Balsamic Glazed Chicken - a dish that will stick to your (broken) ribs

Hallo everybody. We're having a bit of a tough week up the mountain. The Little Girl has discovered Standing Up, and she can't get enough of it. Against the couch, against my legs, against book cases, up the stairs (which gave me a couple of extra grey hairs!), against the sliding door looking out. Which is great, if only the Coming Down bit was just as easy. She's still struggling with that. Every now and again when I'm not paying close enough attention, I hear a thump followed by tears.

But wait, there's more, like they say on television. The Fabulous Man phoned me last Saturday after his trail bike ride, and said he'd hurt his shoulder, and he'll be home after the pub lunch. Foolishly I thought that it couldn't be that bad if they're still going out, but when he came home, cradling his arm, I knew. I could feel the gap in his collar bone, and a trip to the emergency department confirmed it: fractured. And a few ribs as well. If you don't have any experience with a man nursing broken bones, let me tell you. It's not easy. Not that my husband has a low pain threshold. In fact, he claims that he's fine until he suddenly looks as if he's going to die. I really feel sorry for him.

Except when I've had a long day with Standing Up Little Girl and never got round to lunch and I'm expected to make dinner with said Little Girl on my hip, as the Fabulous Man claims he can't pick up the Little Girl with a broken collar bone and several broken ribs. And unfortunately he's right. I mean, he needs help putting on pants, picking up babies is way above his ability at this stage.

So, if ever you are in this situation, this is what you cook for dinner. You'll probably have all the ingredients in the house, it's quick and it's easy. And it's fine to abandon at any stage if you need to look after a teething Little Girl. I want to apologise for the shocking photos, but plating up a good looking meal and trying to focus your camera while holding a grizzly baby is impossible. I promise it looks good. And it tastes even better.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Recipe found here
Serves 2-4, depending on the size of the chicken breasts

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 chicken breasts, bashed until about 1cm thick
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Cook onion and garlic until soft.

Add chicken breasts to the pan, and fry until golden brown both sides. Season, remove to a plate and cover.

Add the balsamic vinegar, stock and honey to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is reduced by a half.

Stir in the butter, and when this has melted, return the chicken to the pan untill warmed through.

Serve with some rice (or couscous if you don't have time) and green vegetables.

oOo

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