4 slices bacon
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
2 tablespoons butter
3 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf, torn
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup wine
2 tablespoons cream
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lay bacon on the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine butter, thyme and bay leaf and spread them on the chicken breasts, then place them on top of the bacon.
3. Bake the chicken in the oven until it is cooked through to the center, about 20 minutes.
4. Keep chicken warm and pour juices from the casserole dish into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in mustard, wine and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to a thick sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken to serve.

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until tender.
2. Add the beans to the skillet and coat with shallot butter. Sauté until bright green.
3. Stir in the wine and garlic and cook until beans are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Stir in the tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings

After the somewhat unfortunate dining experience yesterday, I find myself forced to make something French and delicious. It is really too bad that more often than not I am inspired by restaurants not because their food was great, but because it was disappointing enough that I felt the need to recreate it.

I had a mustard chicken dish at Sorrentino’s and I figured I'd try to make something like that. So, I present to you, Chicken Moutarde! The mustard sauce was smooth and creamy and had a mellow flavor; no harsh vinegar taste. I would omit the bacon if I were to make it a second time, or crisp it up beforehand. Otherwise, a nice dish.

On the side I had some halved roasted potatoes and Tarragon Green Beans in a garlic white wine sauce. This is a nice way to cook pretty much anything from pasta to pork chops, but I like it for green beans especially. The wine and garlic really infuse the beans with flavor.