Breast of Chicken Orleans

My husband, A.J., is a really easy going man. He doesn't get upset if I don't feel like cooking; in fact he likes to experiment in the kitchen from time to time himself. He's actually pretty good. A.J. likes everything I cook, but he doesn't get excited about too many meals I prepare. Last night he wanted chicken and I came up with this. In the 16 years we've been married, this is the first time he really went crazy over a meal I cooked. In fact, when I was cleaning the kitchen, he was taking bread an wiping down the pot with it while I was trying to wrestle the pot from him to wash it. Guess what, I didn't even need to wash the pot once I wrestled it away - just kidding, I washed it!

Breast of Chicken Orleans - In a large glass bowl, marinate 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 30 minutes at room temperature in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 red wine vinegar, 1 small onion diced, 1 stalk celery diced, 1 carrot diced, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

In a large heavy pot, melt 1 stick of butter over medium high heat and cook chicken 3 minutes each side, remove from pot and set aside under a foil tent to keep warm. Add to the pot 1 small onion diced, 1 stalk of celery diced, 1/2 red bell pepper diced, 4 cloves of garlic diced and 1 cup of sliced baby bella mushrooms. Cook veggies over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes or until wilted. Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 lb. of peeled shrimp stir together to make a roux. Stir constantly until roux starts to turn a light brown. Add 2 oz. of sherry and stir for another minute to let the alcohol cook off, then add 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of Lea & Perrins and one cup of heavy whipping cream. Stir continuously until the sauce comes to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer and stir for another 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Add chicken back to the pot and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve over fluffy white rice.

Make this for someone special tonight!