Happy Monday everyone!

Eat too much red beans & rice, cornbread, lobster-sweet corn pomme puree (mashed potatoes, y’all), beurre blanc sauce, and/or pan-fried udon noodles this weekend? No? Just me? Blerg.

Well, even if you didn’t stuff your face with a beautiful yet diet-busting combo of dinners like I did, I’ve got a fresh and in-season recipe that will get you back on track, and feeling so healthy that you, not the beurre blanc sauce, will have the last laugh. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA!

That is to say, you should try Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa. 

Ben and I had a GREAT time hanging and dining with our buddies this weekend. Friday night we headed to Flying Mango with a couple of our besties, where I ordered Red Beans & Rice (a panicked decision made while menu-overwhelmed/trying not to order my usual 3-meat platter) with a side of their house cornbread which comes with a thwack of honey-cinnamon-butter on top. OMG, it’s like frosting.

Saturday I really put the petal to the metal, ordering Scallops in Buerre Blanc Sauce with Grilled Asparagus and Lobster-Sweet Corn Pomme Puree when we headed out to drinks and dinner with other friends at Django. Expertly cooked in every way, and holy-heck, let me just repeat myself – Lobster-Sweet Corn Pomme Puree!

It was around the time I found myself scraping up the last morsels of beurre blanc-smothered pomme puree when I realized I’d need to prepare some lighter fare this week, starting with this super-easy Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa. Seasoned chicken is sauteed then slathered in a 1-minute orange pan sauce, then topped with a sweet-tart winter fruit salsa made with oranges, kiwis, and pomegranate seeds. That’s it! Ready and having you feeling fit in about 20 minutes.

Start with the Winter Fruit Salsa. Winter fruit – it’s a very good thing! First cut the top and bottom off 1 orange (or 2 small oranges) then cut the peel and pith away with a sharp knife.

Cut in between the segments to pop them out, then squeeze the orange to get any last drops of juice out.

Next, peel then chop 2 kiwis and add them to the bowl. Oranges and kiwis are in season right now and taste so. damn. good. I cannot get enough.

Psst! There’s a super-easy way to peel kiwis (not that my kiwi fuzz-eating husband needs it!) Click here for tutorial pics >

Next add 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds. Either hand plucked, or already seeded – your call. Here’s how I de-seed a pomegranate > 

Mix everything up, then set the Winter Fruit Salsa aside (and try and keep your spoon out of it!)

Next brush chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil, then season liberally with garlic salt and pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Seasoned chicken is also a very good thing, PLUS the seasoning that stays in the pan will help to flavor the orange pan sauce.

Remove the cooked chicken to a plate to rest, then add 1 cup orange juice to the skillet and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the orange juice reduce until syrupy, about 1 minute.

Plate the chicken (I placed it on a bed of cooked Trader Joe’s Rice Pilaf – but sauteed spinach or by itself would be great!) Then spoon the orange pan sauce and Winter Fruit Salsa over the top. Grab a fork and knife, then dig in!

Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa

Print this recipe!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
1 cup orange juice
1 orange (or two small oranges)
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions: 

1. Peel then segment orange over a bowl, squeezing leftover juice into bowl. Add kiwi and pomegranate seeds then stir to combine and set aside.
2. Brush or mist chicken breasts with olive oil then season liberally on both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Remove to a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Add orange juice to skillet then use a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Let orange juice reduce until syrupy. Plate chicken then top with orange pan sauce and winter fruit salsa.

As soon as the cold fruit salsa hits the hot chicken, the oranges and kiwi get warm and uber-juicy. I can’t tell you how fresh and fab this dish tastes! Since I suggest seasoning the chicken liberally with garlic salt and pepper, the savory flavors really help balance the sweet-tart flavors of the salsa, and the orange pan sauce really ties everything together.

Hope you’ll include this light & fit dish on your menu plan soon – after too many weekend indulgences or not!