Chicken with Orange-Balsamic sauce

Ah, summer.

I haven't felt much like cooking these past months. Maybe it's the warm weather, the recognition of how short the season really is here in the Kingdom; maybe it's garden-variety malaise; maybe it's the disagreeable relationship I've had with my bathroom scale.

Whatever the cause, I've adopted what my mother-in-law would have called a 'grab it and growl' approach to menu planning lately. And it's suited the season.

Keeping with that, but yearning for something a little more constructed than a salad or unexpected than a burger tossed on the grill, here's a quick chicken dish that's high on flavor, low on effort. We prepared it last night with some success, based on the absence of leftovers.

You've got a bowl of oranges in the kitchen, don't you? A little balsamic hanging around? Then you've got a classic waiting to happen.

Chicken with Orange-Balsamic Sauce

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and diced

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/4 cups orange juice, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon Better than Bullion Organic Chicken Base (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Set aside.

Make the sauce. Peel and section a large navel orange, and chop into small pieces. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the orange pieces and saute a few moments. Then add the onion and garlic and cook together a few minutes until fragrant.

Add 3/4 cup of the orange juice, the balsamic vinegar (I had an inexpensive 'white' on hand that worked well -- since this is cooking down, any decent though low-priced balsamic you like will do), the brown sugar (add more if you have a sweet tooth) and the Better than Bullion, if desired. Stir well and, over medium high heat, simmer the mixture until it thickens, stirring frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Don't let the mixture cook down too much; if it burns, you'll have to start over.) Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat a little olive oil to a non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken tenders on both sides, in two batches so not to crowd the pan. Remove to a plate. Drain off any excess oil. Deglaze the pan with the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix together well and bring to a brisk boil. Allow the mixture to bubble for a few moments in order to reduce a bit. Return the chicken to the pan, lower the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. Stir in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reheat a few moments longer, coating the chicken well. Serve hot.

This would work beautifully with a wild rice almondine, but pared well with simply prepared new potatoes from the farmers' market and sauteed zucchini out of the garden.

Dinner accomplished. Let us therefor resume our reprobate summer ways. To the hammock!