Yes, you read that right.  I’m a girl who lives in constant 90 F heat–would I make such a thing up lightly?

Anyway, the reasons for this chicken were manifold and, as usual, lazy.  I had a hankering for chicken salad and was debating whether to go with this recipe (with yogurt, nectarines and almonds–of which I can only eat nectarines) or this recipe (with them much-more-Laura-friendly mayo and no nuts)… until I realized that I actually needed some chicken for it.  Preferably roast chicken.  That would mean a chicken roasted in a hot oven.  That was certainly, CERTAINLY not happening.

I was also not about to bash cloves of garlic at 9 a.m., because I’m not that dedicated to the cause.

Instead, I took my four chicken breasts, tossed them into a plastic baggie, and doused them with a good drizzle of olive oil, two or three teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and a teaspoon or so each of oregano and thyme.  Oh, and a healthy pinch of black pepper.  I let it sit in the fridge for the rest of the morning, and at lunch, I sauteed them over a low heat until sealed and done and slightly golden.

If I closed my eyes and bit into it while standing by the hot stove, you could have convinced me it was a roasted or rotisserie chicken–but with much less sweating and waiting!

The only problem is that it’s so good that I couldn’t bring myself to actually turn it into a chicken salad… yet.  I guess that’s not a bad problem to have with a plateful of hastily improvised chicken.

Edited to add:  I did indeed make the Sonoma chicken salad after eyeing the chicken for a day–but not before a cooked and plain few pieces disappeared…