This recipe has long been a favorite in our family, and it just keeps getting better. I’ve tweaked it over the years to improve the flavor, decrease the sodium, and streamline the preparation. I think you’ll really enjoy it. It’s quick & easy enough to make after you get home from work, but it tastes like it took a ton of time & effort to make. The inspiration came from a cookbook called Applehood & Motherpie, published in 1981 by The Junior League of Rochester, NY. My parents gave me a copy for my birthday in 1986. It’s a cool book — the cover folds partway open so that it props up the book all by itself!

Tomato paste works well in a lot of recipes, but most of them only call for a tablespoon or two. I don’t much care for the kind that comes in a tube – I think it’s bitter. Rather than leave an opened can in the fridge, or worse yet, waste the rest of the can, I freeze whatever I don’t use. Just measure it out by tablespoons, scoop it out onto a plate, cover, freeze. Once frozen, they go into a zip top bag. The next time I need some, I just take out however many tablespoons I need.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

½ cup (120 ml) lower-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup (60 ml) lower-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

¼ cup (30 g) flour for dredging

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound (454 g) chicken tenders

¼ cup (34 g) sliced, pitted black olives

Preparation:

1.) Slice the onion vertically, and mince the garlic. Set aside. Whisk together the broth, soy sauce, & tomato paste in a small bowl. Set aside. In a shallow dish, stir the salt and pepper into the flour.

2.) Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dredge chicken tenders in flour mixture & add to the skillet. Brown both sides, then remove to a plate. Add a little more oil as needed for the other batches. You get better browning if the chicken pieces aren’t crowded. Too much all at once, and you’ll end up with steamed chicken instead of sautéed.

3.) When all the chicken is browned & removed, add the remaining olive oil. Once it’s heated, add the onions, and sauté until just starting to soften. Add garlic, and continue to cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more.

4.) Pour in the soy sauce mixture, and scrape up all the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

5.) Return everything to the pan, and stir gently. Cover the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is done and the sauce has thickened a bit. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with olive slices. Serve over rice.