Chicken with Apple, Onion, and Cider Sauce

I am a BIG fan of the food network.  Back when Emma used to nap, I would turn it on to see what Ina, Giada, or Bobby Flay were cooking up to help pass the time folding laundry or doing the dishes.  So when I saw this cookbook at BJ's, I could not pass it up!  Every meal I have made out of it has been awesome!  So I thought it very fitting to use a recipe from it for my first post here on Chocolate Thumbprints.

Chicken with Apple, Onion, and Cider Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces
• 1 sweet cooking apple, cored and cut into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Place the chicken in the skillet smooth-side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes (mine needed a little longer).

Meanwhile, add the onion and apple to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon oil, if the pan is dry, and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the onion has wilted slightly and the apple is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let the mixture boil until the vinegar becomes syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and return to a boil. Cook until the broth reduces by half. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter.

Remove the chicken from the oven; add any collected juices to the sauce. Divide the chicken among four plates and spoon the apple, onion and pan sauce over each piece. Sprinkle with the parsley.  Enjoy!

-Jaime