Chicken breasts can lack flavour especially when you are attempting to keep them low fat and healthy.  These breasts are cooked in a simple garlicky tomato and Prosecco sauce.  I used Prosecco because its what I had on hand, that had, a fruity taste – but really any white would do.  The fruitiness of the tomato combined with the wine and garlic gives the chicken breasts a nice lift, add to this the salty olives and the tartness of the tomato and you have a great dish, cooked in 1 pan in 20 minutes.  I add loads of fresh sage and thyme giving the dish a nice depth.

Provençal Inspired Country Style Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients
–  4 large free range chicken breasts
–  2 medium red onions, finely chopped
–  3 cloves of garlic
–  3 tbsp olive oil
–  2 tbsp butter
–  400gms ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
–  4 sprigs thyme
–  1 bay leaf
–  24 sage leaves
–  400ml wine
–  1 cup stock (optional)/water
–  160gms black olives pitted
Start by heating the oil and butter in a large saucepan.  Now add the garlic, onion and finely chopped thyme.  Once the onions have begun to brown some of the oil should separate.  Move the onions to one side of the pan and place the chicken breasts on the other side.  Reduce the heat and allow the chicken to start to brown, before turning.  Now add the tomatoes, olive and bay leaf, once the tomatoes have started to break down add the wine and allow this to cook for a few minutes.  Cover the pan and allow it to cook for about 10-minutes before removing the chicken breasts – set them aside.  Allow the sauce to cook for a further 10-minutes, add some of the stock if you need to.  Add salt & pepper and check seasoning, before adding the chicken breasts back in with the sage leaves.  Cook for 2-minutes before serving.  You can add a little fresh parsley and some lemon zest for a nice fresh lift to the dish.

Make extra sauce and freeze it to use when you need a quick a quick pasta sauce.  Cut the chicken into chunks before freezing together with the tomato.  Defrost when you need a sauce and add some cream to the mixture serve it with penne and a good slug of good olive oil.