Help with dinner for bf's parents 3541

My bf's parents are coming to dinner on Saturday night and I'm stressing over what to make. I don't cook a lot, which doesn't help, and his mother is a diabetic (but does enjoy dessert). They like simple meals, so I'm thinking of sticking with a chicken-based entrŽe.

Any suggestions for a simple and easy yet impressive menu?

how about an easy version of 'coq au vin' (chicken with red wine sauce)

6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs 3 to 5 cloves of chopped garlic 1 onion chopped 6 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms (canned 'shrooms will do in a pinch) 2 cups of chicken broth 1 cup of red wine. (merlot works great) 3 or 4 strips of bacon salt pepper corn starch-water slurry

1. cook bacon in a saute pan until crispy, remove and set aside leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.

2. season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, add them to the hot saute pan and brown thoroughly on both sides. remove from pan and set aside.

3. add chopped onions and saute until onions have a nice dark color. add mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes. add chopped garlic and saute for a minute or two but don't brown the garlic. pour in 1 cup of wine and reduce uncovered until wine is nearly cooked away.

4. add chicken broth and bring to a boil. chop up reserved bacon, add to the pan along with the chicken and any accumulated juices. reduce heat, cover and simmer for half an hour. remove chicken to rest cool.

5. adjust seasoning of cooking liquid if necessary with salt and pepper. add slurry of corn starch-water and thicken to desired consistency. serve sauce over chicken. the sauce is also really good over mashed potatoes or rice.