{recipe} grilled chicken with tomatoes, feta, basil, & caramelized onions

I found this recipe on my new favorite blog, For the Love of Cooking, while searching for a recipe to make for dinner. I was going to just make it for dinner on my own, but cooking is ALWAYS way more fun when you have a co-chef helping out. :) I invited one of my best friends, Amanda, over for dinner. She loves food and cooking just as much as I do, so we always have a blast together. She also has a blog, Life as a College Foodie. (FOLLOW HER!) She is the reason I found out about the blog For the Love of Cooking. Once I told Amanda the plan for dinner she immediately replied that she would definitely be coming over to help cook. After the first few bites we both looked at each other and agreed that it was the best meal we had ever cooked before. I will definitely be revisiting this recipe and this blog many times.

Grilled Chicken with Grape Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Fresh Basil & Feta Cheese

Recipe credit to For the love of cooking

Ingredients:

• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup of red grape tomatoes
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Garlic powder, to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp of feta cheese

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a bit of salt then saute until golden brown and caramelized - about 15-20 minutes.
2. In large grill pan, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and season the chicken breasts with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Make sure pan is nice and hot before adding the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes before turning over. Cook for additional 3-4 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat to a serving platter. Make sure to let the chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing so it stays nice and juicy. Slice into thin strips at an angle once it has rested.
3. In the same skillet as the onions, add the grape tomatoes then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Add minced garlic, stirring frequently for 60 seconds. Pour the tomatoes and onions on top of the sliced chicken, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with feta cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus w/ Browned Butter, Soy & Balsamic Sauce

Our accompaniments for the chicken with tomatoes, caramelized onions and feta were a baked potato and asparagus. I found the recipe for the asparagus on For the Love of Cooking as well. She recommended making this recipe to go along with her chicken recipe. When I told my mom that I made asparagus as a side for dinner she started laughing and said, "I thought you hated asparagus!" I used to avoid it like the plague when I was little. My taste buds have since then gotten used to the texture and taste, and I can now officially say that I am a fan. If you think you don't like asparagus then I challenge you to try recipe. It is now officially my go-to asparagus recipe. One thing I did notice however, being somewhat of an inexperienced cook (hey, I'm trying!), was that the butter started evaporating too quickly before it browned. Amanda and I ended up doubling the sauce recipe. I think we might have been cooking on too high of heat.Once we doubled the recipe the sauce came to be the perfect amount.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 20 spears of asparagus, ends trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (easier clean up) and coat it with cooking spray.
2. Add the trimmed asparagus spears to the baking sheet and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted and starts to brown - DO NOT BURN. Add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and stir until well combined. Drizzle the sauce over the roasted asparagus and serve immediately. Enjoy.

xo, Jen