Tomato Braised Chicken with Kale

When I got back from New Hampshire, I had NO food in my apartment.  I ate terribly the whole time I was home, so I knew I had to make something a little healthier for a change.

Even though I know it's a healthy protein, I rarely buy chicken breast because it is so expensive, but I found a small pack of Purdue chicken breasts and had a $0.75 off coupon (which my grocery store doubles!) so I managed to make it affordable.  I also already had asiago cheese from making my favorite shredded sprouts salad - I really need to share that one on here - so this recipe seemed a natural to make.

I did manage to fill my apartment with smoke while browning the chicken.  I recommend chopping the onions and kale etc ahead of time so that you can keep an eye on the chicken and not do what I did.

This was a great recipe overall.  I was trying to cut down on carbs, but I think it would be really good served over brown rice or quinoa.  I really kicked up the spice with the red pepper flakes... as I usually do... and I really enjoyed it.  Kale has a little bit of a funny taste, so I might try it with a different green next time.

Tomato Braised Chicken with Kale

from my kitchen addiction(Serves 2 - 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
• 2 thin slices prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake (for a less spicy sauce, just use a pinch)
• 8 ounces fresh kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pound out the chicken until it is flat and about 1/2 inch in thickness.  Top each piece of chicken with half of the shredded cheese and a slice of prosciutto.  Roll up the chicken and secure it with a toothpick or two.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.  Sear the chicken on each side in the oil, then transfer to a plate and reserve for later.

Add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and red pepper to the pan.  Saute until the onion is translucent and tender, about 4 – 5 minutes.  Gradually stir in the kale and wilt it down into the onions and garlic.
Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the two pieces of chicken down into the sauce and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.  Bake until the chicken is cooked through (I recommend a meat thermometer here – 165°F in the center), about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for a few minutes and adjust the seasonings on the sauce.

After about 5 minutes, remove the toothpicks from the chicken, and slice across the pieces of chicken to make small spirals. Serve the chicken and sauce together with pasta or rice.