Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken

Swipe your credit card just once and you end up on all sorts of mailing lists - you know how it goes... Doing a lot of cookbook shopping, I occasionally receive mailings that are designed to lure me into subscribing to yet another cooking magazine. Not too long ago, this recipe came as part of such a mailing and I just had to try it - it simply looked and sounded too good. My friend David in Arizona, who had also received it in the mail, couldn't resist its appeal either! It turned out, we both just LOVE it!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
4 (4 ounce) chicken breast halves
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Tip: Other fruit preserves, such as apricot, blackberry, or peach, will also work in this recipe.

Preparation (30 minutes):

1. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper to pan, stirring constantly until preserves melt. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

David serves the Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken with rice cooked in chicken broth and some green vegetables ... Enjoy!