Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken with Basmati Pilaf

Here is a recipe from a new contributor, StephanyW. Thanks so much for joining the fun, Stephany! We look forward to more of your recipes... this sounds delicious, and I'll be trying it this week!

Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken with Pilaf

1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed

2 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/8 t ground pepper

1 t minced garlic

1 T lemon juice

3 pomegranates

1 T + 2t olive oil

¾ t salt

2 bone in skinless chicken breast halves (Tricia used non bone breasts and it was quite a few, but maybe she doubled recipe. I am not sure.)

1 c finely chopped onion

¼ t ground cumin

¼ cup walnuts coarsely chopped

1 large scallion

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine rice, chicken broth, and bay leaf in medium pan. Season with 1/8 t ground pepper. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Discard leaf.

Preheat oven to 450. Put garlic and lemon juice into heatproof bowl, cut pomegranates in half. Remove seeds. Set ¾ cup of seeds aside. Extract juice from remaining 4 halves with a citrus juicer or reamer. Strain into small saucepan. (yield should be about 1 cup juice)

Cook pomegranate juice over med heat until syrupy and down to about ¼ cup about 10 minutes. Stir into lemon juice and garlic.

Brush 2 t oil over bottom of 9x13 dish. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Put chicken into dish; brush all over with glaze. Roast, brushing with glaze every 10 minutes. And add ¼ cup water if needed. Cook approximately 35 minutes.

Brush chicken with pan glaze.

Heat remaining T oil in skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent. Stir in cumin and cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring 5 minutes. Stir in nuts, cilantro, saved pomegranate seeds, and ¼ t salt. Remove from heat. Serve with chicken.