One of the easiest, healthiest dinners I have ever made...

...and one that's extremely tasty!

Welcome to my first recipe post! Last night for dinner, I didn't feel like putting in too much time or effort, so I decided to cook up some chicken with lots of garlic and tomatoes and a little balsamic vinegar. The result was very yummy and satisfying, and was so healthy it's ridiculous. You can eat it on your own, if you're one of those low-carb people, or with rice, but I served it over pasta and topped with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.

Here's everything you need to make this wonderful meal:

First, peel the garlic and shallots. If you don't have shallots, or you just don't like them, you can also use half of a white or yellow onion.

Next, you'll want to slice the shallots (not too thin!) and mince the garlic (not too tiny! though I probably just say that because of my questionable knife skills).

Heat up some oil in a pan and then add in your chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then pour in the garlic and shallots. If the chicken breasts are quite thick, you might want to pound them with a meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin, whatever you've got) so that they're a bit thinner. Otherwise, cook the chicken a little longer to ensure that it gets cooked through.

Brown the chicken on both sides, and then add in the can of tomatoes and the vinegar. I used a can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, but you can also use plain diced tomatoes and then add in your own herbs and seasonings. Stir everything around, then cover and lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes.

While it's cooking, you may want to grate some Parmesan cheese to throw on top. Mmmmm Parmesan...

And then you're done! Just serve on its own, or with pasta or rice, and top with some of the grated cheese, and enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken with Garlic and Tomatoes

Serves 2 (plus some leftovers)

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded with tenderizer if too thick)

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 shallots (or 1/2 onion), sliced thinly

1 can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbps olive oil

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil to shimmering in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add in the chicken breasts, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then add garlic and shallots. Cook until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until other side is browned. Be sure to stir shallots and garlic occasionally to keep from burning.

Add tomatoes (including juice) and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes, then remove from heat.

Serve over pasta, top with Parmesan cheese.

Allow me to introduce myself...

My name is Robyn, and I like to cook. That's really the only thing relevant here, but I'll share a bit more.

I live in Houston, Texas with my wonderful boyfriend, Adam. We're new in town (been here about 7 months), and one of the things I've grown to really enjoy here, more than I ever did before, is cooking. I learned to cook by helping my mom when I was younger, and since then I've tried to develop a knowledge and appreciation for different cuisines, what types of flavors go together, and various techniques.

We live in a 1000 square foot apartment, but I'm fortunate to have a really substantial kitchen, that I've managed to stock pretty well. We don't have lots of storage space so I haven't been able to really keep the pantry stocked. I own a decent amount of gadgets and utensils, but nothing too fancy or complicated. I plan to do a separate post introducing you (whoever you, imaginary reader(s) are) to my kitchen in a little while.

So now for my cooking style/philosophy. I like to use the best ingredients possible - organic, local, sustainable - while still being practical about prices. I try to keep our meals pretty healthy, but I don't shy away from cheese or bacon in the name of healthful eating (you'll notice that if you keep reading). I really prefer to use whole ingredients, because I think they make for better food, and I prefer to eat a little more fat if it means keeping chemicals out of my body. In general I like to follow Michael Pollan's food rules: eat whole foods, only eat things your grandmother (or great-grandmother) would recognize as food, don't consume foods that contain ingredients you can't pronounce, only eat things that contain 5 or fewer ingredients, and no high-fructose corn syrup. I can't say that I stick to that 100%, but I do my best.

So in this space, I want to post my recipes and thoughts on food and provide a community for like-minded people to get some tips and share some of their own. Enjoy Swirling Kitchen!