Spinach Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

I borrowed this recipe from Gillian, who got the recipe from Cooking Pleasures Magazine. At first, I thought the Balsamic glaze would be WAY too overpowering, but it's actually quite light and really adds another dimension of flavor to the chicken. It was incredibly easy to make and really filling with all that spinach.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. salt, divided
  
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1 bell pepper (any color - I used red), cut into thin strips
  
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (I used a Vidalia onion because that's all I had)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 6 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
  
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/2 tsp. packed light brown sugar

Directions

1. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/4 tsp. of the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken to the oil and cook 4-6 minutes, turning once. Cover and reduce the heat to medium; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Place on a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.

2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the same skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until the veggies just begin to soften. Add the spinach and sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining salt. Remove from the heat and toss until the spinach is barely wilted. Place on plates and top with the chicken.

3. Return the same skillet to high heat. Add the vinegar and brown sugar. Bring the vinegar mixture to a boil and boil for 30-60 seconds until slightly thickened. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over and around the chicken and vegetables.