Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Late Spring Vegetables

The bright flavors of late Spring combine in this simple chicken dish to light up your palate. It is so good you may want to sing a song or dance a little jig after you've had a taste. This recipe is in honor of my friend Danni in Portland. She loves chicken thighs and, while I'm historically skeptical of them, they are heaven in this dish. For those dark meat faint of heart, use white.

Yield: About 4 Servings

Note: This recipe is designated "ME" for Mindful Eating and is generally lower in fat and calories than some of the other recipes on this site. You can search for other mindful recipes in the navigation bar above under Food Love, Recipes and Mindful Eating.

INGREDIENTS

FOR MARINADE

• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries

• 6 Tbsp Chocolate Balsamic or Regular Balsamic Vinegar (plus extra for garnish)

• 3 Tbsp Granulated White Sugar

FOR CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

• 1 Lb Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs*

• Freshly Ground Sea Salt

• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

• 1 Tbsp Butter

• 1/3 Cup White Wine (I used a Chardonnay)

• 6 Small Carrots, finely chopped

• 3 Garlic Scapes or 2 small Shallots, finely chopped

• 10 Stems of Swiss Chard (I used Bright Lights), stems finely diced and leaves cut into ribbons**

• 1/4 Cup Pancetta, diced

FOR GARNISH

• 4 Large Fresh Basil Leaves, coarsely chopped

• 4 Fresh Strawberries, sliced

*I used thighs in this recipe for the richer taste of dark meat, but white meat can always be substituted based on your preference or you can use a combination of both.

**To cut greens into ribbons, pile leaves on top of each other in a single stack and roll into a long cigar shape. Cut along the cigar in 1/2 inch cuts.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor combine Strawberries, Balsamic Vinegar and Sugar. Puree until smooth.

2. Place Chicken pieces in a gallon size Ziplock bag. Sprinkle Chicken with Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Add Strawberry Marinade to bag. Seal bag and smoosh contents around to ensure Chicken is thoroughly coated. Place bag in the refrigerator and allow Chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3. In a large frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil and Butter over medium low heat. Lay chicken in the frying pan (being sure not to crowd the pieces), add salt and pepper to season to taste, cover with a lid and cook over medium low heat for about 5-12 minutes on each side until cooked through (time will vary depending on the cut of the chicken you choose). During last 5 minutes of cooking add White Wine.

4. While the chicken is cooking, in a medium skillet heat remaining two tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium low heat. Add Carrots, Garlic Scapes or Shallots, Swiss Chard Stems and Pancetta. Season with Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until veggies are lightly brown. Add Swiss Chard Leaves, stir and cook for about another 3 minutes, tossing veggies occasionally, until greens are lightly cooked but still bright in color.

5. When finished cooking remove all pans from heat. Pile a nest of veggies and greens on the center of each plate. Place Chicken on top of greens. Garnish with Fresh Basil and Strawberries. Drizzle with a little more Balsamic Vinegar to finish. Enjoy!