Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chicken

I am in countdown mode. In 23 days, we get our household goods delivered and start moving into our new place. I can't believe how much I miss my stand mixer... and my food processor... and all those little kitchen gadgets you don't know you depend on until you can't. It's interesting how this minimalist kitchen has impacted my cooking. In some ways, it's actually been a good thing. It forces me to be more creative, and it brings me back to basics. The other day, I finally broke down and made a loaf of bread. It has been so long since I kneaded a batch of dough from start to finish. I had forgotten how therapeutic bread kneading can be.

Last night, I was staring at a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trying to figure out what to do with them. The trick, of course, is to use what you have to your best advantage. Chicken breasts can be a bit blah if you're not careful, so I wanted to be sure they had enough bold flavor. I started out with some sliced onions. About halfway through the cooking, I looked back in the refrigerator for more inspiration and saw a jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil. Then, when the breasts were cooked through, one last perusal of the fridge led me to a container of crumbled feta. The combination of flavors was very satisfying and robust. This "make it up as you go" dinner passed the test with flying colors, and I'll definitely be making it again!

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash or other seasoning blend
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
3 TBS sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat until bubbly. Add the onions. Stir to coat with the oil and then cook for 2-3 minutes. Push the onions out of the way and add the chicken breasts. Spread the onions around them and let cook without disturbing until the breasts are nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Season the chicken breasts and then flip. Stir the onions. Let breasts brown again for another 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is just cooked through. When the chicken is almost done, add the sun dried tomatoes. Using a thermometer is your best bet to not overcook the chicken.  At the last minute, add the feta and stir to mix. Serve breasts with onion, tomato, and cheese mixture over the top.