Poached Chicken and Roasted Acorn Squash

1 Review

Perfect as a holiday side or paired with a nice green salad as a quick weeknight meal, this cold-weather twist on traditional chicken salad is sure to satisfy.

By
Todd Porter and Diane Cu
Todd Porter & Diane Cu
Todd Porter and Diane Cu

F&W Digital Food Awards Winners Website White on Rice Couple Profile Todd Porter and Diane Cu don't just post recipes; they blog about the parties they throw in their Los Angeles garden. They invite readers to join them, not just figuratively but literally. "So many of our friendships started with a hello on Twitter," Cu says. Like the blog, their book, Bountiful, features recipes inspired by their garden and their backgrounds: He grew up on a ranch in Oregon; she was born in Vietnam. "What's funny is, Todd is almost more Asian than me. He cooks with chopsticks and studied Japanese," Cu says.

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Published on April 1, 2014
Healthy Chicken and Roasted Acorn Squash
Photo: © Todd Porter & Diane Cu
Total Time:
1 hr
Yield:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Acorn Squash

  • 1 medium acorn squash (about 2 pounds), seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • Kosher or sea salt

  • Fresh cracked black pepper

Poached Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 4-5 sprigs Italian parsley, thyme or oregano, tied together

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 1 whole garlic clove

  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, for serving

Directions

Prepare the Squash

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. Combine the olive oil, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Coat the acorn squash pieces with the mixture and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Place the squash on the prepared pan and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the squash pieces over and continue roasting for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, Poach the Chicken

  1. Rinse off the chicken breasts. Fill a medium stockpot with water and add the herbs, bay leaf, garlic, salt and peppercorns. Bring the water to a boil and add the chicken breasts.

  2. Return the water to a boil and then lower heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and keep the chicken in the hot water for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

  3. Remove the chicken from the water and shred into bite-sized pieces. Toss the squash with the chicken, garnish with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Originally appeared: March 2014

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