It's a Keeper: Panfried Chicken with Spinach Salad

Everyone who is in a chicken rut, please raise your hand! Yeah, I know you are - you make that same chicken dish over and over because you know it will turn out well, but it's time to expand your horizons. Making Rachael Ray's Panfried Chicken with Spinach Salad is a safe bet. You can find it in the October 2006 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray.

This recipe is really a cinch to make. It's easily a 30 minute meal, even with making the chicken and the spinach salad, too. It's a good alternative to the average chicken recipe because it's so simple and so full of flavor, too.

Here's the recipe with my comments in brackets:

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary [seriously, no dried stuff - you gotta get the fresh herbs]
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Coarse salt
4 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin [I am not a fan of skin on chicken, so I got skinless chicken breasts and it turned out fine]
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 ounces baby spinach (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese [If you haven't tried goat cheese before, now's your chance!]
1/2 cup walnuts (2 ounces), crumbled and toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 200°. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt. Rub all over the chicken.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Place 2 chicken breasts, skin side down, in the pan and top with a heavy skillet to flatten. [I didn't have a heavy skillet that fit in my large skillet, so I just pressed down on it with a spatula.] Cook for 7 minutes, turn and fry until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you fry the remaining chicken in two more tablespoons olive oil.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, shallot, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the spinach and toss; top with the goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Serve with the chicken.