Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken with Shallots

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/raspberry_balsamic_chicken_with_shallots.html

From EatingWell:  April/May 2005

Tasty and flexible—what more could you want in a recipe? You could easily vary the flavors by making the dish with black cherry jam and red-wine vinegar, apricot jam and apple cider vinegar or orange marmalade and sherry vinegar.

4 servings | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (including 1 hour of marinating)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup seedless all-fruit raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 4- to 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed (see Tip)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots, (2-3 large)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

Preparation

1. Combine jam and vinegar in a small pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the jam is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce. Place chicken breasts and the rest of the sauce in a large sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake gently to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade). Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just beginning to brown, 2 minutes on each side. Add the reserved raspberry sauce; stir to melt the jam and coat the chicken. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 296 Calories; 4 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 66 mg Cholesterol; 36 g Carbohydrates; 27 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 371 mg Sodium; 370 mg Potassium

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 4 very lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 1 week.

• Tip: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded "chicken fingers."
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, arguably the most versatile cut of chicken, are very low in fat, only 1 to 2 grams of fat per serving. Conveniently, one 4- to 5-ounce breast, tender removed, yields a perfect 3-ounce cooked portion. When preparing, trim any excess fat from the outer edge of the breast.