Chicken with Lemon Pomegranate Sauce and Pistachio Rice

Last Year's Post:  Spinach, Squash and Apple Salad

Two Years Ago:   Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche

I've had pomegranates before, as well as pomegranate juice, but not pomegranate sauce.  When I encountered this recipe, I thought the sauce would be bright red, relatively thick and sweet-tart, much like pomegranate seeds.  The reality, however, is something quite different - the recipe uses pomegranate molasses (a new ingredient for me) and lemon juice without any sugar at all to create a very bright, puckery sauce that's more like a vinaigrette.  I was a little concerned that it might need a touch of honey when I tasted it on it's own, but it was perfect when paired with the chicken - a very bright and interesting balance of flavors.

Who doesn't need another chicken recipe?  This one is healthy but also somewhat exotic with Middle Eastern flavors of pomegranate, cardamom, pistachios and dried fruits to get you out of your chicken rut.  And it's very fast to make - around 30 minutes all told - so it works for a weekday meal.

You can find pomegranate molasses in some upscale grocers (I found mine at Whole Foods), natural food stores, and of course Middle Eastern markets.

The sauce would also make a be great with pork or shrimp, and I can even see it as a salad dressing (it might need a touch of honey as a dressing but that's up to you).

Chicken with Pomegranate Lemon Sauce and Pistachio Rice

Serves 4

For the Sauce:

3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

½ teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Chicken:

2 large chicken breasts or 4 chicken cutlets

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Rice:

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2/3 cup long-grain white rice

1 1/3 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons pistachios nuts, toasted lightly and chopped

4 tablespoons golden raisins, currants, dried cranberries (or a combination)

4 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Salt and pepper

To make the sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl to combine; set aside.

Next start the rice:  in a small heavy saucepan cook the onion with the turmeric and cardamom in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, until coated with butter.  Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the pistachios, dried fruit, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

While the rice is cooking, cook the chicken: cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four cutlets (skip this step if you already have cutlets).  Salt and pepper both sides.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

To serve, divide the rice between plates and top each with a chicken cutlet.  Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Curry

Last Year's Post: Farm Stand Salad

Indian food has not been one of my favorites, so I have absolutely no idea why I decided to try this recipe in the first place ten years ago.  The reason why I remember how long it's been is because The Lawyer and I were in the process of a corporate move to Louisville, KY.  He had gone ahead to begin work and I stayed for a period of months in a small apartment in Minneapolis which didn't really give me much creative outlet for my cooking obsession.  I spent my spare time dreaming about all the great new recipes we would prepare when I finally arrived in Louisville.  Unfortunately, I decided that we needed to make a brand-new recipe the very day I arrived.  I also decided for some reason that all the boxes need to be unpacked in one weekend.  The two decisions collided, and not in a good way.

By the end of the first day of unpacking boxes we were both exhausted, but I had reached that point where you're so tired that you become unreasonably stubborn.  (Or at least I do.  Well, some would say I'm always unreasonably stubborn and that it's just a matter of degree.)  The Lawyer tried to talk me into going to a restaurant or at least ordering a pizza, but NO - I was going to make this recipe come hell or high water.  It's not hard, but a brand-new recipe is not a great idea for one of those nights. I don't recall most of the actual preparation but even through a haze of exhaustion I clearly remember how great it tasted. 

I always thought of Indian food as being heavy and fiery hot, but this dish is very light and fresh-tasting and has warmth from the spices rather than heat.   If you're new to Indian food this is a good introduction.  And it's fun to make because you can see and smell all the individual spices that go into making the overall complex flavor and can adjust them up or down to your taste the next time.  It's much more interesting and instructive than just buying a jar of curry powder and dumping it in.  My guess is that it was the homemade spice mix that attracted me in the first place.

The one fact you do need to come to grips with is that you need quite a number of spices.  Hopefully you already have many of them in your cupboard.  For the rest, I always recommend Penzeys (your local store or online www.penzeys.com) for the widest variety of fresh and inexpensive spices.  And remember, even after buying several spices this meal will still be cheaper than if you went to a restaurant.

The preparation is really pretty straight forward - coat chicken cubes in your homemade spice mix and brown, then remove.

Add onions, ginger and garlic to the pan and cook, then add some more spices - cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon. I wrap them in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string so they're easier to fish out later (you can find cheesecloth in some grocery stores and most kitchen supply stores).

Add tomatoes and the chicken pieces and simmer, then add a little yogurt, raisins and some cilantro.

Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and serve with basmati rice.  Don't skip the almonds - they're an important component for both flavor and crunch.

