Sauteed Chicken Breasts With Fennel and Rosemary

The flavors of fennel, garlic, and rosemary married with chicken. The original recipe appeared in Food and Wine and later reprinted on another site. This is my own rendition designed to be both WW point friendly and core. This works really well with steamed carrots, polenta or mashed potatoes.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  teaspoons olive oil, separated
• 1  large fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1 1/4 pounds, use 2 smaller heads if need be)
• 2  teaspoons dried rosemary or 2  tablespoons fresh rosemary, crumbled
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup fat free chicken broth
• 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 1/2 teaspoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the fennel and half of the rosemary.
2. Cook, stirring frequently, until the fennel is golden brown and almost done, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the fennel is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the fennel and the cooking liquid from the pan.
3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over moderate heat. Pound chicken breasts so they are of an even thickness. Season the chicken with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the chicken to the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon of rosemary and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until almost done, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the fennel and its cooking liquid and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer. Move the fennel so that it sits on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and simmer on very low heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.