Indian Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

This recipe was adapted from a Bon Appetit magazine recipe. It came out a-maz-ing!!! It was so delicious! And not like, this-is-so-good-because-I-haven't-eaten-since-8AM-good, but truly delectable. I'm on a no carb kick so no side dishes for me, but I was filled. I'll probably buy some cauliflower for roasting as a side dish for the leftovers; seems fitting. If you'd like something else try rice, white or brown, or quinoa. Lentils would be an excellent substitute for chickpeas, as well. So here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

4-6 chicken quarter legs
Kosher salt
Coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger
2 teaspoons ground curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2-3 cups of kale, washed and torn
1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

PREPARATION

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 325°. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the chicken, reducing heat as needed to prevent over-browning, until golden brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add butter and onions to drippings in pot. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and 2 cups broth. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise chicken until fork-tender, 45-60 minutes.

Using tongs and a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add kale to pot, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand until kale is tender.

Stir yogurt or sour cream into cooking liquid. Return chicken to pot. Simmer over low heat (do not boil).

Plate and serve with cilantro.

Day Four: Restaurant Quality

My all time favorite restaurant soup is Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden. I order it every time I go. I've always wanted to make it at home but I also know that it's high in calories! Over 700 per serving to be exact; yikes! I found this recipe and modified it to cut the calories.

Ingredients:

Servings:
4-6

1 lb Italian chicken or turkey sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup skim milk w/ cornstarch to thicken if desired

Directions:

1 Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
2 Brown sausage in your soup pot then remove.
3 Add onion and saute until tender.
4 Add garlic.
5 Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
6 Add potatoes
7 Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
8 Return sausage to pot.
9 Simmer for another 10 minutes.
10 Turn to low heat.
11 Add kale and cream.
12 Heat through and serve.


Read more at: http://restaurant.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-copycat-zuppa-toscana-38298?oc=linkback