Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

I dont know about you, but these cold winter days make me crave warm, hearty food.

Okay, so its 70 degrees here (one perk about living in the desert), but just watching the news of all the havoc the weather is wreaking in the South makes me crave warm, hearty food.

Also, I love anything with Tabasco.

I came across this recipe during one of my late night Pinterest trolling sessions, and it intrigued me. Tabasco? Chickpeas? Kale? Either it would be a success of epic proportions, or it would be a complete, albeit healthy, disaster. Either way, you only live once.

I absolutely adore food blogs and Pinterest recipes. The only problem is that I never know if the recipe is going to work in the “real” world, or if its going to fall flat without Photoshop and 10 thousand kitchen tools that no one actually has.

The good news is, this recipe delivered (plus some). I have nothing fancy in my kitchen, and I cook on a strict budget. We are a one income family, so there is no room for waste, or for 25 ingredient dinners. Not only is this recipe incredibly easy, it was also an out of the park hit with the family.

Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale 
(adapted from Foodie Crush, orginal recipe can be found here.)

Ingredients:
(I have listed what I used, for a pantry and budget friendly dinner. You will find a slight alteration from the original)

1 lb chicken thighs, skin removed

salt and pepper

1 tsp onion powder

2 x 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 x 15 oz can of garbanzo beans

2 cups chopped kale

1 tbsp Tabasco

½ cup water

1. Most people use oil to cook their chicken thighs, so here is where I should tell you to season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until just done over oil. I actually go old school (and save some calories in the process) and boil my chicken thighs until the meat is loosening off the bone. Boiled chicken isn't for everyone, but I much prefer the tenderness that it creates in the meat.

2. Remove the thighs from the water, sprinkle with salt and pepper OR if you used the oil method, set them aside. 

3. In a large skillet or pot, combine the tomatoes, beans, kale, Tabasco, and water. Add onion powder (you can certainly use fresh onion, but it tends to throw my boys off of a good meal because they don't love it). Stir so that everything is distributed evenly. 

4. Add the chicken thighs to the mixture. Make sure they are set deep (not floating on top).

5. Simmer over a medium heat (depending on your stove, we cook on a gas range). Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the ingredients are cooked to your liking. A simmer lets the flavor distribute nicely, but you don't want it hot enough to scorch. 

6. Scoop and serve! I served over a scoop of brown rice, but really anything would do - noodles, a steamed veggie medley … or even just as is.

I cannot tell you how amazing this dish is. I scoffed at the recipe because it didn't have a ton of spices in it, but that Tabasco lights it up. Its not overly spicy, but it does have a kick, so be cautious if you're serving to little ones.

My husband asked for seconds … and then asked when we could eat it again. This is going into the file labeled "Pinterest recipes that actually work". 

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