As the chicken cooks, a lovely sauce forms in the pan. Enjoy every bit of it by spooning it over the chicken and grapes. Serve atop couscous, or rice if you prefer.

Blush Wine Sauce

1 tbsp. cold water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 c. blush wine (see Tip)

½ c. chicken broth

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary, or ¼ tsp. dried, crushed

Other Ingredients

3 tbsp. all-purpose white or unbleached flour

½ tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch lengthwise strips

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. minced shallot

1 c. halved seedless red or green grapes, at room temperature (about 5 ounces)

Freshly ground pepper and sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Preparation

To prepare the sauce, in a measuring cup, stir to dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Stir in the remaining ingredients; set aside.

Combine the flour, paprika, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly press both sides of each chicken strip into the mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot arrange the chicken strips in a single layer; cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until the chicken strips are lightly browned but not cooked through.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the Blush Wine Sauce and pour it over the chicken. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through at the thickest points.

Reduce the heat to low; stir in the grapes. Cover and allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute, or until the grapes are warmed through.

For each serving, arrange the strips of chicken on a bed of couscous or rice, top with cooked grapes, and drizzle with the sauce.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, and the award-winning author of 12 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette’s most recently published cookbooks are “A Beautiful Bowl of Soup” and “The Spirited Vegetarian,” which was voted “Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine” at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration. . To buy Paulette Mitchell's cookbooks, click here.