Maple-Brined Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

As a rule, I do not like to eat grilled chicken breasts.  I think they are the most boring and unimaginative protein to prepare and the taste is consistently underwhelming.  This dish breaks that rule.  With a little advanced prep, this dish can be prepared in fifteen minutes and results in the best chicken breast I've had in years, a tasty and healthy side dish, and a cranberry chutney that gives the whole thing a little zing.

The first secret to this dish is the brine. This technique ensures that the entire breast is infused with flavor and still moist after grilling.  We brined the chicken breasts for two hours and then let them rest for another few hours before lightly seasoning them and firing up the grill.  You could leave them in the solution for up to four hours to give the chicken even more taste, but any longer might make the meat too salty.

The second secret is using a package mix for the wild rice.  If we were preparing this for company, we would of done it the old-fashioned way with natural ingredients, but tonight we were looking for a fast, low-key meal.  Brown and Wild Rice would normally take about forty-five minutes to prepare; this was ready in about five.  I don't feel too bad about our shortcut, because we used fresh ingredients for both the chutney and the wild rice mix.

(Cuisine Lite, pp 20-21.)

For the Chicken:

• 12 C Water
• 1 C Maple Syrup
• 1/2 C Kosher Salt
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 3-6 Chicken Breasts
• Black Pepper, ground

1. Pour 6 cups boiling water into a large bucket.  Add Maple Syrup, Salt, and Brown Sugar, and stir until dissolved.  Add 6 cups cold water, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, and Cinnamon Stick.  Chill thoroughly, add Chicken Breasts, and store in refrigerator.
2. After waiting 2-4 hours, discard brine and rest Chicken in refrigerator another 1-2 hours.
3. Season breasts with Black Pepper and grill 3-4 minutes per side.  Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

For the Chutney:

• 1 C Cranberry Juice Cocktail
• 1 C Cranberries (frozen or fresh)
• 2/3 C Dried Apricots, sliced
• 1/3 C Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1. Simmer all ingredients in a small saucepan until mixture is syrupy.  Allow to cool before serving.

For the Wild Rice Pilaf:

• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 C Onion, diced
• 1 C Carrot, diced
• 1 C Green Beans, 1/2" pieces
• 1/4 C Water
• 8.5 oz Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley, cooked
• 1 Tbsp (fresh) or 1 tsp (dried) Thyme

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Saute Garlic in Oil in saucepan over medium-high heat, about 1 minute.
3. Add Onions, Carrot, and Green Beans to pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add Water and Thyme to pan, cover and reduce heat for 5 minutes.
5. Uncover and stir in rice.