Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese

This was a super simple dish with lots of layered flavors (or as Matt said, "There's a lot going on here.").

The balsamic marinade adds a ton of flavor but only has four ingredients. The chicken is then seasoned with herbes de Provence which I didn't have on hand. I looked up what was in it & realized I had everything (except the savory) so I just made up my own. Apparently, lavender is optional is herbes de Provence but to me it really adds that special taste to this dish & pairs well with the blue cheese

Herbes de Provence
(adapted from About.com)

Mix together

4 t dried oregano
4 t dried thyme
1 T dried savory (we skipped this)
1 T dried lavender, crushed
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed

Makes about 6 Tablespoons

It might seem like the blue cheese would overpower this dish but it really blended well with everything. When buying a blue cheese we choose Maytag from Iowa because its a little milder than the Danish blues we've tried & a lot milder than the St. Pete's from Fairbault, MN.

Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese
(adapted for serving size from Bon Appetit June '09)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T olive oil
3/4 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 t herbes de Provence
2 half ounce slices of blue cheese

Mix the vinegar, oil, salt & vinegar together in a resealable bag. Add the chicken & seal the bag removing as much air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (we did almost 4 which gave it the dark color), turning from time to time.
Heat the barbecue to medium-high. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Sprinkle it with the herbes do Provence & a little more salt & pepper. Oil the grill grates & cook the chicken for about 6 minutes per side or until done.
Serve each chicken breast with a slice of blue cheese on top.

Serves 2

We served the chicken with some grilled asparagus & some red lentils. I cooked the red lentils. Then I sautéed a couple spring onions & a garlic clove. Added about 1 teaspoon or so of the herbes de Provence. Then mixed that into the lentils. Finally I seasoned it with salt & pepper. A great pairing with the chicken.

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