Braised Chicken with Whole Grain Mustard and Apples

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, bone-in, skinned and fat trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups apple juice

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 pieces

½ cup low sodium chicken stock or water, divided

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

4 cups brown rice pilaf, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate over night.

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the chicken, lightly brown the chicken. Transfer chicken pieces to a slow cooker and repeat with remaining pieces. Place the legs and thighs on the bottom, breast meat on top.

Deglaze pan with apple juice, breaking up any cooked on bits and reduce liquid by half. Pour reduction over chicken in crockpot.

Add remaining olive oil to pan and saute apples until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup chicken stock or water. Stir in whole grain mustard. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper then pour over the chicken in the crockpot. Cook on Low heat. Remove the chicken breasts after 1 hour if they are cooked, and let the legs continue to cook until fork-tender, about 1 more hour. When the chicken is tender, degrease the sauce; stir in parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Serve over brown rice pilaf.

Serves eight.

Cook’s notes: You can prepare using chicken thighs only, just be sure to trim excess fat. To thicken the sauce after the chicken is cooked, place it in a sauce pan and reduce until flavorful and desired consistency.

Nutrition values per serving: 340 calories, 7 g fat, 48 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 21 g protein, 55 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium.

“The New Sonoma Diet” by Connie Guttersen (2011 Sterling Publishing Company)