Sherry Chicken Saute Recipe

I started entered young adulthood with absolutely no domestic skills, none,

zero, zip!  After my parents dropped me off at my college dorm, I

was clueless.  It's not that I was going to be cooking, because I was on

the college meal plan, but other than making my bed, I was useless.

I didn't even know how to do laundry.   This is not something I am proud

of, it is fact.  In my young life, I sent my clothes down the laundry shoot

to the basement and they magically arrived back folded and placed 

in my dresser drawers, or hung up in the closet.   Fortunately for me,

I was not the only one in my dorm who was a pampered princess.  

One of the upperclass girls was assigned to give a group of us

instructions on how to use a washing machine and dryer.  Laundry 101

was how we lovingly referred to it.  Fortunately, or unfortunately,

I was not the only sheltered girl on campus.  There was another 

freshman who had never "drawn her own bath".  She came knocking

on our dorm room door the first night and asked us for help.  Now

this was something I could handle and was only too happy to 

show her how it was done.  

So now you know that my domestic skills were lacking,

and hence I had no ability in the kitchen either.  I didn't even

know how to bake cookies!  Shameful, I know.  Since I was

a novice on that front as well, after college, my family members

decided it was time for me to start learning to cook as well

as wash clothes.  My Mama passed down her recipe box with

mostly blank index cards and a few of her beloved recipes

handwritten and filed away.

I started collecting recipes from friends, and magazines and family

members.  Little by little, the box started to fill up, and my skills

in the kitchen began to grow.  I discovered that I liked to cook.

This is a long introduction to a recipe, but there is a reason for that too.

Notice how splattered this recipe card is.  It dates back to my early

days of food prep.  I was always referring to the recipe as I cooked,

and back in those days, in a tiny apartment, space was limited and

the recipe was right next to the stove.   I have old cookbooks that

look like this too ;-)

Sherry-Chicken Saute is an oldie.  

4 Chicken breasts, skinned and boned

1/2 Clove Garlic, minced

1/4 Cup plus 2 T olive oil

1/4 Cup plus 2 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 T chopped fresh Parsley

1 t dried whole Tarragon

1/2 Cup Sherry

Salt & Pepper

Saute the chicken in EVOO until lightly browned.  Add garlic

and saute lightly, but do not burn.  Remove chicken to a plate

and add the red wine vinegar, parsley, tarragon, sherry and 

salt and pepper to skillet.  Put chicken back in the pan, cover,

and turn heat to simmer for 20 minutes.  

The original recipe does not call for this step, but do add it

because it will intensify the flavor of the sauce.  Remove the

chicken to a plate and cover with foil.  Increase heat under 

sauce and let it reduce a bit.  This step will intensify the

flavor and add more zip to the sauce.  

Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over it.  

This old recipe was recently remembered by me and will be on

the chicken menu rotation once again.  It's quick, easy and tasty

Truly a 30 minute meal.

Hmm ... I wonder what other recipes are in this box that I 

have forgotten about???

Metamorphosis Monday

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley