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.

Kale and Pancetta Salad

Last Year's Post: Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Strata
Two Years Ago:  Greek Phyllo Wraps with Taztziki

Kale is a superfood and a great addition to your fall and winter food rotation to balance out the heavier foods we tend to eat at this time of the year.  It's sturdy so it holds up well in a salad, and its slight bitterness is offset in this recipe by the sweetness of the fruit and maple syrup, plus the creaminess of the blue cheese.  The pecans add a nice crunch and toastiness.  I especially like to have spiced pecans on hand for salads or rice dishes, because they add a little kick.  If you don't feel like making spiced pecans, you can buy some at Trader Joe's or can use plain toasted pecans (or walnuts) instead.

You can substitute regular bacon for pancetta, and dried cranberries or apricots for the currants. You could even go vegetarian and leave out the pancetta. The recipe calls for fresh apples or Asian pears, so I used one of each.  If you're not familiar with Asian pears, they look like a golden apple and have the crispness of an apple with the flavor of a pear.  They've available in most grocery stores, and are delicious.  Try one for fun.

This salad is definitely substantial enough to be a main dish and it's a welcome change from big heavy dinners and sweets.

 printable recipe

Kale and Pancetta Salad

Serves 4

1/3 cup olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, diced

¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 small head radicchio, shredded

8 ounces kale, stems discarded, leaves shredded

2 Fuji or Honeycrisp apples, or 2 Asian pears (or combination)

¾ cup toasted pecans (or spiced pecans, see below)

1/3 cup dried currants

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy, 8-10 minutes.  Strain the pan drippings into a small bowl to cool and leave the pancetta off to the side to cool.  When the pan drippings are cool, add the vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, salt and pepper to the pan drippings and whisk well.

Quarter and core the apples or pears, then cut into thin pieces.  Combine the radicchio, kale and apples or pears in a large bowl.  Add the dressing little by little, and toss to combine, until the salad is well dressed.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with pecans, currants and blue cheese.

Spiced Pecans

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

½ cup sugar

1 large egg white

2 cups whole pecans

Preheat oven to 300d.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Whisk the egg white until foamy, then whisk in the salt, pepper, paprika and sugar.  Stir in pecans.  Spread pecans in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 250d and rotate the pan.  Bake 10 more minutes, then immediately spread in a single layer on clean parchment paper.  Let cool before serving or storing. 

Pecans will keep up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature, or may be frozen.

Very Lemon Chicken and Fruited Couscous

This week's post is a "two-fer", courtesy of a recent girls' getaway weekend in the sun. Among other strenuous activities like shopping and lounging at the spa, we managed to make a delicious yet healthy dinner of very lemony chicken and couscous with dried fruits and almonds. Either recipe can stand alone or be combined with other foods but they go particularly well together. Both make great dishes to take to any large gathering since they can be served warm, cold or room temperature.  As the chicken cools the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency which then can be drizzled over the chicken when served.  The last time I made the chicken I served it cold over a fresh spinach salad and it was truly delicious.

The couscous has lemon notes that echo the lemon chicken in addition to dried apricots, golden raisins, currants and toasted almonds that give it a slightly Mediterranean feel.  If you don't like any one of the dried fruits feel free to substitute but don't leave them out altogether - they lend a slight sweetness that really makes the dish.

So here are my friends that participated in making (and eating!) the meal.  They insisted on previewing the picture before they would allow it on my blog, and they also insisted that it should not be full-length.  I have good-looking and funny friends - Jessica, Michelle and Karrine.

* * click here for a printable Lemon Chicken recipe * *

Very Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

3 lemons
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6-8 oz each)
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate the zest from two lemons and set aside. Sprinkle the juice from one of the lemons over the chicken breasts (reserve the second lemon). Mix the flour, salt and paprika in a large zip-top bag and shake one chicken breast at a time in the mixture. Remove from the bag and shake off any excess flour. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces and then discard the flour.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a foil-lined baking dish.

Thinly slice the remaining lemon that was not zested. Top each chicken breast with the reserved zest, the thyme, and lemon slices. Put in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, juice the remaining lemon that was zested. Add the chicken stock and brown sugar to the juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves. After 20 minutes of baking, top the chicken with the lemon-sugar mixture. Bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken tests 180 degrees on a meat thermometer. Baste with the pan juices halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and serve, or cool and refrigerate (covered) until ready to serve, up to two days. Spoon any pan juices over the chicken when served.


* * click here for a printable Fruited Couscous recipe * *

Fruited Couscous
Serves 4

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups couscous
1/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons dried currants
1-1/2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup sliced green onions including 2” of green tops
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted


Bring broth to a simmer in a medium lidded saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in couscous, apricots, raisins and currants. Cover and remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Uncover pan and fluff the couscous with a fork. Stir in sesame oil, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and green onions. Taste and season with salt. (Couscous can be made 20 to 30 minutes in advance. Keep covered in pan.)

Serve sprinkled with almonds. May be served warm or cold.