This is the time of year when the mint we have planted behind our home is taking over more than its allotted space. Mint is a very prolific grower and what starts out as just a few small plants, quickly becomes a whole lot more. While pruning helps, sometimes we need to resort to physical removal tactics to keep our mint in check.

In our last home, I had a few varieties of mint growing in different places on our property. The mint growing around the weeping cherry tree was already present when we bought the place. One of my favorite “mint memories” is of the minty smell emanating from those plants as I worked on the lawn around that tree. I often sacrificed part of one of the plants to have that minty scent surround me while I weeded in that area. I still love the scent of fresh mint from some gently crushed leaves!

Whenever possible we put this herb to good use in the kitchen. One of the earliest mint recipes I posted to the blog was for a very minty mojito, Lime & Mint Mojito. It’s a great Summer refresher cocktail. It will pair well with today’s minty lemon chicken recipe!

Mint & Lemon Chicken (adapted from allrecipes.com)  Total Time Required: 25 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 10 minutes,  Makes: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• hot cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

Pound the breasts to 1/2-inch thickness between layers of plastic wrap. Cut into 4 – 6 serving sized pieces.

In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken pieces and the garlic.

Toss the chicken with the flour just to coat it, then shake off the excess.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the melted butter. Season the chicken with salt & pepper.

Cook the chicken until the pieces start to brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken, salt & pepper the top side, and cook until the bottom side is browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the mint leaves and lemon juice to the pan. Cover the pan and cook the chicken for about 2 – 5 minutes, until the pieces reach an internal temperature of 145ºF.

Plate the cooked chicken, adding the pan juices to the serving platter.

Serve the chicken over hot cooked white rice or with crusty bread.

It is wonderful to be able to pick elements of dinner from the garden!  ~Linda

Mint & Lemon Chicken (adapted from allrecipes.com)  Total Time Required: 25 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 10 minutes,  Makes: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

Pound the breasts to 1/2-inch thickness between layers of plastic wrap. Cut into 4 – 6 serving sized pieces.

In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken pieces and the garlic. Toss the chicken with the flour just to coat it, then shake off the excess.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the melted butter. Season the chicken with salt & pepper. Cook the chicken until the pieces start to brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken, salt & pepper the top side, and cook until the bottom side is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the mint leaves and lemon juice to the pan. Cover the pan and cook the chicken for about 2 – 5 minutes, until the pieces reach an internal temperature of 145ºF.

Plate the cooked chicken, adding the pan juices to the serving platter. Serve the chicken over hot cooked white rice or with crusty bread.