Peanut Chicken and Mushrooms (and a Salad)

I can eat mushrooms and onions sauteed in a little EVOO or Pam with a spoon (or my fingers) any time of day--in an omelet at breakfast time or with some chicken at dinner time.  When mushrooms and onions are paired with fresh parsley, thai peanut sauce and chicken breasts the result is a dish that will make your taste buds beg for more! Serve it up with a bright salad for some extra bulk.

First things first, place your chicken breasts in a large ziploc bag and add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite peanut sauce to the bag, the family favorite is Annie Chun's Thai Peanut Sauce, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame oil for some Asian flare.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan (non-stick is my best friend) and add the chopped onion.  Once the onion begins to brown, add in the sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms reduce and are nice and tender.

Mushrooms are mostly water so they will shrink (a lot!) in volume when you cook them

Just before they are finished cooking, add in a small handful of chopped fresh parsley (not necessary but I had leftovers from my Ribbon Tea Sandwiches and who doesn't like fresh parsley?)

Transfer the mushroom and onions onto a large dinner plate and set aside

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil to the pan

Empty the bag of chicken and sauce into the pan and arrange the chicken so each piece lies flat and has some space to properly cook (not steam).  I had too much chicken so I needed to cook in two batches.  Once the chicken begins to brown, flip, and continue to cook.

Once you flip, drizzle with some more sauce (here's a picture of the one we use) and a bit more oil.  Keep cooking until chicken is cooked thoroughly and repeat with second batch of chicken.  

Then add all of the chicken into the pan and top with the mushrooms and cook for a minute or two until it is all warm and the flavors all merge together....serve on a large plate.

I ate this paired with a super large and colorful salad.  I love salad, to the point where there are somedays I make a salad this large and refuse to share!! I get greedy with my greens.  Usually it's a "use what is in the fridge" salad, this week here's what I came up with:

some chopped romaine and mixed spring green

Mise en place; vegetables: green beans, carrots, red bell pepper, cucumber, and shredded red cabbage

Tossed all in a bowl

E Voila! Multiple the salad by 2 or 3 and that was my portion (I told you, I REALLY like my salad!)
Excuse the fine China--dishwasher was full :/

With love and cupcakes,
CookTeen

Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 3-4 oz. Chicken Breasts
5 tablespoons Peanut Sauce (divided)
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking chicken
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking

Place your chicken breasts in a large ziploc bag and add peanut sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil to the bag.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.  Slice the mushrooms and chop the onion, begin to cook the onion in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Once slightly browned, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are done, but don't let the onion burn!  Once almost done cooking, add in the fresh parsley.  Remove from heat and place on a plate.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and pour in the chicken from the bag.  (Make sure to get all the sauce in there)  Arrange so each chicken breast has space to brown properly.  Drizzle remaining sauce on top of the chicken and flip.  Continue to cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  Add mushrooms and onions to the pan to reheat for a few minutes.  Serve and eat.  Best if enjoyed right away but can be reheated in the pan on low heat for a few minutes.  A little sauce or oil may be needed.