Do you have foodie friends? You know, the kind of friends you call to ask cooking questions and tremble every time you have them over for dinner?
Well, I have them too. A dear friend (from my young, single days) married a really nice guy (who I consider to be a friend now too, although he probably wouldn’t sing 80s songs and tap dance with me like his wife would.)
Anyway, this guy is a fabulous cook. In fact, I call him every Thanksgiving for help and last minute tips. EVERY Thanksgiving. (sheepish grin) He’s been known to answer the phone, “Turkey Hotline. How can we help you?” True story.
So, our friends invited us over for dinner and made this delicious pan-seared chicken with a mushroom sherry cream sauce that was TDF (to die for). My husband is still talking about it.
I just had to try and recreate it using cashew milk in place of the heavy cream. Also, Sherry is not SCD compliant, so I replaced it with Chardonnay and a touch of honey for a slight sweetness. Though the honey seems out of place, trust me on this one – it mimics the Sherry deliciously. It’s a simple meal that comes together quickly, but tastes like you slaved all day. Simple enough for a weekday meal and special enough for company.
As I’ve said before, I cook for crowds, so cut this recipe in half if you’re serving only four people.
- 8 chicken breast halves
- sea salt & pepper
- extra virgin olive oil, or fat of choice
- 16 oz. baby bella or button mushrooms, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ½ cup Chardonnay
- 1½ cup cashew milk
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- Preheat oven to 350F. Make chicken into cutlets by slicing each breast in half lengthwise.
- Place cutlets on parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides.
- Heat a large saute pan on medium heat. Once hot, add a few glugs of olive oil.
- Brown the chicken on both sides, but do not cook through.
- Remove browned chicken to a 9x13 glass Pyrex dish. Continuing browning the chicken in batches.
- When finished, place the glass baking dish in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until juices run clear.
- Meanwhile make sauce: In the same saute pan, add mushrooms and stir. If pan is dry, add a little more olive oil.
- Saute for a few minutes until golden brown.
- Remove pan from heat and add garlic. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Return pan to heat and add Chardonnay. Stir well and reduce until most of the liquid is evaporated.
- Just before the chicken is finished in the oven, add cashew milk to the saute pan and stir. (If cashew milk cooks too long it will thicken too much.)
- Remove chicken from glass baking dish and arrange on serving platter.
- Add the accumulated juices from the chicken to the saute pan and stir to incorporate.
- Add honey and stir well.
- Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
