Pan Seared Chicken with Herbs De Provence

I'm baaaaack!   It's always sad when vacation comes to an end but it's good to be home.  I have yet to figure out if I'm experiencing residual exhaustion from our adventures in Greece or if I'm still adjusting to the 7 hour time difference, but in either case - it's been a struggle to get back into the swing of things. 😴   If you love to travel you know that the mountain of dirty laundry, the piles of mail to sort through and the empty refrigerator that you return home to - are all totally worth it though.  🧳  😁

We had some fantastic adventures on our trip to Greece. 🇬🇷 We hiked, we fished, we cooked, we rode donkeys, we snorkeled ​and we ate LOTS of amazing food.  I don't know what I was expecting but I was absolutely blown away by the incredible food and wine that we experienced in Greece.  The fresh seafood from the Aegean Sea was so tasty. 🐟  I had a grilled octopus dinner and a risotto with shrimp meal that would rank in the top 10 favorite meals I've eaten in my entire life.  😋

Octopus and shrimp might not be everyones cup of tea, but Greece also produced some of the sweetest cherry tomatoes that I've ever put in my mouth.  I don't know if it was the mineral rich, volcanic soil on Santorini or the atmosphere where I ate them but the tomatoes, the wine and the olives all seemed more intense and flavorful in Greece. 🍅 I'm fairly certain that I consumed my body weight in olive oil last week. 😂  The Greek olive oil was just soooo good - I could not get enough. 🫒 

I didn't stop with oil consumption either, I ate more pasta, pizza, pita bread, gelato and baklava last week than I have in an entire year. 😅  No regrets though - that's what vacation is all about.  Now that vacation is over and it's time to get back to a healthy diet again.  When I got home, I stocked my refrigerator with fresh vegetables and lean proteins to encourage me to get back into healthy cooking, and eating.  

Pan Seared Chicken with Herbs de Provence
4 bone in split chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon crushed Herbs de Provence
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Remove bone from each chicken breast. 

Add herbs to pepper.  Reserve 1 t. mixture in separate bowl. 

Add salt to remaining mixture and sprinkle over chicken. ​

Refrigerate chicken, uncovered, for 1-24 hours. ​

Heat 1 T. oil in skillet.  Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 18-20 minutes.  

Flip chicken and transfer skillet to 325 oven and cook 7-9 minutes. 

Transfer chicken to a plate. 

Heat 2 T. oil in skillet.  Add reserved herb mixture and heat 1 minute. 

Remove from heat.  Whisk in lemon juice and mint. 

Slice chicken.

Transfer to a serving platter. ​Drizzle chicken with pan sauce.

I didn't talk much about this chicken but don't let that fool you.  This chicken is really delicious.  Super juicy and tasty and easy to make.  As a matter of fact, this is my new go-to recipe when I need chicken for a salad or a sandwich or just an easy, healthy, weeknight meal.  And one pan meals also mean quick and easy clean up, which is always a bonus when it comes to meal prep.  Hope you enjoy!

Ciao!

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