The star of this chicken skillet meal is the sauce. It's a little savory and a little sweet and pairs well with chicken breasts. Sometimes chicken breasts can be bland and, frankly, boring, but this sauced-up version is different and really good. To make the skillet meal you simply brown some chicken breasts and then make a sauce that features leeks--you can use onions or green onions if you don't have leeks--apples, and grapes. I used green grapes in the version of the recipe you see in the pictures below, but red grapes will work fine, too. A little light sour cream added at the end of the cooking time ties everything together without making the sauce too heavy. The dish, with its mixture of lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and plenty of fiber is acceptable if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." Just be sure, if you're a type 2 diabetic, to pair the dish with a whole-grain, rather than a refined-grain side. We like the dish with a slice of whole-grain bread, a small portion of whole-grain pasta, or sometimes quinoa. Enjoy!
Chicken With Apples, Grapes, and Leeks or Onions (Diabetic Friendly) -- Serves 4
Chicken
2-3 teaspoons of olive or canola oil
1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, sliced into pieces about 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons of white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
Sauce
3-4 cups of chopped leaks (white and green parts, washed really, really well)--or use
chopped onions
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of reduced-sodium chicken base (I use "Better Than Bullion")
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 medium apple cored and chopped, but leave the peel on
1 1/2-2 cups of seedless grapes
1/2 cup of light sour cream
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning and sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the chicken. Put the chicken in the pan and brown it for 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip the chicken and brown it for several minutes on the second side. Remove the chicken from the pan and put it on a plate. The chicken doesn't have to be completely cooked through at this stage as it will go back in the pan later to finish cooking. To the now empty pan add the leaks (or onions), the onion, salt, and pepper and saute them for 8-10 minutes or until they soften and wilt down by about half. Add the water, the chicken base, thyme, chopped apple, and grapes to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the mixture well, reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover the pan. Let the vegetable and fruit mixture cook, stirring it periodically, for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables and fruits have softened (the grapes may or may not burst open--either way is fine--or you can mash the grapes with a spoon a bit if you want) and the liquid in the has reduced in volume by about one-third. Add the chicken back to the pan and let the mixture cook for about five minutes more or until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve the meal from the skillet for easier cleanup.
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