Pomegranate is a beautiful and delicious fruit packed with nutrients. One serving, or half a fruit, had almost 6g fiber, 2g protein, 26g carbohydrates and tons of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including the powerful antioxidant, anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are chemicals that are responsible for red, blue and purple colors in many fruits and vegetables. This chemical has been getting a lot of attention as more and more research comes out on its health benefits. Anthocyanins, along with other antioxidant chemicals found in plant foods, help reduce chronic inflammation, which is thought to be an underlying condition of many chronic diseases such cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancers. This recipe features both pomegranate juice as the seeds (also called arils) and it’s easy to make, using a single sheet pan.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger peeled + grated
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 acorn or kabocha squash seeded + sliced into half rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- kosher salt + pepper
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Make the pomegranate sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the sweet Thai chili sauce, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Place the chicken and squash on a parchment lined baking sheet with the chicken at one end and the squash at another. Toss the chicken with half of the pomegranate sauce, reserving the rest for serving. Toss the squash with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender. Halfway through cooking, Rotate the pan and spoon any sauce that has settled on the bottom of the pan over the chicken. Remove from the oven, serve the chicken and squash over a bowl of brown rice or other whole grain, drizzled with the remaining reserved pomegranate sauce. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Makes four servings.
Nutrition facts:
Serving size: 5 oz. chicken breast and 1/2 cup squash
Calories: 337; Fat: 7.1g; Carbs: 32g; Fiber: 3.9g; Protein: 36.2g; Sodium: 603 mg
Recipe adapted from Sheet Pan Sticky Pomegranate Chicken and Honey Roasted Squash + Video – Half Baked Harvest
