This recipe comes from a brand new cookbook I bought this month, after a dear friend, Heidi, connected me with chef/author of this book, Amy Fothergill. Once the cookbook came in the mail, I immediately looked through it and was impressed by the sheer amount of recipes that are gluten-free in this cookbook, something another close friend of mine would appreciate! Also, the recipes are extremely easy to follow with step-by-step directions that even the newest of cooks can follow.

I tried this recipe first since I’m always looking for new ways to serve chicken breasts. The directions were straight-forward, and I used two large chicken breast halves. I cooked the chicken initially for 8 minutes on one-side, and then 4 minutes on the other side before pouring the sauce over them to cook for another 5 minutes. The chicken came out nicely browned, soaked in the apricot glaze and very tender and moist on the inside. I drizzled the leftover sauce from the pan over the top of the chicken when serving as well. This was a lovely dish and I am eager to try more of The Warm Kitchen‘s recipes. I served the chicken alongside my leftover Quinoa with Feta & Brussels Sprouts Leaves. Here’s my chicken with apricot glaze:

Sauteed Chicken Breast with Apricot Dijon Glaze ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Sauteed Chicken with Apricot Dijon Glaze

Recipe from: The Warm Kitchen, by Amy Fothergill, 2013
Serves 3-4
Gluten-Free Recipe

Ingredients:
For Chicken:

• 1/2 tsp. each oregano, thyme, ground pepper, and garlic powder (or about 3 tsp. Italian seasoning blend)
• 1/2 tsp. sea or kosher salt
• 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and/or connective tissue
• 2 tsp. olive or vegetable oil

For Sauce:

• 1/2 cup reduced-sugar apricot preserves or jelly
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• Sea or kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix oregano,thyme, ground pepper, garlic powder (or the Italian seasoning blend) and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle half over chicken. In another small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients: apricot jelly, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and set aside.

2. Heat medium saute pan to medium or medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and quickly place the chicken in the pan, seasoning side down, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. If using a non-stick pan, add oil and then heat pan. As soon as oil is hot, add chicken.

3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 of seasoning on other side of chicken (the turned up side in the pan). Adjust heat if necessary so that you hear the chicken cooking but so that it’s not burning.

4. Once chicken is beginning to turn white on the edges, turn over and cook the other side. The cooked side should be brown. Once the chicken is almost all of the way cooked, pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and lower the heat. Simmer at least 5 minutes and/or until the chicken is fully cooked, up to 20 minutes. Chicken is done when it feels firm when pressed and/or reaches an internal temperature of at least 165ºF.