7 Days of the Food Network: Day 4, Nigella Lawson

J:  Nigella Lawson is, quite simply, a goddess of the kitchen.  Some of the chefs I chose for this feature were ones I didn’t know a lot about, but I knew right from the outset that Nigella (along with the three remaining chefs; you’ll see who they are in the coming days!) would have a recipe included here.  It was difficult to choose just one, but I picked this one, chicken with chorizo, kale, and cannellini beans, because it is (relatively) healthy, and pretty darn easy to throw together.  And it was just so pretty!

Nigella Lawson’s Chicken with Chorizo and Cannellini
(original recipe here)
2 c chicken stock
1 chicken breast, cut into 4-6 single-serving pieces
1/2 – 3/4 c kale, roughly chopped
1-2 tsp olive oil
4 oz chorizo, sliced into rounds and then quartered/chopped
1 14oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Smoked paprika, for garnishing
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start off by doing all your prep work.  As you can see, I just quartered the chorizo, but if you prefer you can chop it roughly instead.  While you are cutting things up, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium-sized pot.

When the stock is boiling gently, lower in the chicken pieces.  Let them cook for about 10 minutes, or until done.  If you slice into them you shouldn’t be able to see any pink.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Reduce it to a simmer, and cook the kale for just 3-5 minutes.  You want it to turn bright green.

When it’s done, drain and set aside.

Heat up the olive oil in a large sauté pan, and add the chorizo.  Cook for a few minutes, and then throw in the cannellini beans and cook until they are thoroughly heated up.  If you need to, add a little bit of the chicken stock to the pan to keep things from drying out.

To serve, spoon beans and chorizo into a bowl, and top with the kale.  Place one of the chicken pieces on the kale bed and sprinkle with smoked paprika.  Season with salt and pepper, if you wish, and enjoy!