Mediterranean Chicken Paillard

I sometimes think that life is like my relationship with the Mediterranean diet… you know what needs to be done, but sometimes you just don’t wanna.

(Give me ALL the cookies).

Fortunately there are times when the universe smiles upon us and recipes like the Mediterranean Chicken Paillard find their way into our lives and the should-do’s become the do-wants and all is right with the world.
As a rule I actually do not subscribe to any particular diet.  However, I do appreciate that primarily eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and lean meats generally makes you a healthier person.  Unfortunately I am not the type of person who can maintain a robotic-like state of discipline at all times, especially when it comes to food, but I do feel that eating healthy from time to time keeps me feeling balanced and, most importantly, allows me to continue to fit into my pants.
However, I will always maintain that when I do decide to eat healthy, it better taste amazing.  Fortunately for me, I became acquainted with this recipe for the most delicious chicken dish by way of Avec Eric. (By the way, if you haven’t seen his site, you should definitely check it out here).  
Paillard is just a fancy term for thinly pounded meat (in this case, chicken).  The magic of this dish is in the topping.  Tangy tomatoes, mild fennel, brine-y olives, plumped, sweet raisins, pine nuts.. mmm.. All topped with fresh parsley and basil.  It’s so simple yet so beautiful.  And it unequivocally meets my criteria for an amazing, healthy, and unapologetically flavorful meal.

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Mediterranean Chicken Paillard

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: Serves 6-8 people

Recipe Adapted from Avec Eric

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
• 2 large shallots, sliced
• ½ cup kalamata olives, diced
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water (or dry white wine for extra flavor)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Prepare chicken by arranging in a 9x13 baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine diced tomatoes, fennel, shallots, olives, pine nuts, and raisins (discard soaking liquid). Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour tomato mixture over the chicken.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve garnished with a generous amount of parsley and basil. Drizzle with additional olive oil prior to serving.
7. Serve with crusty french bread to sop up the sauce.

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