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.Â
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!)Â 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 >Â
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!
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Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa
Description
Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa is light, fresh, and fast. A feast of in-season flavors including orange, pomegranate, and kiwi.
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
- Peel then segment orange over a bowl, squeezing leftover juice into bowl. Add kiwi and pomegranate seeds then stir to combine and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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!
Pear Salsa 10.25.2018
[…] Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa […]
Anne MacLellan 12.23.2015
Although not specified, I assume the chicken breasts are bone-in & skinless. Am I correct? It looks yummy, great for the winter doldrums.
Kristin 12.24.2015
Hi Anne! These are boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could use whatever you like/have one hand.
Asian Kale & Salmon Salad | Iowa Girl Eats 07.03.2014
[…] Finally, segment 1 large orange or 2 small oranges into the bowl. Here’s a tutorial for segmenting oranges > […]
Lovelle 05.16.2013
Made this last night… delish! I had never tasted pomegranate before until last night, it was easy to get the seeds out and was actually kinda fun too. Thanks for the tip with the kiwi! Saved me some chopping time. Will definitely be visiting your site on the regular for more great recipes.
Charlotte 03.12.2013
I made this tonight and it was absolutely fabulous! A healthy, delicious meal ready in under 30 minutes – can’t beat that. Thank you so much for your recipes! They never disappoint!
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Sadye 01.21.2013
Thanks to rave reviews from you and a friend, I too went for those scallops, and I am SO HAPPY that I did. Worth needing a detox meal for!
Week 11: Friday Favorites | The Cookin' Chemist 01.18.2013
[…] seasonal eat. Orange Chicken Skillet with Winter Fruit Salsa by Iowa Girl Eats. Looks great. Loving the citrus here in Arizona right […]
Alisha 01.15.2013
What did you think of Django?! I went to it a few weeks ago and loooved it! Almost as much as I love pomegranates. Great recipe!
Iowa Girl Eats 01.16.2013
We think it’s great – awesome vibe, too!
kim@hungryhealthygirl 01.15.2013
Love the simplicity of this dish! I’ve been putting arils on everything and I love how Trader Joe’s and Costco sells them….no messing with the pomegranate.
Karen @ Runner Girl Eats 01.15.2013
this meal is just beautiful. It looks soo delicious and fresh!
Jess 01.15.2013
Oh my goodness, this recipe reminds me of Summer!! I totally want to try it! :)
Laura 01.15.2013
I absolutely love all the color you use in your recipes. Thanks for providing healthy, good-tasting, colorful and FUN recipes!
Avery @ Southern Belle Living Well 01.15.2013
That meal looks so tropical! I’m always a bit nervous to mix fruits with a protein for meals, because I feel it’ll turn out liquidy or to fruity, but this looks like it’s in the bag! I’ll print this one!