Chicken with Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ t garlic powder
1 t salt
½ t pepper
1 bay leaf, broken up
1 T dried parsley
½ t. thyme, crushed
1 t. basil
3 T butter or margarine cut into bits
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
? c. lemon juice
2 T soy sauce
* 1 4-oz can black olives, sliced (optional) 
* Mushrooms (optional)

Instructions

Place chicken breast in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Put spices and butter or margarine on top of chicken.  Add a layer of onions, and pour tomato sauce over.  Sprinkle lemon juice and soy sauce over all.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 325° for two hours.  Can be assembled up to eight hours ahead and cooked just before serving.

Microwave instructions:  (This is how I always cooked it because quicker)  Use a glass baking dish and assemble as above.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high (full power) for about 30 minutes, turning as necessary.

* original recipe called for 1 large can (16 oz.) of tomatoes and olives and mushrooms.  The olives and mushrooms I usually didn’t do.  I used tomato sauce rather than canned tomatoes simply because I didn’t like tomato chunks.   Original recipe called for 1 chicken, cut up, but used breasts as thought healthier and not so messy to eat.

 -- I usually served it with long-grain wild rice and another vegetable.