Traverse City Chicken

As previously mentioned, my sister and BFF Cha, was generous enough to share this recipe with us. Although she has strayed a bit from her Southwest roots with this dish, I am sure it will not disappoint. Maybe in the near future my rad brother-in-law will share his famous cheesecake with us. Until then, thanks for sharing, Cha!

My recipe for Cherry Chicken comes from the Record Eagle newspaper, but it originated with a friend of my parents named Judy LaCross. She is the wife of a local cherry farmer and apparently she is also quite a cook. Cherry Chicken is easy to throw together, but somehow it seems more special than your standard chicken breast. While I have only made it for my husband and I, I could totally envision serving this to guests with rave reviews. As you can see from my picture below, we enjoyed the Cherry Chicken on a bed of wild rice accompanied by a spinach salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese, slivered almonds, and a vinaigrette. Props go to Stone House bread for the delicious North Country 2-grain sourdough bread that rounded out the meal.

So, if you've never been to the cherry capital, I'd encourage you to do so. There is so much to offer from the breathtaking natural beauty to the up-and-coming foodie scene (amazing restaurants and wineries) to the thriving local arts communities. It truly is a year around playground and I'm proud to call it home. And did I mention the cherries?! :)

Cherry Chicken

2 lbs chicken breasts

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tbsp cherry jam

4 tbsp white wine or cherry vinegar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup dried cherries

Melt butter in a skillet. Cook chicken breasts on each side to brown. Add onion and cook 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Be careful not to scorch! Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Add jam and vinegar to skillet. Cook slowly and stir. Boil 1-2 minutes. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly on medium heat until hot but not boiling. Add dried cherries.

Serve with wild rice, salad, and bread (or whatever tickles your fancy!).