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Chicken Breast w/Pears & Fig Sauce




Source of Recipe


Pear Bureau Northwest


Recipe Introduction


"The flavors in this low-fat chicken dish were inspired by Mediterranean cuisines — and these days the popular adjective “Mediterranean” makes any suggestion of diet quite palatable.

The dish’s ingredients are indeed a well-worked out combination of good taste and healthy eating. Figs in a balsamic vinegar sauce balance sweet pears, savory chicken and salty goat cheese. A touch of thyme rounds out the dish: a satisfying blend of sweet, sour, salty and savory."




List of Ingredients




½ cup goat cheese (4 ounces)

¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

3 pears (about 2 pounds), cored and cut in half

1 and 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ cups dried figs (about 8 ounces)

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ cup sugar

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Optional garnish: 3 extra figs and a few thyme sprigs


Recipe



Mix goat cheese, thyme leaves and garlic until blended. Place 1 rounded tablespoon goat-cheese mixture into center of each pear-half.

Puree chicken broth, figs, vinegar and sugar in batches in blender until smooth. Pour into strainer set over bowl. Press liquid (sauce) into bowl. Discard solids. Pour half of fig sauce into a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan. Place chicken breasts over sauce in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a filled pear-half cut-side down over each chicken breast and drizzle with remaining fig sauce.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cover pan with foil and bake in oven at 375 F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake, basting occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes until chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 160 F. Cut chicken breast and pear in half to serve. Spoon sauce over pear. Garnish with cut fig and thyme sprig.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 580 cal., 59 g pro., 10 g total fat (5 g saturated), 63 g carbo., 150 mg chol., 1,060 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber.