Recipe Corner: Baked Swiss Mushroom Chicken with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely chopped

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Dash of paprika or smoked paprika

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, spring onions, or cilantro as garnish

Serves 6.

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Wash the cherry tomatoes and assemble all ingredients.

Arrange the chicken breasts in the baking dish.  Scatter the cherry tomatoes and garlic around the chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with the chopped onions, basil, lemon juice, thyme or sage, lemon zest, salt and pepper (to taste), and top with the shredded cheese.

Drizzle with olive oil, add a dash of paprika, and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to one hour or until the chicken is tender and the tomatoes burst.  Check occasionally and baste the chicken with pan juices.  About 20 minutes before removing from the oven, scatter the mushrooms on top and around the chicken and baste again.

Serve the chicken, garlic, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes over hot rice pilaf or choice of pasta, and top with juices from the pan.   Garnish with chopped parsley, spring onions, or cilantro, and serve with spicy or Dijon mustard on the side.

Note:  If desired, add the white wine to the pan 10 minutes before taking the chicken out of the oven to serve.

Christine’s recipes have been published in the Fresno Bee, Sunset and Cooking Light Magazines, and athttp://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/
For Christine’s recipes that have been published in Sunset and Cooking Light Magazines, go to:  http://www.myrecipes.com/search/site/Datian