By Jodee Weiland

We’ve been on the road travelling for the last two and a half weeks.  As usual, when I get back home, I look forward to cooking something homemade and delicious for dinner, like my Lemon Basil Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, White Wine, and Garlic.

Since our basil plants were so full yesterday when we arrived home, I immediately cut a whole bowl of basil, brought it in the house, cleaned it, and started making batches of my Italian Basil Pesto.  I froze several batches and one was used for our dinner on our first night home.  It was delicious.  Nonetheless, I still had a good amount of basil left, so I decided I was going to use it in an old favorite recipe of mine, Lemon Basil Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, White Wine, and Garlic, for dinner tonight.

I love chicken with fresh lemon, olive oil, and white wine, and I have been making various adaptations of this basic recipe for years.  I vary up the herbs I use with it and add plenty of fresh garlic sliced thinly.  I usually use a little sea salt, some black pepper, and whatever other seasonings appeal at the moment.  Tonight it was a little onion powder, nothing more.  Add a little lemon zest and lemon slices at the end, and this dish is delicious.  You can’t go wrong when you put chicken together with fresh lemon, olive oil, and white wine to start.

 Lemon Basil Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, White Wine, and Garlic

3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts without the skin
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Onion powder to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (I use Riesling)
6 garlic cloves sliced thinly
Fresh lemon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 lemon sliced
6 basil leaves sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Treat baking dish with olive oil.

Lightly brown the chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder to taste.  Just before finishing, add the sliced garlic to the pan, so it can cook slightly.  Once done, put the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish.

Add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil to that left in the pan with the sliced garlic.  Add the white wine, fresh lemon juice, and heat a few minutes longer together.  Then drizzle this over the chicken breasts in the baking dish.  Spread the lemon zest over the chicken.  Place the lemon slices around the chicken breasts and finally, spread the sliced basil over the chicken.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Once done, serve the Lemon Basil Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, White Wine, and Garlic with your favorite vegetable.  I usually choose fresh broccoli for my vegetable because it is wonderful with the lemon flavored juices from this dish over it.  Add a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of Riesling for a wonderful meal that will make you feel as if you are eating out! This meal is always enjoyed by my family, and best of all, it is a healthy meal as well.  I hope you decide to try it, and enjoy!