Grilled peach salsa brings a smoky-sweet brightness to spiced chicken breasts. Using thinly sliced chicken cuts down on cooking time and makes this an easy weeknight meal.
I was excited to see the “2015 Summer Cookbook: Farmers’ Market Edition” featured in the June issue of Cooking Light because it showcased my local farmers’ market, Headhouse Square. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, Headhouse is part of The Food Trust, an organization working to improve access to affordable, nutritious food. The Food Trust runs more than two dozen farmers’ markets across the city, and many accept SNAP, WIC, and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program vouchers.
The Headhouse Farmers’ Market runs Sundays from May through November, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., under the historic “Shambles”—a covered, open-air shed built in the 1800s and restored in the 1960s. At one end is the old fire station or “headhouse,” complete with an alarm bell and a second-floor gathering room. The market offers a wide variety of items: seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, bread, jams, soups, coffee and sometimes even beer or wine.
The best part for me is convenience—Headhouse is only about a half-mile from our apartment, so weekend mornings often mean coffee and a quick stroll to explore new produce. I discovered black cherry tomatoes there and used them for a memorable pizza margherita, and I bought fresh goat cheese for a goat cheese ice cream with roasted peaches.
Cooking Light included several market-friendly recipes, and the Spiced Chicken with Grilled Peach Salsa immediately caught my eye. I picked up peaches from Beechwood Orchards and purple scallions from a local vendor, but regular scallions work just fine if you can’t find the purple variety.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, a cast-iron grill pan works well on the stovetop and gives those attractive char marks. And if you lack a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, use pre-ground spices—substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground spice for each teaspoon of whole spice the recipe calls for. That simple swap keeps the flavor balanced without specialized equipment.
The contrast of smoky grill flavor and juicy, sweet peaches is excellent. Thin-sliced chicken halves the cooking time and makes the meal easier to assemble. For even faster weeknight prep, you can combine the salsa ingredients (except the peaches) ahead of time, then quickly grill the peaches and fold them into the salsa when the chicken is done. Little shortcuts like that make dinner manageable when you’re juggling family and other responsibilities.
Chicken with Grilled Peach Salsa
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon grated lime zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, divided
- 4 teaspoon honey, divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced boneless chicken breast
- Cooking spray
- 3 ripe peaches, halved and pit removed
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 purple scallions, purple and light green parts thinly sliced
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Toast the cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until fragrant. Remove from heat and grind coarsely in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Remove 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture and place in a large bowl. Add the lime zest, half the lime juice, half the honey, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high and coat with cooking spray. Cook the chicken, working in batches if needed, 5–6 minutes per side or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 155°F. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Coat the grill pan with more cooking spray and place peaches cut-side down. Grill about 3 minutes, rotating 90 degrees halfway through if you want cross-hatch marks.
- Remove peaches, cut into 1-inch cubes, and place in a bowl with any juices. Add the remaining teaspoon of spice mixture, remaining lime juice, honey, salt and pepper, then stir in cilantro, olive oil and sliced scallions. Mix well to combine.
- Slice each chicken breast across the grain into ½-inch slices. Serve each portion with about ½ cup of peach salsa and lime wedges.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 299Saturated Fat: 1.6gCholesterol: 94mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gProtein: 36g
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Recipe and nutrition information courtesy of Cooking Light.
