Baked Maple Chicken With Wild Rice And Bartlett Pears

By cecelia26_

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup brown and wild rice mix
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 organic Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat with 2 teaspoons olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bake 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and brush with maple syrup.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 35 minutes. Stir in pears, thyme and remaining salt and continue to cook 10 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Serve rice with chicken.