Chicken with thyme, Feta cheese and Ouzo sauce

Today was my first ever job interview. Even though it turned out to be pretty good (well the more I think about it the less cool it seems but anyways) I still came home pretty stressed and worn out. So after spending one hour on the couch I decided to kick myself to the kitchen and cook something different. I have to admit that I was not really planning anything specific, just followed my instinct and the result turned out to be pretty nice, so I thought it was worth sharing :)

INGREDIENTS:

500gr chicken breast, skinless and boneless, cut in bites
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp pine nuts
1-2 tsp dry thyme
10 - 12 bahari grains
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 clove garlic, chopped
100gr Feta cheese (You could substitute it with any other feta-like cheese, as long as it is salty enough and not too fat)
1/2 cup Ouzo (traditional Greek anise-flavored aperitif)
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. In a heavy sauce roast the pine nuts.
2. Add the butter, coriander seeds, bahari grains and dry thyme and simmer for a couple of minutes until the butter has melted completely.
3. Add garlic and chicken and cook on strong heat until the chicken gets a golden crust. Lower the fire and cook till the chicken is cooked through.
4. Mash the Feta cheese and add it to the pan. Stir with a spoon until the butter and Feta mix together in a thick paste.
5. Pour in the Ouzo and lemon juice, season with some salt and pepper (remember feta is very salty so don't add too much salt), turn off the fire, cover and let the chicken absorb the flavor for some minutes before serving. If the sauce turns to be too thick you could add some more Ouzo or just a little bit of water.

I served it with plain and spinach fettuccini, but I would guess that it should be good with any other pasta or rice. Funny thing is that I actually hate Ouzo and I was going for the white wine, which I didn't have. But finally Ouzo, Feta and thyme made a very nice combination. I guess I'll have to bring more Ouzo next time I go home! ;)