Chicken and Cranberries

Thursday, June 12 2008 -

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is easy to make and freezes well.

Servings 6

  • 12 ounce bow tie pasta, uncooked
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup cranberry liqueur or 1/3 cup port wine (I use red cooking wine)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup sliced shallots or 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (I use shallots)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken ***, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/4 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
  • Chopped fresh thyme or parsley (I used parsley) (Optional)
Per serving:

427 cal, 6g fat, 37g protein, 50g carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 76mg Cholesterol, 404mg sodium

Directions:

Combine cranberries and liqueur in a small microwave safe bowl and cook at high power 50 seconds or until hot. Let stand while preparing pasta and chicken. In general, I add extra cranberries and heat longer than suggested. I also tend to just pure in as much wine as is necessary to cover the cranberries.

  • Cook pasta according to package.
  • Melt butter in large deep nonstick skillet. Add shallots; cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Combine flour, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a plastic bag add chicken and shake to coat.
  • Add chicken and any remaining flour in bag to skillet.
  • Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally
  • Add broth to skillet; bring to a simmer stirring occasionally
  • Simmer uncovered 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly and chicken is cooked through.
  • Drain cranberries; stir into sauce.
  • Drain pasta and return to pot
  • Add chicken mixture from skillet to pot and toss well
  • Sprinkle with thyme (parsley) if desired.