Entertaining with Ease

It's one thing to cook for your husband who has at one point spent 9 months straight eating cold, pre-packaged MREs. It's something totally different to cook for guests who you haven't met and potentially may not eat anything as long as it's not still living. In these situations I gravitate towards chicken dishes with some sort of lemon-butter sauce. It appears fancy but is easy to make and there's no possibility that someone likes their chicken a little less done (enter salmonella poisoning) and doesn't violate any of the usual food dislikes or allergies (nuts, shellfish, etc). Timing is a difficult issue when it comes to entertaining also. I try to juggle only two items that are made stove stop and one item in the oven. Anything more and I'm a sweaty, stained, scary looking mess by the time company arrives. Having "sauced" dishes allows you to cook the meat in advance and for your guests to arrive see you in a photo finish, whisking in wine and zests and butter. All of the dishes I make are served family style since plating is not one of my strong suits and it allows guests to take as little or much of certain side without asking for more or feeling guilty leaving a lot of one dish. So the cat's out of the bag. If you come to my house for dinner and are served an eerily similiar dish you've learned my entertaining secrets. Feel free to steal them for your own.

Chicken with Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes & White Wine Lemon Sauce

For the Chicken
8 thin style chicken breasts (or4 regular sliced in half)
1 packet zesty herb marinade

For the Sauce
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, sliced into quarters
1/2 jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 lemons
2 tblsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Prepare marinade according to packet directions. Marinade chicken breast for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
2. Pour 1 tblsp of oil from sundried tomato jar into a large nonstick skillet.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Cook chicken breasts in oil about 3 minutes per side until no pink remains and juices run clear.
5. Remove chicken and place on plate/platter. Cover with foil to maintain warmth.
6. Reduce heat to medium and sautee garlic in chicken juices and remaining oil for 3-4 minutes until soft.
7. Turn heat back up to medium -high and deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, white wine, and juice of two lemons. Stir frequently to get all the yummy brown bits up left from the garlic and chicken! Continue to cook until liquid has reduced in half, about 5 minutes.
8. Whisk in butter.
9. Add artichokes and sundried tomatos, stirring until warmed through.

To serve, uncover chicken and pour sauce over chicken. Serves 4.