken in Garlic-VinegarSauce which, by virtue of its name alone, does not sound all that spectacular. However, when I read the ingredients and prep, I was hooked.  Yet.....since there are only TWO of us, and I am really, really making an attempt to cut back on fats, etc., I made some serious revisions to the dish.  This is what I concocted: 

Braised Chicken with Shallots & Thyme

(The name has been changed to preserve the sanctity of the original recipe)

INGREDIENTS: 

3 Tbs Olive oil 

Chicken boobs (3 or however many you need for two people)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Coarse-ground black pepper

1/2 large shallot, chopped fine
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/6 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 Cup Chicken Broth (low-sodium, fat free is best, but as always, use what you have!) 

4 sprigs of thyme, fresh 

(I used my own, grown outside the kitchen window, of the Lemon Thyme varietal)

1-2 Roma tomatoes
1 Tbs chives, dried (or fresh, chopped fine, whatever you have) 
1/3 Cup Sour Cream (Fat free is good, but again, whatever you have)
1-2 tsp Spicy Brown mustard (or Dijon, or hell, even regular yellow mustard) 
2 tsp Tomato paste
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth for finishing sauce

WHAT TO DO WITH THE INGREDIENTS:

-Heat olive oil in large skillet (with lid) on medium to medium-high
-Sprinkle chickens with salt and pepper then add to skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes
 per side.
-Remove boobs from skillet and set aside.

-Saute shallots and whole garlic cloves in remaining oil, on medium for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it and
  stir frequently, or the shallots will burn quick!
-Stir in vinegar and chicken broth, then put chicken back into the skillet and add thyme sprigs
-Cover and let simmer on low-medium ("4" on my stove) for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked
 through completely and tender.

-Chop up tomatoes, place them in a bowl and add the chives and any remaining salt and pepper or sprinkle
 some of each over the top if you didn't measure it out beforehand.

-In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, tomato paste and mustard.

-Remove cooked chicken from skillet and set aside.
-Add sour cream mixture to skillet and whisk to combine with shallot broth, keeping heat at low-medium.
-Stir in remaining chicken broth then place chicken back in skillet and coat each piece thoroughly with the
 sauce.  Replace the lid and allow the entire mess to simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
-Plate up the chickens and top them with the tomato garnish/salad/quasi-salsa stuff.

Served here with steamed asparagii with garlic and Near East Curry-flavored Cous Cous.

NOTES:

-If you like lots of sauce, double up the sour cream concoction and add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken
 broth.
-If you use fat-free, low-sodium everything, then it gets even more healthy. Even healthier than the original
 recipe which used a ton of olive oil and butter.
-I didn't really care for the Cous Cous, mainly because I'm not too big on Indian spices....go for plain or
 another flavor if you, too, do not appreciate curry stuff.
-I use Parkay Butter spray on the asparagii....it's fat free and somewhat resembles the flavor of BUTTER.