Chicken Sauté

We've turned a simple chicken dish into a Valentine's day treat by adding little hearts cut out of sweet red peppers. They add color to the dish and show that you cooked with love on this special day.

You'll need:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut in strips
• 1 medium red onion - chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic -finely chopped
• 1 pound of white mushrooms - sliced
• A large red sweet pepper - cut in wide strips
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment:

• Waxed paper
• A kitchen mallet
• A small heart-shaped cookie cutter
• A heavy bottomed skillet
• Tongs
• A spatula
• A plate
• Hot pads or oven mits
• A little help from an adult or older sibling

1. Start by putting the chicken in between two pieces wax paper. Use the kitchen mallet to pound it flat. It should be about a half an inch thick all over.
2. Have your adult helper cut the chicken into 1 inch strips.
3. Use the cookie cutter to cut hearts out of the red pepper.
4. Next pour the olive oil into the bottom of the skillet and turn the heat to medium.
5. When the olive oil has a little haze on it, add the onions and garlic to the skillet and sauté.
6. When the onions begin to get transparent, add the chicken and brown it on one side. Browning means letting the chicken pieces lay with one side down until they are a toasty color. This usually takes about 7 minutes. Be patient, because browning seals in the juicy flavor of the chicken. If the oil starts to spit, turn the heat down a little.
7. You can check to see if the chicken is browning by lifting one corner of one piece. If it's still white, continue to cook it.
8. When one side of the chicken is browned, use the tongs to flip it over on the other side. If turning the chicken with a spatula is difficult, switch to using the tongs.
9. Add the mushrooms and gently stir.
10. When the mushrooms begin to soften add the red pepper hearts and mix.
11. Shake on a little salt and pepper.
12. Serve the chicken sauté with the jasmine rice heart and use the parsley as a garnish.