Verbalized: Life + Food + Travel

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 Chicken breasts
• About 24 thin slices of pancetta
• 6 cups of kale
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium-sized butternut squash
• 3 honeycrisp, royal gala, or other firm red apples, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then lay it cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until cooked through. This should take around 45 minutes, give or take, depending on the size of the squash. Allow the roasted squash to cool, then cut into 1-inch cubes (discarding the peel).
2. Wrap each chicken breast in several strips of pancetta, making sure each strip begins and ends on the bottom of the chicken breast to prevent them from unwrapping while cooking. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet (the pancetta will release fat as it cooks, and you don’t want this dripping all over your oven and burning), then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. While the chicken is baking, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, then the apples. Sauté until softened but not mushy (about 8 minutes), then add the balsamic vinegar and continue to sauté until the vinegar has reduced slightly and is coating the apples. Remove the apples from the pan and set aside.
4. Add more oil to the pan, then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the kale and sauté until wilted. Add the chopped squash and apple, the walnut pieces, and sprinkle with salt and (liberal amounts of) freshly cracked black pepper, then toss until combined.
5. Serve the chicken overtop of the sautéed vegetables, then finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.