The food feature on the health page of the Feb. 8 Lakeville Journal shares the good news that grapes and grape juice offer a host of health benefits, including protection from cancer and heart disease. Concord grapes, with their intense coloring and rich flavor, are the grape motherlode (look for a recipe for Concord Grape Sorbet in the paper) but regular grapes have benefits as well.

This recipe is adapted from Rozanne Gold’s “Low Carb 1-2-3”. You can use seedless table grapes, though the dish will be more flavorful if you can find the darker, seeded version.

Chicken breasts with slow-roasted grapes
Serves four

1 pound seedless dark red grapes
(or, half pound grapes and about one cup Concord grape juice)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Remove the grapes from their stems. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place half the grapes on the sheet. Bake for 1-1/2 hours, shaking the pan frequently. Remove from the oven and set aside.
If you plan to make your own grape juice, puree the remaining, uncooked grapes in a blender until they are smooth. Strain into a bowl through a coarse-mesh sieve, pressing down hard on the skins. Discard the skins (and seeds, if there are any) and set the juice aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden, about five minutes per side.
Add the grape juice, and cook until the chicken is done and just firm to the touch and the sauce is a dark mahogany color, about five minutes. Do not overcook the breasts. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a serving platter.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and cook with the pan juices over high heat for one minute. Add the oven-dried grapes and cook, stirring, for one minute longer. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.