Last time we were on a family vacation in New England (Vermont, to be exact!), Kelly & Gilbert bought a gallon-sized container of maple syrup to take home with them. On a plane no less! But they really love maple syrup and use it quite often, so it made good cents and sense. With the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) as the state tree and maple as the official flavor of Vermont, anything having to do with maple trees and maple syrup that come from that great state is guaranteed to be the best!

Eric & I also keep a (much smaller!) supply of maple syrup on hand, as we use it frequently. More for cooking and baking than as a breakfast condiment for waffles, pancakes or French toast, though. Plugging maple into the search window for this blog above will yield over 30 recipes (both sweet and savory) that have some maple syrup in them. Muffins, breads, cookies, and desserts, of course, but also drinks, salads, vegetables, chicken, pork, and salmon. Lots of salmon! A sweet maple syrup recipe was posted here last week, so this week’s maple recipe in honor of maple sugaring season is a savory one.

Maple Mustard Chicken (adapted from cookinglight.com) Total Time Required: 25 minutes, Hands-on Time: 15 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pound the chicken to 1/4-inch uniform thickness.

Season the chicken with pepper and salt.

Heat a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes on each side or until each side is browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan and cover the pieces to keep them warm.

Add the broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan and bring it to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the vinegar and mustard and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Return the chicken to the pan, and spoon the mustard mixture over the chicken. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake it at 400°F for 10 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and cook the mustard mixture for 2 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently.

Plate the chicken and serve it with the sauce.

Maple syrup has a range far greater than just a breakfast condiment!  ~Linda

Maple Mustard Chicken (adapted from cookinglight.com) Total Time Required: 25 minutes, Hands-on Time: 15 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pound the chicken to 1/4-inch uniform thickness. Season the chicken with pepper and salt.

Heat a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes on each side or until each side is browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover the pieces to keep them warm.

Add the broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan and bring it to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar and mustard and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the chicken to the pan, and spoon the mustard mixture over the chicken.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake it at 400°F for 10 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it stand for 5 minutes. Place the pan back on the stove over medium heat and cook the mustard mixture for 2 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently. Plate the chicken and serve it with the sauce.