Sweet Apple, Chicken & Coconut Saute

To be honest, when I started making this dish the other day I had no plan! I did not think it would end up being a blog-worthy recipe, but it ended up tasting so amazingly good and looking so pretty I just had to pull out the camera and snap some pictures so I could share it with you all!

I had just bought some perfectly ripe gala apples – you know, the crispy, juicy, crunchy, sweet and delicious ones – the epitome of what an apple should be! Every now and then I buy apples and they end up being a bit soft and mushy, and just don’t taste the greatest, it’s a big bummer, but these apples were just divine!

I decided to dice them up and toss them in a pan with a mix of diced chicken thighs and chicken breasts. The thighs are fattier so I didn’t have to use any oil in the pan, and the apples just cooked away with the chicken fat! It’s usually this time of year when I love adding sweet apples to a more savoury dish, and this combo of the chicken and apples worked really well!

While the apples and chicken were sautéing away, I chopped up some tomatoes and kale! Beautiful colours and more great nutrition to add to the dish!

For seasoning I kept it simple, a little onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, was all the dish really needed, and when I was in my pantry grabbing the spices, I spotted the shredded unsweetened coconut and pure maple syrup. I liked the idea of combining those flavours with what I already had going on in the pan, so in they went!

A weird combination, right?? But, the smell was so amazing as the coconut browned and toasted along with the rest of the ingredients …I figured, if it smelt that good, it had to taste delicious too!

…and it did. Oh, it did!

The sweetness from the apples and pure maple syrup combined with the savoury and salty chicken, the bite of the kale, and subtle bits of garlic and toasted coconut… so very yummy!

I decided to serve the sauté with some cooked red quinoa, my absolute favourite healthy carbohydrate as of late, and sprinkled on a tiny bit more coconut to garnish the dish!

If you are feeling a bit unsure about all these flavours, just trust me on this one, you want to try it!

There’s just something about clean, healthy, wholesome foods working together to make a bright, nutritious, and filling dish that just makes me so happy and amused! I guess that’s why I’m a Nutritionist right?! Oh, the little things! 🙂

Sweet Apple, Chicken & Coconut Saute

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

400g skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
400g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 medium gala apple, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups kale, chopped
½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
1-1 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
½ teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add in diced chicken thighs and breast.
Add in the apple and the spices.
Cook for 5-7 minutes and add in cherry tomatoes, kale, maple syrup and coconut.
Add one to two tablespoons of water simmer the ingredients and wilt the kale.
Continue to sauté for another 5-7 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and browned.
Serve with your choice of carbohydrate if preferred like quinoa, brown or wild rice, sweet potatoes, rice pasta, etc.

Notes

*Nutrition does not include carbohydrate of choice on the side.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: ¼ recipe Calories: 288 kcal Fat: 8g Carbohydrates: 12g Sugar: 6g Fiber: 2g Protein: 42g

…. on another note… only 2 more days left to the release of my E-BOOK!

I still have a giveaway going on for 3 copies of my new e-book so if you haven’t entered yet, do so here!

Have a fantastic Monday!

Christal

Nutritionist in the Kitch