One Skillet Dinner: Chicken, Barley and Butternut Squash
Who loves the idea of using ONE skillet to create a healthy, well balanced meal?
You can’t see, but my hand is raised high.
Among other peeves from clients, I often hear “I don’t like to cook because of the mess it makes.”
There are ways around this. Making a one skillet meals is one of those ways. This sort of recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinners with the added bonus of minimal cleanup. If you are a household of one or two, this could be eaten for more multiple meals.
What kind of goods are packed into this skillet?
- Chicken thighs – I like chicken. As a non-vegetarian, it is my favorite protein. It is easy to season, goes well in or alongside a variety of dishes and it doesn’t smell if I chose to take it on the road. I used to only eat chicken breasts, but the thighs are so much tastier. The thighs only have a slightly more fat and calories, however, they pack in more flavor and iron.
- Barley – While it is NOT gluten-free, barley is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber. Barley is also a good source of selenium, which helps improve skin elasticity and can also benefit our heart, pancreas and immune system functioning.
- Butternut Squash – This winter squash is rich in its concentration of nutrients. It is also known for helping regulate blood pressure due to its high potassium content and due to the high amount of dietary fiber it contains, butternut squash is also a great digestive aid. While not considered spring produce, living here in sunny California, it tends to be available year-round.
There are a few other excellent whole foods based items included in this dish. Adding tomatoes and fresh cilantro at the end gives it a nice pop of color that will get a few “oohs” and “aaahs” as you set it down on the table.
An easy, one skillet meal designed to be easy to make and satisfying using a variety of seasonal whole foods.
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups precut butternut squash
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked pearled barley
- 2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 15- oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes drained
- 1 15- oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted unsalted almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro optional
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over high. Season chicken with pepper and salt. Cook in hot oil until well browned on 1 side, 5-6 minutes. Remove from skillet and let them sit on a platter.
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Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion and garlic- cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add cumin- cook, stirring often, 30 seconds.
Add squash and barley- cook, stirring occasionally, until barley is lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until barley and squash are tender, about 20 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and cook about 5-6 more minutes at a medium heat.
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Sprinkle with almonds and, if desired, cilantro.
