Caprese Chicken
When summer hits, I’m all about the stone fruits. Cherries, peaches, plums… if it’s got a pit, I’m all over it. But there’s another fruit that shows up when the temperature turns warm that I also can’t get enough of: the tomato. I love heirloom tomatoes.
While a regular beefsteak or Roma tomato is great the rest of the year for tomato sauce or even a sandwich, heirloom tomatoes are the tomatoes you need during the late summer and early fall. They’re better because there are soooo many varieties. Some are sweet, some have more acid. Some are green and some are yellow with red stripes. There are Zebras and Pineapples, Cherokee Purples and Black Russians. Each have their own flavor and color, and they’re all delicious. You can toss them in salads or chop them up for bruschetta, chili and even tomato sauce. They’re absolutely amazing and the only tomato I eat when they’re in season.
While I prefer them straight off the vine, they’re also amazing cooked. While I love chopping them up for bruschetta or slicing them for a Caprese Salad, I also love grilling or sautéing them. Cooking the tomatoes brings the sweetness out of them, making them even tastier. So, while I adore eating the tomatoes raw and right off the vine, I really love cooking them. I do it often and I don’t just make sauce. I add them to pork. I add them to steak. I even add them to chicken. Not only does cooking make the tomatoes sweeter, they add a nice acidity to the protein making it bright and full of flavor.
One of my favorite ways to use heirloom tomatoes is in a Caprese Salad. It’s such a simple salad and such a great summer salad choice. The heirloom tomatoes, the fresh mozzarella and the fresh basil… it’s just bright and beautiful. I make them as often as I can, especially when heirloom tomatoes are in season. But while I love it as a salad, I also adore it as a hot meal. How do you turn a salad into a hot entrée, you simply add the salad ingredients to the protein and roast everything. What you end up with is sweet, acidic brightness that’s covered with melty, gooey cheese. Couple that with a savory protein, and you have a dinner worth savoring. A dinner that’s so easy, it can be whipped up for a casual family meal during the week, or all dressed up for a lovely dinner party with friends. But no matter whether you’re serving family or friends, you won’t be disappointed by this delicious Caprese Chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1-1/2 cups fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Wrap chicken in saran wrap and pound the breasts until they're about a 1/2-inch thick; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Add the chicken and let cook for at least 5 minutes or until golden. Flip and continue cooking until cooked all the way through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices. Nestle the chicken into the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the mozzarella pearls, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes until cheese is all melty. Remove from heat, drizzle with balsamic, sprinkle with basil and serve.
