Balsamic Cream Chicken

I know this is going to seem totally silly, but sometimes I get a little intimidated by chicken. Unlike red meat, you CAN undercook chicken and get sick from eating it that way. You all know I love my steaks rare, but you dare not eat a rare piece of chicken. With that said, I get quite nervous that I'll under or overcook it whenever I make it. It's never really happened, but it's still a silly fear. Anyways, I found this amazing chicken on Peace Love and Low Carb but adapted it so that it's even healthier and vegan!!! No, I'm not crossing over to the dark side of veganism (did you NOT read two sentences earlier when I went on a rant about meat?!), but many of the sauces I make are quite healthy and just so happen to be low carb. This is a very elegant meal, totally inexpensive, and absolutely DELICIOUS!!!

What you'll need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbs. margarine

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tbs. grape seed oil

1 lb. sliced baby bella mushrooms

1/2 cup veggie broth

1 cup non-dairy creamer

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

3 tbs. garlic aioli (you can leave this out or substitute with non-fat Greek Yogurt)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Kosher salt & pepper

1. Heat a large pan over LOW heat and caramelize your onions (this will take a while, please be patient and do it correctly!!! Which means slowly over low heat).

2. In a separate pan, heat the margarine over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Once the margarine is bubbling, brown chicken on both sides then set aside (do NOT cook it all the way through, just BROWN IT! It will cook later in the sauce).

 

3. In the same pan, deglaze with the veggie broth (this will get all of the good bits of flavor off of the bottom of the pan) and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bottom bits off of the pan.

4. Add the mushrooms, creamer, aioli, and balsamic vinegar to the pan. Whisk everything together, then let simmer and thicken for about 10 minutes (if it does not look like it's thickening, do NOT freak out!!! It WILL thicken when you add the chicken).

5. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the caramelized onions, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 15 minutes (this is when it WILL thicken). Right before serving, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and it will REALLY thicken up!

6. Keep the balsamic theme going with some green beans and serve immediately! 

enjoy :)