Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet (Serves 8)

Posted by Elise Mitchell on December 01, 2014

I appreciate autumn for its quiet yet vibrant salute to the end of summer. Colors are still bright, sun is still warm but there is a lilt in the air like a yawn signaling the slumber of winter to come. This week at the Oasis, I was struck with the brilliance of colors still in the cottonwoods, a sunset that would make the psychedelic artists of the 60s weep, and that stillness in the air… That stillness that invites me to get quiet, calm, listen more intently, settle into the present. I also get excited about the rich, colorful foods that we harvest this time of year – squash and root vegetables reminding us to get centered, grounded. This recipe is all about honoring the seasonal diet that helps keep our bodies in rhythm with our natural surroundings. Try this one out while sweet potatoes and pears are still beckoning!

1/4 cup oil, or as needed
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast half, cut into cubes
4 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup minced fresh sage
4 pears – peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups water
8 cups baby spinach
1-2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (or pepitas)
Cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chicken in the hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.
2. Cook and stir sweet potato in the same skillet over medium heat until slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes; return chicken to the skillet. Add sage, pear, and water; stir well.
3. Partially cover skillet, lower heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid and sprinkle spinach over the chicken-sweet potato mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in walnuts (or pepitas); season with salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Serve & Savor!