Chicken and Kale Saute With Pasta

Submitted by Suse40

"I turned a kale side dish into a main dish. You may get your family to eat kale after all. It looks pretty, too. You can add vegetables you have on hand, or what your family likes, and add as much heat as you like, too. I splashed it several times with a red wine, which made a fabulous aroma."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 8 cups
• Serves: 4-5

ingredients

• 3 -4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
• 2 tablespoons chicken rub mixed spice (I used McCormick, but you can experiment)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• splash red wine, if preferred
• 12 ounces kale leaves, coarsely chopped, stems removed (a large bag, like a gallon-size, I also added some chard from my garden)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 -4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced or julienned
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup green onion, green pepper, onion, jalapeno (depending on family preference, diced)
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning mix
• 2 tablespoons red wine, if desired
• 10 ounces whole wheat pasta shells (about 1/2 box) or 10 ounces rotini pasta (about 1/2 box)
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

directions

1. Place chicken cubes in a bowl or a plastic bag. Add chicken rub seasoning mix and shake or stir so that seasoning lightly coats pieces of chicken. (I cut the chicken while still pretty frozen, and the large cubes stayed nice and square for this step.)
2. Heat oil in large skillet, then brown ckicken cubes, turning occasionally until lightly browned on the outside and the pink is gone on the inside. Splash cubes with a bit of wine.
3. Remove chicken pieces to a plate or serving dish.
4. Boil water in large saucepan and cook pasta according to directions, Whole wheat pasta usually take 14-20 mins, so start this before you cook the vegetables.
5. Heat next 2 Tbsp of oil in skillet at medium-high setting.
6. Add garlic, kale, carrots and celery. Stir often, cooking for about 5-6 minutes. Check the carrots and the kale to make sure they are tender.
7. Add whatever peppers and onions you desire.
8. Add entire can of tomatoes and juice from the can, and another splash of red wine to the vegetables. Season to taste.
9. Add cooked chicken to the skillet.
10. Turn down heat to low, and put on the skillet lid and let vegetables continue to cook and flavors blend while pasta is finishing .
11. After 10 minutes, all the vegetables should be tender. Check seasoning. If the mixture is too "wet", take the lid off and heat on medium for a minute or two to reduce the liquid.
12. You can serve the chicken mixture on top of the pasta with the parmesan cheese, or you can drain the pasta, stir it into the chicken mixture, add the parmesan cheese and serve it in one platter.
13. Add a warm loaf of crusty bread, and the rest of the red wine, and you have yourself a real heart-healthy supper! Mangi bene!

Reviews

[Darkhunter]

Unfortunately, something was missing in this recipe, for us. It's a good basic dinner, and I love that it uses kale, which we could eat every other day! I'll definitely make this again and play with it, as all the components are things we love. Thnx for sharing, Suse40. Made for PAC Spring 2010. You've been adopted! http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=327498&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[bbanspach]

We loved this recipe. I just wish that it had more Kale. Next time I would add more. (maybe 16oz)<br/>I made my own spice rub mix.<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon ground black pepper<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon ground white pepper<br/>%u2022 2 tablespoons sucanat<br/>%u2022 dash cayenne pepper<br/>%u2022 2 tablespoon chili powder<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon ground cumin<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon garlic powder<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon ground oregano<br/>%u2022 2 tablespoon paprika (the sweet kind -- not the hot kind)<br/>%u2022 1 teaspoon dry mustard<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon celery seed<br/>%u2022 1 tablespoon salt

 

[nastyfrog99]

Loved it. High in nutrients and yet the kids loved it!

 

[Sakeenah]

I used this recipe as a general guide and did somethings different. First I used Red Wine Vinegar b/c I don't cook with alcohol, so I used just a small amount of that. I did not have any onions or peppers, so I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper while cooking. I had no tomatoes and skipped adding any more vinegar. Once the kale had wilted down I added lemon juice and some sesame seeds, this added some nice flavor to the kale. Everyone really liked it, thanks!