Cherry Balsamic Chicken With Almond Couscous Roasted Carrots Recipes

CHERRY BALSAMIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine the cherries, vinegar, mustard, fennel seed, salt and garlic in a blender. Puree until smooth. Place the chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat a grill to 450 degrees F or medium-high heat with indirect heat on one side.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place on a baking sheet; reserve the marinade. Drizzle with the olive oil. Place the chicken on the grill over direct heat and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Flip the chicken, move to indirect heat and baste with the marinade. Cover the grill and roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with the fennel pollen.

CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs (or breasts) dry with a paper towel and season with kosher salt. Let it sit out while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Whisk together the balsamic, honey, olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and make sure all the chicken is coated. Let sit at least 30 min and up to overnight in the fridge. Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before placing in hot oven.
• Meanwhile, pit the cherries and set aside.
• To cook chicken: about 30 min before, take it out of the fridge so chicken can come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken thighs (or breasts) skin side up in a shallow roasting dish or cast iron skillet. Nestle the rosemary springs in between the chicken pieces of top with the pitted cherries, moving them around so they fall in between the chicken pieces leaving as much as the skin exposes as possible. The pour the marinade over the chicken. The marinade should generously cover the bottom of the pan.
• Slide the pan into the oven and rotate every 10-12 minutes.
• Cooking times; for breasts: cook 20 minutes; for thighs: cook 45minutes. If using both remove the breasts while the dark meat continues cooking.
• When the dark meat is tender at the bone and cooked through, return breasts to the pan and increase oven to 450 F. Let the sauce reduce and the chicken skin get dark and crispy, about 12 minutes. Move the cherries around again in needed to expose more chicken skin. Brush the chicken with the marinade from the pan every 3-4 minutes to glaze them.
• Serve warm, with crunchy sea salt and freshly grinded black pepper.

CHERRY BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH ALMOND COUSCOUS & ROASTED CARROTS

Steps:

• • Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Peel and mince garlic. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
• • Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add almonds; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. • Add garlic, couscous, and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. • Stir in ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings) and cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until couscous is tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess water from pot if necessary. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• • While couscous cooks, toss carrots on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. • Roast on middle rack until browned and tender, 20-25 minutes.
• • Meanwhile, pat chicken* dry with paper towels; season generously all over with salt and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. • Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board to rest.
• • Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites; cook, stirring, 1 minute. • Pour in vinegar, stock concentrate, jam, and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings); whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. • Turn off heat; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• • Fluff couscous with a fork; season with salt and pepper. TIP: For an extra-rich experience, stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). • Thinly slice chicken crosswise. • Divide couscous, chicken, and carrots between plates. Top chicken with sauce. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.

BALSAMIC ROASTED CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, and carrots in a bag; toss to coat. I use the carrot bag. Pour the carrots into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the carrots; shake the pan to coat evenly. Return to over and bake until the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

CHICKEN IN BALSAMIC CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Pat dry chicken and season with salt.
• 2. In a heavy skillet heat olive oil. Sauté seasoned chicken until browned, 12-15 minutes. Remove chicken. Add onions to skillet and sauté until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add vinegar and reduce to just a couple of tablespoons.
• 3. Add broth, bring heat to high and reduce by half.
• 4. Add cherry preserves and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce is thick.
• 5. Return chicken to pan to heat through while spooning sauce over chicken. Serve hot.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH GARLIC COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour over the combined vinegar, chicken stock, sugar and garlic.
• Let marinate at least 10 minutes per side.
• To make couscous: pour boiling stock over couscous in a large bowl.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
• Heat butter or margarine over medium-low heat and saute garlic and thyme for about 3 minutes (garlic should be soft but not brown).
• Add the couscous to the pan and stir for 3 minutes.
• To cook the chicken, preheat an oiled frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Cook chicken about 4 minutes per side.
• Add the marinade to the pan and cook for an additional 1 minute per side or until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade has thickened.
• Place couscous and top with chicken and sauce.