Ok, so I’m really tired of making and eating chicken.  Unfortunately, it is such a staple that I have to keep on eating it.  I saw this recipe in the New York Times and was inspired.  But of course I went to the grocery store without checking the ingredients beforehand.  So this is what I came up with based on the ingredients that I purchased and had in my pantry.  I have always wanted to cook with sherry wine vinegar.  It was a lot more acidic than I anticipated, so I added maple syrup to cut the acidity.  As it turns out, it is lip-smacking delicious!  And it is a perfect antidote to the rainy cold weather of New England in March, as it yields a rich, golden brown broth.  If you don’t mind doubling up on starch, you can serve it over rice or your other favorite grain.  Or, just add more potatoes, I suppose!

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

5 shallots, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/8 cup sherry wine vinegar

8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

5 small gold potatoes, thinly sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons dried tarragon

2 bay leaves

Approx. 3-4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I like TJ’s)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Coat bottom of large braising or sauté pan with evoo.  Turn to medium heat.  Saute shallots sprinkled with sea salt until they start to carmelize.  Add garlic and sherry wine vinegar.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add mustard, tarragon, black pepper, celery, bay leaves, maple syrup, and vegetable broth.  Turn back up to medium heat and bring to boil.  Add sliced potatoes and mushrooms.  Cover for ten minutes.  Add chicken and cook covered for 15 minutes.  Check chicken.  If not fully cooked, turn down heat to simmer and cook for another fifteen minutes, or however much time chicken needs.  If chicken is ready but potatoes are not soft enough, turn heat off and keep covered for fifteen minutes to let steam.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.