INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb (454 g) small, ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes quartered (6 to 8 tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ to 2 lbs/680 to 908 g), pounded to even thickness
- 4 to 6 oz (113 to 170 g) fresh mozzarella cheese drained and cut into 1/4 –inch-thick slices
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tbsp balsamic reduction (homemade or store-bought; see tip below)
METHOD
- Line a 10 x 15-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on pan, cut side up. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can use your hands to mix the tomatoes and the oil, but make sure you put them back in a tidy, single layer please.
- Roast tomatoes at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they appear lightly caramelized and edges begin to brown. Crank on the broiler for a minute or two to get that last bit of browning magic, then remove tomatoes from oven.
- While tomatoes are roasting, prepare chicken. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until lightly browned on one side. Flip the chicken breasts over, reduce heat to low, and cover skillet with a lid. Make sure heat is low and lid fits snuggly. Let the chicken cook over LOW heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken rest in covered skillet for 5 minutes.
- Carefully spoon off and discard liquid from skillet and return chicken to stovetop over low heat. Top each chicken breast with fresh mozzarella, followed by roasted tomatoes. Cover with lid and let stand 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Drizzle with balsamic reduction, then sprinkle with chopped basil. Top with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
Per serving: 359 calories, 15 g total fat (5 g saturated fat), 41 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate (1.4 g fibre, 9.5 g sugars), 115 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium
Balsamic Reduction
To make balsamic reduction, whisk together 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, granulated sugar) in your smallest pot or skillet over medium-high heat. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat immediately to a gentle simmer. Let the mixture simmer (not boil!) until it begins to get syrupy and reduces in quantity by about half. Whisk occasionally. This should take no more than 5 minutes. The balsamic reduction will thicken a bit as it cools, so keep this in mind. If you accidentally thicken it too much, you can thin it with water. Cool slightly before using. If buying balsamic reduction, I recommend Nonna Pia’s brand.