I Cheated

I made a fantastic dinner tonight--chicken tenderloin in a tarragon cream sauce, roasted garlic parmesan potatoes, and roasted asparagus...but I cheated. I actually made the chicken for the first time over the weekend, but I made double the amount so I wouldn't have to cook much tonight, because I am a genius.

The chicken was relatively easy, and featured something new for me--pan-roasted garlic, which roasted so quickly but delivered all the flavor of roasted garlic. Below is the double recipe I used initially, which I served with steamed brown rice and steamed broccoli straight out of my freezer.

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken tenderloin
4 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup (gluten free) chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
salt/pepper to taste

In a small nonstick skillet, brown unpeeled garlic, covered over medium heat. When garlic is brown in spots and is tender when pierced with a fork, it's done.

Melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat with olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sear on each side until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan, leaving juices in pan. Peel garlic and add to pan, smashing with a fork. Add white wine and bring to a boil, cooking until volume is reduced by about half. Add chicken stock--boil until volume is reduced by about half. Add fresh tarragon and heavy whipping cream--simmer until a good sauce consistency is achieved. Return chicken to pan, and simmer to return chicken to appropriate serving temperature.

Serve chicken and sauce with rice and vegetables.
*******

It was really tasty when we initially had it for dinner, and it was also delicious tonight when I barely worked for it. Below are the recipes I added to make tonight feel less like leftovers and more like a real meal. The best part is that I cooked everything listed below on one big jelly roll pan so I didn't even have many dishes to wash.

Roasted Garlic and Parsley Potatoes

1 pound fingerling or gold creamer potatoes, cleaned and quartered
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt/pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. butter

Spread prepared potatoes over 2/3 of a jellyroll pan. Drizzle olive oil--toss to coat. Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper--toss to distribute seasoning. Add garlic--toss to distribute. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over potatoes. Divide butter into several small pieces and scatter on top of potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until potatoes are lightly browned and cooked through.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp. butter

Prepare asparagus by trimming the ends and arrange at the end of the same jellyroll pan as the aforementioned potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil--toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper. Cook with potatoes. When you remove asparagus from oven, allow butter to melt over the top and toss to distribute before serving.
*******

I want to eat great meals every night, and cooking a main dish or a side dish ahead is a great way to make that a little easier. The chicken and the tarragon cream sauce reheated beautifully, so this is a really good option.