Not at all hard, but I do recommend trying it some day when you're not feeling unreasonably stubborn.

printable recipe

Chicken Curry

Serves 4-6

2 ½ teaspoons whole coriander seeds

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 “cubes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large or two medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 whole cinnamon sticks, about 3” long

1 bay leaf

3 green cardamom pods

4 cups whole canned tomatoes with juices

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup plain yogurt

¾ cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Hot cooked basmati rice

Special equipment needed: 

spice grinder

cheesecloth and kitchen string, for tying spice bundle

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Transfer to spice grinder, add crushed red pepper flakes, and grind to a powder.  Place in a large zip top bag, and add turmeric, ginger, cloves, salt and black pepper.  Add chicken and toss to coat.

Heat peanut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, cooking until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove chicken and set aside.

Reduce heat and add ginger, garlic and onions.  Cook until softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, place cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and cardamom pods in a square of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string.  When the onions are brown add the spice bundle and cook for an additional 10 minutes, making sure the spice bundle is covered with onions.  Add the tomatoes and roughly crush with a potato masher or snip with a kitchen scissors.  Add the chicken stock and browned chicken and raise the heat to medium high.  Cook until the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and stir in yogurt and raisins.  Cook until warmed through, then add cilantro.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with toasted almonds.

Jewels of Spring

I can hardly wait for the farmer's markets to open every spring.  Not only do I love the fresh fruits and vegetables, I'm also always on the lookout for a new variety or an unfamiliar food to try.  My local market has a lot of fruits and vegetables that you won't find in any store - I just ask the grower what they are, what they taste like, and how to cook them.  Most are very accommodating and will even give you a taste.  It's a great way to expand your horizons.  We also like to visit farmer's markets when we travel -  they're great photo ops as well as interesting places to buy local items to bring home.  (The picture at the top of my blog is from the market in Aix-en-Provence, France.)

Two of my spring favorites are familiar to everyone - asparagus and rhubarb.  I discovered a great recipe for an elegant Asparagus Soup that I want to share.  Since that's such a classic dish, I decided to feature something a little more off-the-wall for rhubarb than your typical muffin or crumble.  How about Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce?  Now that's different, as they say in the midwest.

First the asparagus soup - thickened with leek, zucchini and potato, it has a more complex flavor and is healthier than a cream of asparagus soup.  It's a really easy recipe if you have thin asparagus, otherwise you peel the stalks which takes a long time.  Try to avoid that unless you're feeling a need to be punished for something.

If you have a lot of asparagus or your asparagus is too thick for the soup recipe, check my blog archive at left for April (Asparagus Tart), January (Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry) and March (Spring Risotto) for other ideas.



On to the chicken with rhubarb sauce - boneless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless breasts if you prefer) flavored with orange, ginger, sherry, honey, cardamom and rhubarb. I served it over white rice and topped it with some fresh pea shoots I found at the market for fun.

* * click here for a printable Asparagus Soup recipe * *

Asparagus Soup
Serves 4 to 6

Note: potato and zucchini help thicken the soup and give it a creamy texture without any cream.

2 lb (two bunches) thin asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced and washed
1 large potato, peeled and cut into large dice
3 cups chopped zucchini (about 2 large)
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper


Trim the woody ends off the asparagus, then cut off the tips and reserve. If your asparagus is thin there’s no need to peel the stalks, otherwise they should be peeled to ensure the fibrous exterior doesn’t get in the soup. Cut the stalks into 1 to 2 inch pieces and set aside.

Bring some water to boil in a saucepan, add the asparagus tips, reduce the heat and simmer covered for 4 minutes. Remove from the water and immediately immerse the tips in ice water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the leek for a few minutes. Add the potato, zucchini and asparagus stalks and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Puree the soup in a blender, working in small batches to prevent an explosion of hot liquid, and return to the soup pot. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then add asparagus tips and bring to a simmer again before serving.



* * click here for a printable Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce recipe * *

Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce
Serves 4 to 6


8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or can substitute chicken breasts)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, fineloy chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup dry sherry
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
¼ cup honey
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (from about 1 medium)
1 pound rhubarb stalks, medium dice

Preheat oven to 375d.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Place half the chicken thighs in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and repeat with the other half of the chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shallots, ginger, and cardamom. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the shallots are soft, about two minutes. Pour in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits, and reduce the liquid by half (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the chicken stock, honey, and orange juice and stir. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, turn the chicken to coat, and bring to a boil.

Place the pan in the oven and cook until the sauce is vigorously bubbling around the sides and the chicken is cooked, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, scatter the rhubarb pieces between and around the chicken, and return the pan to the oven until the rhubarb is knife tender, about 15 minutes more.