Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Kale (baked, using chicken legs and thighs)

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH KALE
"Being able to pop this whole skillet creation into the oven makes this dish convenient to cook and easy to serve."



"Serve Skillet Chicken with Kale with warm, crusty whole-grain rolls or bread to soak up the delicious vegetable sauce."

2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil, divided use
4 chicken legs (about 1 lb.), skinless
4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb.), skinless
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 (16 oz.) package pre-cut fresh kale, divided use
1/2 tsp. salt, divided use
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, plus 1/2 tsp.
1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 3/4 to 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown, 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add remaining oil and saute garlic 30 seconds. Add half the kale and half the salt and saute about 2 minutes until kale is wilted, stirring constantly. Add remaining kale and salt and cook about 2 minutes until kale is wilted, stirring constantly. Add a few grinds of fresh pepper and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.

Arrange chicken over kale. Spoon broth over chicken. Season chicken with a few more grinds of pepper and remaining Italian seasoning.

Cover and bake 55 minutes. (If not using ovenproof skillet, transfer kale mixture to casserole dish, top with chicken, add seasonings, cover and bake.)

TO SERVE:
In four wide soup or pasta bowls divide kale and top with chicken. If you prefer less broth, save leftover broth for another soup or stew.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 345 calories, 16 g total fat (3 g saturated fat),
19 g carbohydrate, 33 g protein, 3.5 g dietary fiber, 464 mg sodium.

ABOUT KALE:
Kale was the most widely eaten green vegetable in Europe until the Middle Ages; then cabbage usurped it. Kale was so commonly consumed in nineteenth century Scotland that kail was used as a term for "dinner." In fact, when someone is too sick to eat, they are said to be "off one's kail." Today, this cruciferous vegetable is one of the most popular greens in the United States because it is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients such as isothiocyanates and flavonoids that lower cancer risk.

Kale is more than just healthy; it is also delicious with a slightly sweet-bitter flavor. Kale combined with tomatoes, garlic and Italian seasoning flavors otherwise plain-tasting chicken with Mediterranean cuisine qualities - aromatic, rich and earthy.

Source: American Institute for Cancer Research