This colorful skillet chicken is full of antioxidant-rich fall produce

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Breathtaking fall foliage, with its striking mix of crimson, gold and evergreen, makes saying goodbye to summer much easier. The brief window when the leaves change colour feels like a worthy trade-off for the coming gray of winter. It’s also delightful the way fall produce is transformed by the same palette this time of year, turning markets and our meals into glorious reflections of the season.

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Besides offering an eye-catching allure, colourful produce also provides a wealth of antioxidants, compounds that neutralize damaging free radicals in the body and, in doing so, fend off diseases such as heart disease, cancer and more. Different antioxidants impart different colours to food, so eating a mix of colourful fruits and vegetables means you get a variety of protective plant chemicals. Winter squash and sweet potatoes are top sources of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A that imparts a yellow-orange colour to foods. Anthocyanins are the antioxidants that give red grapes and apple skins their red-purple pigment, and chlorophyll is one of many health-protective compounds that imbue dark, leafy greens with their intense hue.

This recipe brings full-throttle autumnal colour and nutrition to the plate in a supremely tasty way. It’s a one-pan meal of orange sweet potato, sliced red apple and ribbons of dark-green kale, made protein-rich with tender chicken breast; aromatic with onion and thyme; and brought together in a simple, mustard-spiked pan sauce. It’s a healthful, weeknight-friendly meal requiring minimal cleanup that celebrates the full spectrum of the season’s pleasures.

Skillet Chicken With Apples, Sweet Potatoes and Kale

Servings: 4

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This one-pan meal of chicken, sweet potato, apple slices and kale brims with autumnal colours and flavours. Cooked in a mustard-thyme pan sauce, it’s a simply elegant dish that’s also ideal for a family dinner on busy weeknights.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 small or 2 large)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 medium yellow onion (4 ounces total), thinly sliced

1 medium unpeeled red apple (6 to 7 ounces), such as Jonagold or Honeycrisp, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed, coarsely chopped kale leaves

Directions:

Step 1: If you have two large pieces of chicken, slice each one in half across the equator so you have four thinner cutlets.

Step 2: Working on a cutting board, with one piece of chicken at a time, place it between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a mallet or rolling pin to pound it to about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.

Step 3: In a large (12-inch) high-sided skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and mostly tender with some resistance in the center, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Step 4: Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Add two pieces of the chicken and cook, until nicely browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Then repeat with another 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining two pieces of chicken, transferring the chicken to the plate once browned.

Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and thyme, and cook, stirring once or twice, for about 1 minute.

Step 6: Add the broth, then stir in the mustard and return the potatoes to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook until the apples soften slightly and the liquid reduces a bit, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 7: Add the kale in two or three batches, stirring in between, followed by the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just wilted. Return the chicken, and any accumulated juices, to the pan, being sure to nestle the breasts into the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the chicken is just cooked through and registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, and the vegetables are tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt, if desired.

Step 8: Divide the chicken and the vegetable mixture among plates, drizzle with the pan sauce, and serve right away.

Substitutions:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts >> boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Apples >> firm pears, such as Bosc.

Yellow onion >> other types of onion, or shallots.

Thyme >> rosemary or sage.

Chicken broth >> vegetable broth.

Dijon mustard >> other types of mustard.

Kale >> Swiss chard or spinach.

Nutritional facts per serving (1 piece of chicken and a heaping 1 cup of vegetables and sauce): Calories: 467, Fat: 21 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Sodium: 471 mg, Cholesterol: 104 mg, Protein: 35 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 11 g.

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.

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