When I first decided to write this home cooking blog, I wasn’t sure what to call it. I had a lot of thoughts on the name and got a lot of input from my family, but it was still a tough decision. I kept going back to a phrase I said often when friends would ask what I was doing to celebrate special occasions. The answer was always, “Eric is making ________!” They were always shocked that we preferred cooking at home to going out. My reply was usually, “Why would I go out, when Eric makes fantastic, custom meals that we all love?!” That’s how the name, “Why Go Out to Eat” came to be. It’s not about going out to eat at restaurants, but about cooking great food at home.

Don’t get me wrong, we do go out to eat. Sometimes. Like when we are traveling and don’t have access to a kitchen. Or when we are getting together with a group. But our tendency is to stay in & cook. It is one of the things we enjoy doing with each other and with the kids. It’s kind of our family thing!

This chicken dish epitomizes that sentiment. It is very similar to a dish I enjoyed at an Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh. Cooking together at home is much more enjoyable than going out for a restaurant meal!

Chicken with Tomato-Caper Sauce (adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine via eatingwell.com) Time Required: 30 minutes, Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Tomato-Caper Sauce

• 1½ teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved, or 2½ cups chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

To prepare the sauce: Heat 1½ teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, capers, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Cook the sauce until the liquid has evaporated slightly, about 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and continue cooking and stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the tomatoes are soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the basil. Cover the skillet to keep the sauce warm.

To prepare the chicken: Place the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with a mallet to ½-inch thickness. Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve the chicken with the sauce.

Why Go Out to Eat?!  ~Linda

Chicken with Tomato-Caper Sauce (adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine via eatingwell.com) Time Required: 30 minutes, Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Tomato-Caper Sauce

• 1½ teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved, or 2½ cups chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

To prepare the sauce: Heat 1½ teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, capers, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook the sauce until the liquid has evaporated slightly, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the butter and continue cooking and stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the tomatoes are soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the basil. Cover the skillet to keep the sauce warm.

To prepare the chicken: Place the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with a mallet to ½-inch thickness. Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve the chicken with the sauce.