Maple Pepper and Habanero Chicken Breast with Maple Syrup Brussels Sprouts

Last night, I came home absolutely exhausted.  It has been a hectic few days at work with lots of client meetings, fundraiser events and project deadlines.  I like to go to the gym to de-stress after a long work day and I really felt clear-headed by the time I left the gym.  But by the time I walked home from the gym, I was a sopping mess and felt seriously blah.

But last night, I walked up the stairs to our place and smelled a delicious smoky aroma as I walked through the door.  My thoughtful boyfriend knew how bad the past few days have been and decided to cook us dinner so that it would just be one less thing for me to worry about.  Seriously, isn't he the best?

Our dinner was very simple but incredibly flavorful.  Like me, B was excited to use some of our purchases from our maple syrup adventures on Sunday.  He took a few chicken breasts and used a dry rub with the Highland Foods maple pepper seasoning with habanero.  He seared the chicken for a few minutes on each side in a skillet with vegetable oil.  It was around this time that I had come home to smell the smoky seasoning aroma coming from the chicken on the stove top.  When the chicken had a nice color to it, he put it in the oven at 400 degrees to cook it through.

For a side dish, he heated up a different skillet with olive oil and threw a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts in the pan.  While the sprouts started to dethaw, B quickly chopped up a small white onion and added that to the pan with the sprouts along with some salt and fresh cracked pepper.  When the sprouts were cooked through, B added what I'd guess to be a generous tablespoon of the fresh maple syrup to the pan at the very last minute and gave it a nice toss to make sure all the sprouts had a sweet coating.

The end result?  A delicious tasting and looking dinner.  The chicken breast was moist and juicy from the stove top to oven cooking preparation which helped retain a lot of the meat juices.  Tthe flavor of the dry rub was seriously spicy.  I didn't expect it because the first flavor that hits you is the smoky maple flavor but the habanero pepper slowly builds to a sensational heat.  This is where the Brussels sprouts really help out with this mild cabbage-like taste mixed with the cooling sweet maple syrup sauce.  This was definitely a great combination of spicy and sweet.

I think the best part of the meal was the love evident in it.  B clearly went out of his way to make something that I would enjoy without having to lift a finger.  And in the end, this is what dinner so fantastic.