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If you love arugula (rocket), then you’ll love this chicken skillet dinner.
Do You Love Arugula?
I do! There’s just something about it’s earthy and peppery taste that appeals to me, It’s a very popular green. In the UK, it’s also known as rocket.
Lately I’ve been buying arugula quite a bit and was looking for different ways to use it other than in salads.
Recently, I tried it in bracciole and it was wonderful!
Good Substitute For Spinach?
Since I was trying to think out of the box, I wondered if arugula would be a good substitute for spinach in some recipes.
Figuring that it had more taste and more body, it just may work. So I decided I’d try a hack of my creamy basil garlic chicken with spinach. I kept the sauce pretty simple since I didn’t know how the arugula would be combined with common herbs. When I tasted the sauce, it needed something else in it for more flavor, so what I did was add a pinch of dried oregano into the mix. Oregano (to my taste) isn’t as powerful as an equal amount to basil or thyme. You could also substitute marjoram if you have it on hand as it’s a bit milder than oregano. However, more folks have oregano in their pantry than marjoram so that’s why I specified it in the recipe.
But if your tastes run different to mine, add any herb you like to the sauce, but taste first before adding or spoon out a small amount of sauce and put a leaf or two of that herb in to see how it tastes. That way you won’t ruin the whole meal if your choice wasn’t good.
Chicken Tenders Are Best
But they are pricy. My store had them buy-one-get-one which made them a good deal. I find they don’t dry out like regular breast, but again that’s a personal taste.
If you have boneless skinless breasts on hand, then by all means use them!!! I’d never buy something which was expensive if I could substitute what I had on hand. Neither should you!
The Recipe
Chicken In Arugula (Rocket) Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders or boneless skinless breast cut in thick strips
- Seasoned flour recipe below
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cups roughly chopped arugula see NOTES
- 4 tbs flour
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup half-and-half or light cream
- 4 tbs grated Parmesan cheese or Romano
Seasoned flour:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix seasoned flour ingredients in a plastic bag. Add chicken and shake to coat.
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter.
- Brown chicken tenders on both sides; about 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken and keep warm.
- In the same pan, add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms begin to brown. Sprinkle the 4 tbs of flour over the mushrooms and stir to incorporate.
- Slowly add the white wine, scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan, stirring so there are no lumps. Add the oregano. Pour in the chicken stock and stir until it thickens. Add the arugula. Taste and add any additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cream and the grated cheese. Place the chicken back in the pan and heat through.
cassandra merrill says
Do you add greens with muhrooms and garlic?
Judith Hanneman says
It’s added at the very end–after the chicken stock. I corrected the recipe and thanks for letting me know about this.
cassandra merrill says
thank you…hope you have a good week!
Judith Hanneman says
You too!
Lucia says
Hi Judith! This recipe looks wonderful and I am eager to add arugula to anything as it is one of my favorite greens. Looking over the recipe I don’t see when to add the arugula. Did I miss it? Thank you.
L.
Judith Hanneman says
I corrected the recipe…another commenter let me know. I am the WORST proofreader!!! I love arugula and am finding ways to use it that’s not in salads!!!