Pomegranate Chicken or Turkey

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts or 2 turkey breasts

2 T olive oil

1 pomegranate, seeds removed and reserved

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

1 celery stalk or 4 celery tops

1 1/2 cups + 2T pomegranate juice, divided

1/2 c honey

2 1/2 c chicken broth, divided

2 T parsley, divided

1 cup quinoa or rice (not minute rice)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a dutch oven on the stovetop on medium heat, add olive oil. (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a heavy skillet.) 

When oil is hot, add onion and celery and garlic. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts getting brown. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add chicken breasts or turkey to dutch oven/skillet and brown on both sides. Remove from heat. Put onions and garlic and celery back into Dutch oven or if you don't have a dutch oven, place onions, garlic, celery and turkey in a deep glass baking dish; or you can put it all in a crock pot.)

Stir together 1 1/2 c pomegranate juice and 1/2 c chicken broth. Pour over turkey. Sprinkle 1 T parsley over top. Cover and bake in the oven. I put it in the oven to cook while we were at church and we ate it for lunch after church. I cooked 2 large turkey breasts for 3 1/2 hours at 275 degrees. You could cook it at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside. If you are using a crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours or until no longer pink on the inside. This varies with different crock pots. 

Meanwhile cook lima beans or green beans or whatever else you want to have with your meal. I always try to have 1 green vegetable with every meal. You could also have mashed potatoes or rice or quinoa.

Here is how I made the quinoa (you could also substitute rice)

Heat 2 cups chicken broth, bringing to a boil.

Then add quinoa or rice, turning heat down to a simmer. 

Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in pomegranate seeds and 1 T parsley.

Remove turkey from oven or crock pot and set aside. Slice after it cools.

Strain liquid left from the turkey and put in a saucepan.

Combine 2T pomegranate juice with 1 T cornstarch or arrowroot starch.

Add to saucepan with remaining liquid. Heat until it thickens. 

If using arrowroot, do not let it boil. This gravy is awesome!

Serve turkey, quinoa, lima beans and cranberry sauce. Yummmm! 

*Click here to see how to make your own cranberry sauce.