But then I realized that goodbyes and change are part of life and the really tragic thing would be to watch years of my life pass me by without experiencing everything it had to offer. So I threw myself into it. This place isn’t perfect–it’s too hot in the summer (and when I say “summer,” I mean April-October.) The variety and sheer quantity of insects are astonishing. The roads are bad and no one understands me at the drive-thru. But. This place has become a part of me. The experiences my kids have had, the strangers who became friends who became family, the really hard things and the people who were there to see me through have changed me. There’s a little local restaurant here named Spirits that serves a dish called Tracey’s Chicken. While falling in love with this area, Spirits has become a place for me and Tracey’s Chicken has become my thing. When I’m celebrating. When I’m definitely not celebrating. Birthdays. Nights out. Quick lunches with friends. That’s what I order. When I do move away from here, it’s definitely going to be one of the top 3 things that is hard to leave. Since I plan for all contingencies, I decided I needed to make a copycat Tracey’s Chicken so I can have it with me wherever I go, whenever that may be. And since I don’t know who Tracey is and you guys definitely/probably don’t know who Tracey is, I’m calling it Mediterranean Chicken Breasts. And believe it or not, even with all the stuff loaded on top, it was a huge hit with my entire family. One of them picked off the spinach, but I was truly surprised that they not only ate it, they devoured it. Not only that, but even though this looks very fancy and impressive, you can easily make it in less than 30 minutes. Not. Too. Shabby.
To start out, pat dry 4 chicken breasts with paper towels and set aside.
In a heavy skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, season the chicken breasts on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
(I’m actually using Trader Joe’s Onion Salt here,
but regular kosher salt works just fine). When the pan is hot, add the chicken breasts and cover the pan. Cook for 7 minutes (you might want to check while it’s cooking and make sure the chicken isn’t sticking to the pan). After 7 minutes, flip the chicken breasts and cook for another 7 minutes or until an internal temperature reaches 165 F (if you don’t have a ThermoPop, you should get one–accurate, affordable, and really cute!) While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce ingredients–measure out the chicken broth + vinegar or some dry white wine, slice the lemons in half, mince the garlic, and measure the butter.
If you still have time, prepare the toppings–have the spinach ready to go, chop the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes,
and crumble the goat cheese.
Goat cheese has definitely grown on me over the years, but I do realize that it’s an acquired taste. I maintain that if you’re iffy on goat cheese, this is a great recipe for it because there are so many strong, complementary flavors that it’s not overwhelming and just creamy and soft and delicious. But. If you just can’t do it, you can try ricotta, Boursin, or even fresh mozzarella or burrata. Anyway. Set all your little salty toppings aside. When the chicken breasts are done cooking, remove from heat and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the chicken broth mixture or wine to the pan and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan into the liquid. Add the garlic, butter, and squeeze the lemons into the pan. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and top with the spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese. Cover the pan and heat until the spinach is heated through and the cheese is soft and warm. Transfer the chicken breasts to serving plates and spoon the sauce from the pan over the chicken. Serve immediately with Sautéed Garlic Spinach, rice (brown or white), pasta salad, or your favorite side dish.
