Spinach Salad with Orange Muscat Thyme Chicken and Tangerine Thyme Vinaigrette

A little break from tomato eating today!  I have lots of Anaheim Chili Peppers on the plants so I decided to use them in a chicken recipe today.  This is the result.
This is a very flavorful way to prepare chicken breasts.  Today I served it with a spinach salad but it would be just as delicious with a mixed field green salad or served cold in a pasta salad using the vinaigrette on the pasta as well.

Orange Muscat Chicken simmered in Anaheim Chili's and Thyme

• 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, about 1 1/4 pounds
• 2 teaspoons Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Zest and Juice from one small Lemon
• 1 Anaheim Chili Pepper, sliced, discard seeds and white membrane
• 3 cloves of Garlic
• 2 generous sprigs of fresh cut French Thyme
• 1 cup water

Season chicken breasts with sea salt and ground pepper.  Heat saute pan over medium heat and add the oil and seasoned chicken.  Cook for a 1 to 2 minutes and add the remaining ingredients.  Continue cooking for 15 minutes, basting the chicken breasts with the sauce.  Mash the garlic and chili pepper as it softens and continue to baste chicken.  Add about 1/4 more water if the pan is dry.  Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has evaporated.  Chicken is ready when temperature reaches 180 degrees F (82 c) on a meat thermometer.  Allow to rest in pan, uncovered until ready to serve.   Makes 3 or 4 servings.  I used one breast on my salad today.

Anaheim Chili Pepper, about 4 inches long

French Thyme from my Herb Garden and small Lemon from our tree.

After 10 minutes of cooking

After 20 minutes, all the leaves should be off the thyme and the peppers and garlic soft.

It should look like this when all the sauce has reduced and chicken is cooked through, I placed the peppers and mashed garlic on top of the chicken.

Tangerine Thyme Vinaigrette (for one)

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh French Thyme, leaves only no stems
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh Chives, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh Tangerine Juice
• 1 teaspoon Honey Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Olive or Grapeseed Oil
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• Fresh ground Pepper
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Mix all ingredients together with a fork or mini whisk.  Set aside.

Completed Vinaigrette

Spinach Salad (for one)
Build your salad, by first slicing one chicken breast.  Begin cutting at the smaller end of the breast.  Place the spinach in the center of a large dinner plate, add the chicken spreading out like I show in the picture.  Toss the raisins, pecans and shallot over the spinach.  Drizzle all with the vinaigrette.  You may also add a few blades of chives and a sprig of thyme to the top if you  like.  This is a generous salad and could easily serve two.  Adding some rustic crusty bread would be a nice addition.

• 4 cups fresh Spinach, about 4 ounces
• 2 tablespoons Golden Raisins
• 2 tablespoons Pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small Shallot or Red Onion, sliced thin, rings separated

Enjoy!