Chicken Florentine

Technically this recipe was called Garlic Rosemary Chicken, but because of the spinach, I'm calling it Chicken Florentine. It's also apparently an Olive Garden copycat recipe; however, I don't see it on their menu any longer, and although it's been a while since we've gone out to dinner there, I don't remember it ever being an option. Sorry, I don't mean to be so critical! The reviews and comments show that lots of people like this recipe, and even if we'll most likely make changes the next time we try this, we absolutely enjoyed our delicious dinner today.

Chicken Florentine

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced*
• 1-2 tablespoons roasted garlic (or 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic)
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 white wine
• 3 springs rosemary
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons flour, optional

Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet, then quickly sear the chicken on each side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate.

Saute the mushrooms, adding more olive oil if necessary, until softened. Add the butter, broth, wine and rosemary. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked and the liquid reduces.*

Stir in the spinach and lemon juice and heat through. Then serve with hot mashed potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

*I learned something new while shopping for this recipe. (It was on the menu a couple of months ago but got postponed.) White mushrooms, crimini mushrooms and baby bella mushrooms are all the same, except for the depth of color, (light, medium, and dark respectively) and can really be used interchangeably. That's good, because my normal stores don't carry cimini mushrooms. I did find them at one non-normal store, so now I know where to buy them if they show up on the list in the future, once my special pandemic buying habits (only grocery shopping once a month) go back to normal.

**For some reason, I never had success with this step. I found it easier and less time-consuming to sprinkle some Wondra flour over the liquid while whisking it and bringing it to a boil to thicken.