Maggie’s Menu:  I found this recipe in the book my mother in law made for me.  It was originally authored by Melissa Roberts-Matar and I adapted it a bit.  I doubled the recipe and brought half of it to a friend who recently had a baby.  This makes for an easy to warm up meal for a new mom. Paired with rosemary parmesan potatoes, a large green salad, and reheating instructions, its one less thing a new mom needs to worry about.  Mr. Magpie and I enjoyed other half- and think you will too!

Ingredients:

• 4 6 oz. skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 5/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce (Note: I used tamari)
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. lightly oil a 13 by 9 inch flameproof baking dish (not glass).
3. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with 1 t. salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Arrange chicken at least 1/4 inch apart in baking dish.
5. Bake 10 minutes.
6. While chicken bakes, toast almonds in a small baking pan in oven or in a toaster oven, stirring twice until golden.
7. Meanwhile, cook apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, butter and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over moderate heat until preserves are melted.
8. Pour sauce over chicken and continue to bake until chicken in just cooked through, basting once, about 20 minutes more.
9. Sprinkle chicken with almonds.

Allergens:

• This recipe is dairy free.
• This recipe is gluten free.
• This recipe can be made nut free by omitting almonds.