Gourmet Dinner?

I think Alex is easily impressed. I made dinner and he said it looked very gourmet and asked if I was applying for a job at Sibling Rivalry. I have no idea why he said this particular restaurant, but he did. I don't think I even did anything out of the ordinary. It was just chicken and potatoes. Maybe it was the presentation or maybe he was just so happy to have dinner at a reasonable time. Whatever it was, there is no denying that the food was great. I had seen these two recipes in my reader and decided to make them because they were quick and easy. The chicken was in a balsamic vinegar and garlic sauce, which was sweet, tangy, and light. It was something we both said reminded us of the tastes of Asian chicken dishes. The potato was leftover mashed potatoes made into cakes and fried until golden.


Chicken Thighs with Balsamic and Garlic Sauce
Source: For The Love of Cooking (here)

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter, softened
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large OVEN PROOF skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Lay the chicken thighs smooth side down in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove chicken from oven and set aside on a platter to rest with a tinfoil tent to keep warm. Return the skillet to the stove over medium high heat (add more olive oil if needed) and add minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for 60 seconds then add the balsamic vinegar. Stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Mix the butter and flour together making a paste. Whisk in the flour and butter mixture and let the sauce return to a boil. Simmer until the sauce gets thick - about 1-2 minutes. Pour the sauce over chicken and serve.

Potato Cakes
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations (here)

Leftover potatoes (I had about a cup)
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Mix potatoes, egg, salt, and pepper.

Scoop out one spoon full and add to the hot pan. Continue until you have used up all of the potatoes, or until you don't have any more space in the pan - whichever comes first.

Cook the pancakes approximately 5-6 minutes per side, or until golden brown.