5 Easy Dinners

#1 / Skillet Chicken Thighs with Kale & Capers

- Julia Levy,Morgan Hunt Ward

ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 40 MINUTES SERVES 4

✓ Gluten-Free ✓ Dairy-Free

4 large (about 2 lb. total) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided

1 cup white long-grain rice, rinsed

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish

1 12-oz. bunch curly kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 12 cups)

1 medium leek, thinly sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 2 Tbsp.)

⅓ cup chicken broth

1½ Tbsp. drained nonpareil capers

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and 1¼ teaspoons salt. Arrange skin side down in a dry cast-iron skillet. Cook over medium, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Flip chicken; cook until lightly browned on bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

MEANWHILE, bring 1½ cups water, rice, and ¾ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Add mint and fluff rice.

WHEN chicken is on plate, heat skillet over medium-high. Add kale, leek, garlic, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until kale is bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth. Nestle chicken thighs, skin side up, into mixture in skillet.

TRANSFER skillet to oven and bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thighs reads 170°F, 8 to 10 minutes.

STIR capers into kale mixture. Serve chicken and kale mixture over rice. Garnish with mint.

PER SERVING: 626 Calories, 33g Fat (9g Saturated), 189mg Cholesterol, 4g Fiber, 37g Protein, 43g Carbs, 984mg Sodium, 0g Added Sugar