Chicken & Molasses Sauce

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel the sweet potato; halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces.Cut off and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops.

In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the Brussels sprouts; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 of the garlic and 1/4 of the butter; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts have softened and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

While the Brussels sprouts cook, add the sweet potato to the pot of boiling water. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the remaining butter. Using a fork, mash the mixture to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken, skin sides down, and cook 6 to 8 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is golden brown. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.

To the pan of reserved fond, add the white bottoms of the scallions and remaining garlic; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the vinegar, molasses, ketchup and 2 tablespoons of water (be careful, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Add the cooked chicken. Cook, occasionally spooning the sauce over the chicken, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly coated. Turn off the heat; season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the mashed sweet potato, cooked Brussels sprouts and finished chicken and sauce between 2 dishes. Garnish the chicken and sweet potato with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!