Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

Even Mark Bittman has recently sung the praises of faux chicken - giving me all the more reason to cook with my favorite on the market, Gardein.  These ready-to-cook chicken breasts go from fridge to dinner table in speedy entrees, such as this one.

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 4 Gardein Tuscan chicken breasts (without sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups presliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 3/4 cup vegan chicken broth (prepared from Not Chick'n bouillon)
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato sprinkles*
• 1/4 cup vegan dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and black pepper and add to the pan; cook for 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, mushrooms, and shallots; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the chicken broth, tomato sprinkles, and wine; cook for a final minute.

3. Spoon the sauce evenly over the chicken, and sprinkle evenly with the parsley.  To soak up all the sauce, I highly recommend serving this dish over pasta, such as orzo or farfalle (bow ties).

*For a full rundown on sun-dried tomato sprinkles, see my post for Shrimp and Orzo Pilaf.  If you can't find the sprinkles, snip whole sun-dried tomatoes into pieces with kitchen shears instead.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 chicken breast, 1/2 cup sauce), Calories 206 

Tasting Notes:
I have almost no complaints about the flavor; loved the saltiness of the sun-dried tomato and the richness of the mushrooms in contrast to the chicken.  The wine was a touch too strong, and I would cook longer to evaporate off a touch more alcohol.  Texture-wise, I wished the sauce was thicker.  Simmering longer would solve that problem too, or perhaps stirring in a bit of cornstarch.  As is, you'll definitely want that bed of pasta underneath, or the sauce will go to waste on your plate. 

Rating:
4