Hello barbeque!  Barbeque sauce is another one of my food loves.  I could practically spoon-feed the stuff… even today.  However, as with many things that I used to eat without thinking, I can’t help but feel disappointed when I flip over the bottle and read the ingredients.  I will probably never avoid anything covered in barbeque sauce… jarred or homemade… even if it may have hidden syrups or sugars.  I will however, try to encounter them less frequently.  One easy way?  Avoid fast food, restaurants, and the enticing barbeque sauce section of the grocery store.  I have happily tasted many delicious sauces in my adventures in Paleo that don’t make me crave even the most tempting of old barbeque sauce favorites.  Frankly, I don’t even usually desire sweetness with spice and heat.  The chipotle peppers in abobo sauce do a phenomenal job of balancing the pomegranate juice.  And after you stop putting ketchup and barbeque sauce on everything, when you go back to revisit it… trust me, it will most likely taste too sweet (ESPECIALLY ketchup)!  Again, I still enjoy those condiments on occasion.  The beauty is, moderation is the key to food and body bliss (unless of course you have food allergies).  There is no better feeling though than when your husband (or ANYONE) would rather eat a home cooked meal over takeout or fast food.  Hopefully this recipe will give you that good old barbeque feeling, without missing anything.

Note for Paleo enthusiasts: you can do a number of delicious sides with this dish.  Cauliflower Rice would certainly be a quick and easy accompaniment that would enjoy soaking in the drizzled sauce.  When I discovered the recipe, it was shown with quinoa and peas.  I made it that way once, but I think you could achieve that quinoa and peas mix with cauliflower rice and peas.  The quinoa was boiled in chicken broth, so the cauliflower and peas could be salted with touch of chicken broth.  Really, any greens or squash would be a yummy side, or why not toss on top of a leafy salad?

Another note: I doubled the ingredients for the chipotle sauce, it just takes twice as long for the sauce to reduce.

Ingredients

• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
• 1 tbs minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• Optional side: Frozen organic peas with cauliflower rice (or quinoa)

Instructions

• 1. Rinse chicken, pat dry, and cut into small pieces (if desired)
• 2. Heat coconut oil in nonstick skillet on medium/medium-high heat (depending on your stove)
• 3. Add chicken in skillet and brown on both sides
• 4. Reduce heat and cover skillet and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
• 5. In a small saucepan, mix pomegranate juice, chilis, chili powder, cumin, mustard powder
• 6. Simmer uncovered until sauce reduces about 10 minutes
• 7. Add sauce to chicken, simmer for another few minutes to incorporate flavors
• 8. Serve chicken with butternut squash, cauliflower rice and peas, or quinoa and peas
• 9. Enjoy!