Cranberry Balsamic Chicken
If I saw cherry pecan chicken on a restaurant menu, I’d order it fast. I hoped the version I saw on a local catering company menu was as good as it sounded. Plump cherries, crunchy sweet pecans, grilled chicken—what’s not to love?
Ben and I tasted that, plus a few more entrees, at our first catering tasting two weeks ago. Some dishes were so so; others—like the cherry pecan chicken—were spot on. So good I kept thinking about it days after our tasting appointment. So good I tried to recreate it myself.
I didn’t have cherries or pecans on hand so I used cranberries and almonds instead. I added kale, onion and apple knowing they’d stand up to the balsamic vinegar well. The caterer makes it better, but my version ain’t too bad for a quick weeknight dinner either!
Cranberry Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
2 raw chicken breasts
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ small red onion, diced
½ green apple, peeled and diced
1-2 stems kale, stem removed and leaves chopped
¼ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted in a dry pan
3 tablespoons brandy (whisky or rum would also work)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, thyme and granulated chicken broth powder
Directions
1. Bring 1 ½ cup water to a boil. Pour boiling water over a bowl of dried cranberries. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
2. Poke chicken with a fork all over (both sides). Season both sides with salt, pepper, chicken broth powder and thyme. Sear on both sides—about 3-4 minutes each side.
3. Remove chicken from pan. Add red onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until just barely caramelized.
4. Pull the pan off the heat and deglaze with brandy and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add apples, kale and drained cranberries to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until kale wilts and apples lightly soften.
5. Add chicken back into pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with toasted almonds on top.
Ben and I tasted that, plus a few more entrees, at our first catering tasting two weeks ago. Some dishes were so so; others—like the cherry pecan chicken—were spot on. So good I kept thinking about it days after our tasting appointment. So good I tried to recreate it myself.
I didn’t have cherries or pecans on hand so I used cranberries and almonds instead. I added kale, onion and apple knowing they’d stand up to the balsamic vinegar well. The caterer makes it better, but my version ain’t too bad for a quick weeknight dinner either!
Cranberry Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
2 raw chicken breasts
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ small red onion, diced
½ green apple, peeled and diced
1-2 stems kale, stem removed and leaves chopped
¼ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted in a dry pan
3 tablespoons brandy (whisky or rum would also work)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, thyme and granulated chicken broth powder
Directions
1. Bring 1 ½ cup water to a boil. Pour boiling water over a bowl of dried cranberries. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
2. Poke chicken with a fork all over (both sides). Season both sides with salt, pepper, chicken broth powder and thyme. Sear on both sides—about 3-4 minutes each side.
3. Remove chicken from pan. Add red onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until just barely caramelized.
4. Pull the pan off the heat and deglaze with brandy and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add apples, kale and drained cranberries to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until kale wilts and apples lightly soften.
5. Add chicken back into pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with toasted almonds on top.