Braised Italian Chicken

1½ -2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8 thighs)
½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, divided
2-3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°
To prepare chicken, rinse all pieces in cold water and use a pair of kitchen shears to snip off any remaining fat.  Blot dry on paper towels.  Season one side of chicken with ¼ tsp. kosher salt and several cracks of black pepper.
Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat.  When hot, add olive oil and make sure it spreads across bottom of pot.  Place chicken salt side down and cook for 2-3 minutes.  While it’s cooking, sprinkle remaining ¼ tsp. salt plus a few cracks black pepper on other side of chicken.  Flip chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove chicken and place on a plate.
Add onions and carrots to pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add can of diced tomato (with all the juices), tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar.  Stir ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Add chicken and all accumulated juices from plate.  Cover chicken with sauce and cover pot with lid.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and remove lid.  Use 2 forks to gently shred chicken into large chunks.  Add remaining ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar and chopped basil.  Add additional kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over pasta, rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables, or on french rolls or slider buns and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

Nutritional Info (3/4 cup shredded chicken with sauce, and 1 tablespoon fresh Parmesan):
Calories:  201, Fat: 14g, Protein:  20g, Carbs: 8g, Fiber: 2g

This recipe can be found here.