Reshma Adwar (New York, New York)
Serves 4
I stepped into my local farmers market one day, and all I could smell was basil. There were bunches of it stacked high, and it looked so fresh and lovely that I had to buy a bunch. I looked around for other ingredients to go with it and found some beautiful cherry tomatoes. I then picked up some onions and cooked up this fantastically fresh and flavorful dish full of healthy ingredients. The relish will have a fresh, sweet-tart flavor, which will pair beautifully with the chicken.
1½ pounds skinless, boneless, thin-sliced chicken, preferably organic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1½ cups basil, julienned
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and set in the refrigerator to marinate for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat up a sauté pan and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken in batches, cooking until browned. Flip over and brown the other side. Before removing the chicken from the pan, be sure to cook through on the inside (165°F). Set the cooked chicken aside and cover with foil.
Heat another sauté pan, and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, and stir once to evenly distribute the oil. Allow the onions to cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown and caramelize. You will get browned spots on the pan, so just scrape those in with the onions. Caramelization should take about 10 minutes; you want the onions to be very soft and browned. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic, then continue to cook the onions for a few more minutes. Once they have caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar, and stir for a minute. Add tomatoes, and cook for about 7 to 8 more minutes until they are softened and slightly caramelized. Turn off the heat, and add crushed red pepper flakes (if desired) and basil. Stir together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour a generous amount of relish over the chicken and serve.