fig butter chicken w/ the works
Sweet figs, a nice glass of red wine, and even better company; these are the makings for a great night.
This recipe came about out of pure convenience! I had a mostly full jar of Trader Joe’s fig butter. I had used some of it for a veggie charcuterie board for one (surely I’m not alone on this one haha!). But most of it was intact, I had a nearly empty bottle of merlot and a hungry boyfriend, who bought some chicken strips earlier that day. So in comes Jo! Similar to a balsamic glazed chicken breast recipe, I used the same concept and adapted it with the ingredients I had on hand. The outcome was a deliciously saucey and sweet chicken entree! I’ve made this several times since for my boyfriend and he loves it! It’s easy to make and pretty impressive in flavor.
To be honest, because why wouldn’t I be?! I’m a pescatarian, but my boyfriend is not, so this blog will showcase recipes for all (or most) dietary restrictions. I myself have run the gamut on “diets” (I’m not a fan of that word, because of the media it’s usually associated with weight loss and harmful health scams, bleh!). But the word diet is correct. I’ve previously been vegetarian, vegan, and my best friend has celiacs disease. So I am well aware that we don’t all fuel our bodies the same way. That being said, there will be an array of inclusive recipes on this blog. And if you want me to try something specifically, just let me know! :)
Enjoy the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/3 cup fig butter (i used trader joe’s)
a generous pour of your favorite red wine (i used rare earth cabernet sauvignon)
brussel sprouts
potatoes (i used yukon gold)
butter
a generous splash of milk
4 garlic cloves
DIRECTIONS FOR CHICKEN
Season chicken strips with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken strips. Cook about 3 minutes on each side.
Add fig butter and wine. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking, about 6 minutes.
Uncover, bring the heat back to medium-high and let the sauce thicken.
DIRECTIONS FOR BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and dry the brussel sprouts. Trim the ends and cut them in halves.
Add them to a big bowl, drizzle olive oil.
Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
Add them to a baking sheet. Place the garlic cloves (skin on) on a corner of the sheet, we’ll use these for the mashed potatoes.
DIRECTIONS FOR MASHED POTATOES
Peel and cut potatoes in quarters. Steam them until cooked through. (You can boil them if you prefer, but I steam to avoid mushy taters.)
Remove potatoes from steamer, place back into warm pot.
Add butter, warm milk and peeled roasted garlic. Season with salt & pepper.
Mash potatoes, use your tool of choice; hand masher, potato ricer, or hand blender.
Assemble your dinner plate and enjoy!
