Balsamic Chicken with Kale

Kale is such a versatile green. I use it in my green smoothies, in autumn soups, and sauteed with olive oil and garlic as a side dish.

{photo taken at night with bad lighting... sorry}

When I told Ryan we were having kale and chicken for dinner, he replied with "what did I do wrong?" Funny thing is that he enjoyed the dinner and have made this multiple times since then. Chicken with kale is a great light dish with a balanced flavor. You could serve this with a fresh salad if you like.

Balsamic Chicken with Kale

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound of chicken breast (about 4 halved breasts)

8-10 ounces kale (can use a mixture of spinach, swiss chard, and kale)

2 TBS balsamic vinegar, use high quality

1/2 cup chicken broth

a pinch or two of red pepper flakes

1 can diced tomatoes with juice (I used Muir Glen roasted tomatoes)

2 cups grain (can use whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan and cook through, this took about 5-7 minutes (depending on your thickness of your chicken breasts). When cooked through, set aside.

Cook your grain of choice according to the package. I love the Israeli Couscous or brown rice with this dish, but you could really use anything, or nothing at all and make it lower on the carbohydrate side.

Add the 10 ounces of kale (or greens mixture) to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted, then set this aside also.

Add the 3 minced garlic cloves to the pan and saute until the "garlic speaks". Then, stir in the chicken broth (1/2 cup) and balsamic vinegar (2 Tablespoons), which will allow you to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add in the can of diced, roasted tomatoes. Season with the red pepper flakes (couple of pinches) and simmer for 4 minutes, then add the chicken back to the pan, nestling it in to re-warm the chicken. Remember not to cook the chicken here, as it should already be cooked through.

To plate your dinner, place your grain on the bottom, then the kale or greens mixture, then the chicken with tomatoes on top. You could also add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, although I don't think that it is necessary (I say this because Ryan wanted some parmesan on top!)