It’s no secret that chicken breasts aren’t our favorite part of the chicken. We prefer the richer, more succulent dark meat. However, we do realize that there is a time and place for the leaner breast meat. This is a nice dish to add to your rotation if you eat a lot of chicken breast and want to change it up a bit. This dish scores major points in the nutrient and low-calorie categories, coming it at just 380 calories per serving. Allspice and turmeric are both very unique in flavor, and this dish adopts the wonderful practice used by many other cultures to add flavor to food via spices instead of sugar, fats and salt. Fruit and poultry is always a beautiful sweet-and-savory combination, and the red onions, lemon and Swiss chard lend extra vitamins and different flavors. This is a delicious meal you can feel great about the next morning.
Tip (unsponsored): If you have one locally, Sprouts is a great place to buy spices as you can buy just a teaspoon at a time if you are worried about committing to an entire jar for fear that it will end up in your spice cabinet, untouched, 5 years later.
Have your kids help you juice the lemon and dump spices, taking note of their unique fragrances and the vibrant color of the turmeric. As you prepare and eat this dish together with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits they are providing their bodies:
- When you bite and chew apples, you increase your saliva, which helps prevent tooth decay.
- Red onions may help lower your chances of cold sores, thanks to their anti-bacterial properties.
- Swiss chard can help you have more energy.
Since this recipe calls for turmeric and allspice, which remind us of Indian cuisine, let’s learn a few things about India and it’s people:
- Hockey is a popular sport in India.
- Indians eat an unleavened bread that they cook on a griddle and brush with butter or oil called chapati.
- India is home of the smallest pigs, which only weigh 10 pounds.
From: Spiced Chicken with Apples
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 teaspoons
- 2 Gala apples, cut into wedges
- 1 red onion, sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup chicken STOCK
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped (stems and leaves separated)
- Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, the allspice and turmeric. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add the apples, onion and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice to the skillet and cook, scraping up any browned bits, 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Arrange the chicken on top of the apple mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly reduced, 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil in a separate large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add the chard stems and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with the chicken and apples.
