Recipe Time: Baked Balsamic and Italian Herb Chicken

Good morning, and happy Tuesday!

It's supposed to be an absolutely gorgeous day here - unseasonably warm, sunny, and generally spectacular.

This means, of course, that I'm fighting the urge to call in sick so I can spend the day outdoors.  I've never actually done this, because I know I'd be wracked with guilt and would then spend the day being miserable.  But still, I always like to imagine myself saying something ridiculously transparent, like "Sorry, I've got an acute case of scurvy and rickets, so I'll be spending the day sunning myself and eating oranges. Doctor's orders."

Failing the ability to take the day off, I'm at least going to take some time during the day to walk around outside. A girl's got to get her vitamin D somehow!

On a totally separate note, it's been a while since I posted a recipe here. After last week's WIAW post, some lovely ladies requested the recipe for my balsamic and Italian herb chicken - so, without further ado, here 'tis! I rarely measure out the ingredients for this recipe, so I gave approximations below; you might use more or less of each depending on how much chicken you need and how heavily seasoned you like it to be.

Balsamic & Italian Herb Chicken (gluten-free, dairy-free):

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Red wine (approx. 1/2 cup)
Balsamic vinegar (approx 1/4 cup)
Garlic powder (approx. 1 tbsp)
Dried Italian herbs (approx 1 tbsp)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken breasts in a large baking pan. Coat each one in balsamic vinegar and red wine, and use enough so that there's a bit of liquid in the pan.

Sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper onto each piece of chicken. If you like it heavily seasoned like I do, lay it on thick - if you prefer mild seasoning, cut it back.

Place the pan in the oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer stuck into the center of each piece reads 155.  Serve with salad, broccoli, carrots, or whatever veggies suit your fancy!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Tuesday - if you're on the East Coast and enjoying today's spectacular weather, get on outside and frolic in the sunshine!