Pan Roasted Chicken with Asparagus Dinner

Fast and easy recipes for a weeknight dinner for one or two are on my mind lately. I shared the Fish with Spinach Dinner recently, and it got me thinking about using chicken. Then, on Pinterest, I saw a pin for pan roasted asparagus. Well, I knew that, but haven’t done it in a long time. Why, I have no idea. Anyway, I developed this one pan meal that is perfect after a long day.

The key is getting the chicken to fully cook. Boneless skinless chicken breast is needed. Normally, I like to cook the bone-in breasts because they retain moisture and have more flavor. But this dish needs a quick cooking chicken.

So we start with the boneless skinless breast and get ready to pound it flatter. Place it on a cutting board, cover with some wax paper or plastic wrap.

Pound it to 1/2 inch even thickness with the smooth side of your mallet.

Be sure the thickness is even so it will cook evenly. It is larger in diameter now, but evenly 1/2 inch thick.

Season the way you like it. I use garlic salt and lemon pepper, sometimes with some thyme or oregano too.

Oh, and I need to share how I keep my asparagus. They are just like flowers, put them in water. I like to use mason jars, and I only cook what I’ll eat so the asparagus is fresh every time. The air can circulate around so the tips don’t get mushy.

So, start by filming a large pan with a little olive oil and butter. Put it on a medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and toss lightly to coat.

Push to one side and add the chicken breast, seasoned side down. Season the other side.

Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until chicken is browned on the bottom.

Turn the chicken over, toss the asparagus a little, cover and finish cooking 2-3 more minutes.

The chicken stays moist because it cooks quickly and isn’t over cooked. The asparagus remains crisp tender. Yum!!

Variations on this dish are many. Vegetables could be yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, or snow peas. The meat could be veal scallopini, a thin steak, or a fish filet. Whatever you like. Just be sure the meat is pounded thin or quick cooking like fish, and the vegetable is a firm one that holds up to quick pan roasting.