This recipe is adapted from Eliza Winograd Marley Spoon and provides a hearty and complete comfort meal with rustic mashed potatoes, flavorful chicken with its sweet and tart apple with a creamy sauce and crisp tart salad as a companion. The recipe as written didn’t have enough OOOMPH for us (it was actually quite bland), so I OOOMPED it up a bit 😀
CHICKEN & APPLES over Mashed Potatoes with Spinach Salad
SALAD & DRESSING
2 cups torn baby spinach
1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon FINELY diced shallot
1 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted if desired
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the chopped shallots.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
- Just before serving, toss spinach leaves and chopped apple, nuts and dressing.
POTATOES
1/4-1/3 cup sour cream
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and large diced
2 tablespoons butter
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
- Place potatoes in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt along with enough water to cover by 1-inch.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain, return to pot, add 2 tablespoons butter and keep covered.
CHICKEN
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (see note)
2 teaspoons BETTER THAN chicken concentrate
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt + FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 shallot, FINELY chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 + 1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
1 cup water
- Pat chicken dry and generously season all over with a mixture of the onion powder and FRESH ground sea salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high.
- Add chicken until well browned on both sides but not cooked completely through, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in reserved skillet over medium-high.
- Add apples, garlic and the remaining shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and slightly softened, 3–5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over skillet and cook 30 seconds.
- Whisk together water, chicken concentrate and Dijon mustard. Add to skillet, gently stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Return chicken to pan, simmering 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked through, apples are tender and sauce has thickened.
- Return saucepan with potatoes to medium-high and add sour cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Coarsely mash using a fork or potato masher.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken with apples and sauce spooned over top with mashed potatoes and salad alongside.
NOTE: I substitute a creamy horseradish for the Dijon due to an allergy that works well for me, but the flavor base is up to you 😀