Bachelor on the Cheap

By Mike Thayer

Here is a nice meal featuring balsamic vinegar that's easy to prepare and tastes delicious, a really nice change of pace kind of meal.   The marinade can be used no matter the method of cooking, be that pan seared, crock pot, or grilling.

Mike's Balsamic Chicken & Carrots

Ingredients:

• Two chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• One clove garlic, minced
• One packet of artificial sugar
• The juice of 1/2 a lime
• Salt and pepper

For the carrots

• 5 - 7 baby carrots, Julienne cuts (like match sticks)
• One Tablespoon olive oil
• A drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts into a large zip lock bag or Tuperware container.  In a small bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.  Seal the bag/container and refrigerate for at least one hour, four hours is better, 10-12 hours is fantastic.  When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat up an oven safe pan over medium heat on the stove, coat it with a tablespoon of olive oil and put that marinated chicken in.   Brown the chicken on the presentation side, about five minutes.  Flip the chicken and put the pan in the oven to finish cooking it, about 25 - 30 minutes.     With about five minutes remaining on your timer, heat up a small saute pan over medium heat, saute the carrots in the olive oil for about 2-3 minutes.  Hit them with the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and saute for another two minutes.  Serve with the gorgeous chicken you just pulled out of the oven.

It's another dose of YUM!

Related:  Poultry recipes on Grilling Good Eats!