Seared Chicken and Yams...? Sweet Potatoes?

This was a great weeknight dinner.  Anything that can be quickly seared in a pan, finished in the oven and have a pan sauce made within 30 minutes gets my vote!  I also made up a quick side of cubed yams, or sweet potatoes...actually it was both.  I bought two vegetables that looked exactly alike in the store from the yam bin, but one turned out to not be a yam.  We can't all be alike.

Yams

2 yams or sweet potatoes (medium) peeled and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
basil

In a mixing bowl toss together your cubed yams with the other ingredients.  Spread out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Parchment paper is helpful with crispiness.  Bake @ 400 F for 20 minutes.

While the veg is baking....

Seared Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (hand sized)
salt
pepper
herb and garlic spice mix (I used an Epicure one)

Season your chicken breasts really well.  In a stainless steel pan heat up about 1-1/2 tbsp of oil on medium-high.  Add your chicken breasts once the oil is hot.  I test the oil by putting a water droplet in first, when it's hot there will be lots of sizzle!  Once you've placed your chicken breasts in, don't fiddle with them.  Leave them be and give them a chance to brown up.  After about 3-4 minutes flip them over and do the same.  Once the second side has browned up, decrease your oven temp to 375 F, place the chicken in a pan (I used a pie plate, nice and simple) and place it on the rack opposite your yams.  Bake for approximately 15 more minutes.

In the meantime there are these beautiful brown bits in your pan, use them!  Since there is a little bit of oil leftover I like to gently cook in a little bit of easy blend flour at this point (turn the heat down a little at first, flour can burn, yuck!), and then slowly add in about 1/2-1 cup of chicken stock.  Stir it with a whisk to keep everything nice and smooth.  There will be a lot of flavour in there!

Enjoy!