Celebrating Walnuts this week! Walnut and Pomegranate Chicken.

**To enter the cookbook giveaway sponsored by California Walnuts and to enter to win Sarah Copeland’s latest cookbook, click here.**

I recently became aware of the health benefits of walnuts. I mean, I always knew they were a good, healthy snack but did you know eating a handful of walnuts every day is an easy way to boost your daily nutrition?

I’ll go into more detail later this week because I will be attending California Walnuts’ first Virtual Dinner Party where I will be cooking up a wonderful recipe using California Walnuts and will be hosting a giveaway for a fabulous cookbook from Sarah Copeland.

I’ve always been a huge fan of nuts, particularly walnuts. Snacking on them and cooking with them and so it was extremely difficult for me to choose one recipe from California Walnuts’ recipe gallery. They enlisted some critically acclaimed chefs to share seasonal menus with home cooks and tips for successful entertaining. Make sure you check back over here at Hip Foodie Mom mid-week to see my recipe and what everyone else is cooking up for the California Walnuts’ virtual dinner party!

I am a huge fan of Aida Mollenkamp. And have made several of her amazing recipes. . her banana bread, Indian Burritos, Faux Pho Bo and actually just baked her Almond Brioche Sticky Buns. So, when I saw this recipe for her Walnut and Pomegranate Braised Chicken on the California Walnuts’ site, I knew I had to give this one a try!

So, here’s my kick-off dish for this week. To celebrate walnuts . .  I didn’t have as much time and wanted to do something a little lighter so this is definitely not a stew version or the braised chicken version but this chicken dish (using thigh meat) is absolutely delicious and pairs wonderfully with the walnuts and pomegranate seeds. I love dishes where you get different flavors and textures, all in one bite.

I hope you enjoy!

And remember to keep checking back for another delicious recipe using walnuts for the virtual dinner party! Cheers!

Print Recipe

Walnut and Pomegranate Chicken.

Please note: Adjust cooking time as needed depending on how big or small your chicken thighs are. Just make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main

Servings: 3 -4

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1-2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; you can add a dash more if desired
• Kosher salt
• Finely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1-2 cups mushrooms chopped
• Fresh spinach for plating
• Pomegranate seeds for garnish
• Fresh or dry parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and arrange your rack in the middle. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until golden, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven until cool enough to handle then crumble slightly with your hands and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together the coriander, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper and rub into the chicken thighs. Set aside.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the chicken to the pan, working in batches if you need to, so it’s in a single layer of chicken and not crowded. Cook the chicken thighs until they are golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, OR until golden and seared. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken if you are making more.
• Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan (don't clean your pan, you want all the crispy brown bits from the chicken), reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and mushrooms are golden brown, for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken back to the pan and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes or so until chicken is no longer pink in center. Serve over fresh spinach and garnish with the walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.

Recipe adapted from here.