Balsamic Chicken with Balsamic Pomegranate Sauce

This is a chicken recipe I made today based on my love for balsamic vinegar, marinated chicken, and the amount of flavor this dish has with an incredibly low amount of sodium. The other great thing about this dish is that you can do all the prep work for the marinade in the morning before work (or class) and then come home, saute the chicken quickly, finish it in the oven, and have everything done in less than a half hour. I paired mine with creamy polenta and a summer spinach salad.

Chicken Marinade:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dry sherry
small pinch of salt
1 diced garlic clove
3 medium sized chicken breasts

Chicken:
1/4 cup grape tomatoes
1 large clove diced garlic
1/2 white onion diced
2 portabella mushroom cups sliced in strips
Balsamic Pomegranate Sauce:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice

For the chicken, place all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and let marinate for at least 2 hours. Once you're ready to prepare dinner, pre-heat the oven to 375 and then place all of the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pot and then over medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until thick and syrupy (about a half hour).

Once you start that sauce, heat a 10 inch skillet (oven proof) with a tablespoon of olive oil until the oil starts to smoke. Shake the excess liquid and brown each side for about 2 minutes (watch this because the marinade makes it easy to burn).

Then take the skillet off the heat, place the vegetables in the pan around the chicken and put the whole thing in the oven for 12-15 minutes until your thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Then put a little sauce over the chicken and enjoy with your choice of sides.