Balsamic Cherry Peach Chicken Skillet

The other day during one of our Easy Diabetes Shopping tours, one of the guests told me that she had come to the tour so that she could learn what to eat besides “plain ol’ chicken and green beans”. While we all had a good chuckle with her, one of the things I told her is that our Health and Wellness team works hard to share how delicious healthy eating can be (including chicken)! And, it doesn’t have to be hard to prepare or include fancy ingredients!

Below is a recipe for Balsamic Cherry Peach Skillet. I have to admit, I’m equally excited for both the start of the cherry and peach season. So, I decided to add them both to this dish. Cherries have such great health benefits! They can help boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and may even help you get a better night’s sleep. Peaches also bring plenty to this dish. Just the smell alone can make you feel like you have stepped into summer! Plus, they also have nutrients to help support your eye health and immune system, and they are a great source of fiber. Both fruits help to add a little sweetness to this dish, while the acidity of the balsamic vinegar will help boost the flavor.

Enjoy this easy dish for dinner. Try serving with brown rice (you can even grab a bag of plain frozen brown rice if you want to keep cooking to a minimum) and a side salad. It’s much more than just “plain ol’ chicken and green beans”!

Balsamic Cherry Peach Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced (about 3/4 cup)

1 1/4 lbs chicken breast tenderloins

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

1 cup sliced firm but ripe peach (about 1 medium)

1 cup cherries, pitted

1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil ribbons

Directions

1) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium­ high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes, then push

far to the side.  

2) Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and transfer to a plate, while leaving oil and onions in skillet (if you don't have much oil left you can add another 1/2 Tbsp).

3) Add garlic to skillet and saute 20 seconds (you can push onions back to center if you haven't already). Add balsamic vinegar and cook and stir until reduced by half, about 1 minute.

4)  Stir in honey, then add in peaches and tomatoes and toss, season lightly with salt and pepper. Return chicken to skillet, nestling between peaches and tomatoes (you can lift some of the peaches and tomatoes over the chicken to create more room), cover skillet with lid, reduce heat to medium ­low and allow to simmer until chicken has cooked through (it should register 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer), about 6 to 9 minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.

We can help you eat more fruits & vegetables! Fruits & Veggies--More Matters is a health initiative focused on helping Americans increase fruit and vegetable consumption for better health. The program is spearheaded by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit organization that has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to help spread the word about the health benefits of adding MORE fruits and veggies to your diet. Products and recipes that carry the logo must meet strict nutrition criteria. These standards are set by CDC, the leading public health authority for the brand, to ensure products and recipes promoting the brand offer an overall healthy nutrient profile.