Chicken breasts with mushrooms and penne pasta

This is a very quick dish and you can have a delicious meal on the table in half an hour. We usually wish that chickens had at least four legs, and the breasts remain in the freezer unused. One day I was wondering what to do with the breasts, besides grilling them for salads, and I came up with this recipe, which I am certain you will love. And I will introduce you to my ‘secret’ ingredient that gives that ‘spark’ to any dish that seems too dull and doesn’t do much for your taste buds. It is the Teriyaki Sauce (Kikkoman), because I had bought another brand and it was terrible! This is not strictly a traditional Greek recipe, but who cares when it is so good! Anyway, it is made by a Greek in Greece, so it is Greek!! Have a go and let me know the results.

Ingredients

2 medium chicken breasts

½ kilo fresh mushrooms (any mushrooms you like) or 2 – 3 cups of prepared frozen mushrooms (see the Tips on Freezing Vegetables)

3 tablespoonfuls margarine

2 tablespoonfuls olive oil

1 cup white wine

1  – 2 cups Teriyaki Sauce (Kikkoman)

2 cloves of garlic

250 gr. penne pasta

2 tablespoonfuls margarine

Cream or 1 to 1 ½ cups low fat evaporated milk

½ teaspoon corn flour

4 – 5 drops Tabasco Sauce (according to taste)

Salt, pepper

 

Directions

Cut the chicken breasts in strips and place them in a quite wide plastic container. Add the Teriyaki sauce and make sure that all the pieces are covered. Put the chicken in the fridge and leave it for as long as possible – 1 hours should be enough, but leaving it longer does no harm. Just stir the pieces now and then so that they can all absorb the Teriyaki sauce.

Fill a pot with water and bring to the boil, add salt and the penne and cook according to the package until they are al dente. Drain them and return them to the pot with a couple tablespoonfuls of margarine and stir, so that the penne don’t stick together.

Put the mushrooms in a large pan with one or two tablespoonfuls of margarine (if you use the ones you have prepared and frozen, you will need very little extra margarine or oil, about 1 tablespoonful) and sauté them. Add one minced clove of garlic and sauté for a couple minutes more. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add half the wine. When it evaporates, remove the mushrooms from the pan and put them on a plate.

Add the rest of the olive oil and the margarine to the pan and the chicken strips plus any Teriyaki sauce that may be left. Sauté them for 3  minutes and turn them over and sauté them for two minutes. Do not overcook the chicken strips because they will become tough. Add the second clove of garlic minced. Sauté for a couple of minutes more and add the rest of the wine. When it evaporates, return the mushrooms to the pan and stir. Add the cream or the evaporated milk, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for a few minutes. Dissolve the corn flour in a couple of tablespoons of water or milk. Add to the pan and stir. Taste and add salt (if necessary, as the Teriyaki Sauce is quite salty) and pepper. Add a few drops ofTabascosauce and stir. When the sauce thickens a little it is ready to serve.

To serve put some penne on the plate and on top of the pasta some chicken & mushroom sauce. If you wish you can sprinkle grated cheese.

You can accompany it with a fresh green salad.