Lemony Goat's Cheese Chicken

Recently I met a fellow foodie that reminded me why I love food, cooking, and writing about it so much. Although I do not know my impact on those who surround me, I do know that when I cook, when I create a meal that is worthy of that satisfying "mhmm" silence, there is an appreciative look of recognition, the kind that makes that uncertainty go behind the clouds and disappear.
To have those I surround myself with surround one table for a mere few hours, to have my food be the primary reason for such a jovial assembly, keeps the smile on my face and a certain warmth in my heart.

Which is why I am starting this blog back up again, not only to keep my progress marked, but also to remind me that regardless of uncertainties, the simplest thing such as "Lemony Goat's Cheese Chicken" can make the day worthwhile.

So here it goes.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 ounces soft goat's cheese

I started by laying out my four chicken breasts and trimming off the gritty bits, then slightly pounding them down to get them all to a similar level of thickness. 

Having prepared the chicken, I heated the oil and the garlic in a sautee pan, stirring as to avoid burning, until the garlic was a nice golden brown.

Satisfied with my garlic, I added the chicken and cooked until golden, about three to five minutes on each side.

Chicken and Side Veg cooking away....

Once the chicken breasts turned golden, I cut each breast in half and added the salt, pepper, chicken broth, thyme and lemon zest. Then I covered the concoction, reduced the heat to a medium-low, and cooked the chicken and the beginnings of the sauce until the chicken was fork tender, about five minutes longer...

Sizzling away

With the chicken ready, I moved my pieces to a side platter to keep warm while I moved onto finishing the good stuff: the sauce. 

First, I increased the heat to high and boiled the sauce until thickened or syrupy, about three to five minutes. 

Then, with all the strength my weakling of an arm could muster, I vigorously whisked the goat's cheese into the sauce until properly mixed.

Finished Sauce with Succulent Chicken Bits

With the sauce complete, the chicken cooked, and the Side Veg reduced down to the perfect softness (merely a mix of courgettes and onions, coated with thyme and brown sugar, shrunken to the appropriate size), I began to prepare the plates! Adding a hearty portion of lemon zest and ginger rice to complete the tasty triad, I finished cooking and the eating began.

What would I change in retrospect? Nothing really. Besides more sauce. There really can never be enough... After all, isn't that what makes one say, "mhmm, that's the stuff"?

Oh what a success.
Next up is pancakes tomorrow then some sort of fish dish this coming week. Until then, happy food dreaming and go find yourself something tasty to munch on.