Roasted Chicken Thighs with Blistered Mushroom and Kale Pasta

As someone who loves the NYC restaurant scene, I am a big fan of date night out exploring either some of the new “must go” spots or returning to some of our favorite local places. However, almost as often, I crave a date night in. There is something about actually putting in the time and effort to make a meal for the person you love and then enjoying it in the comfort of your own home (and the comfort of leggings and a sweatshirt, but that’s another conversation). Joe and I just recently celebrated our eleven-year anniversary of which Joe continuously reminded me that “this really isn’t our anniversary anymore”. I understand that, going forward, we will now celebrate our wedding anniversary, but this day will always have a special place in my heart. So, in the compromise of still celebrating while not making it a big deal, a date night in was established and a more elaborate than usual weeknight menu was prepared. One of Joe and my favorite meals to make is a deliciously juicy crispy chicken thigh. I mean, is there anything better than the perfectly crisped chicken skin? The answer is no. To serve alongside these beauties I decided to create a veggie packed pasta that would use majority of the juice from cooking the chicken as it’s sauce. The smartest idea I’ve had all year? Quite possibly.  Date night or not, this dinner is a hit!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Chicken thighs – bone in skin on (4)

• Oyster mushrooms (2 cups)

• Kale (2 leaves)

• Brown rice pasta (1/2 pack)

• Ghee

• Olive oil

• Avocado oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Directions:

1. Pat dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper

2. On a hot cast-iron skillet, place 2 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt

3. Once the skillet is extremely hot and the ghee is melted, place the chicken thighs on skin side down; there should be a nice searing sound

4. On medium heat, allow the chicken’s skin to crisp without flipping (very important) for ~7-10 minutes

5. Check to make sure the skin is nice and browned and crispy and then flip the chicken thighs

6. Cook on the other side for an additional ~10 minutes

7. Place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking the chicken thighs for an additional ~10 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees

8. While the chicken is cooking, chop the oyster mushrooms and kale into ¼ inch pieces

9. Heat a different skillet and then add avocado oil once hot

10. Place the oyster mushrooms on the skillet and season with salt and pepper

11. Sautee the mushrooms for ~10 minutes, or until they are cooked through and crisped, and then add the kale for an additional 1-2 minutes of sautéing and then set aside

12. While the vegetables are cooking, make your pasta

13. Remove the chicken from the oven and place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes

14. Save that skillet with all of the chicken juice and place it on low-medium heat

15. Place the pasta and the sautéed mushrooms and kale on that skillet and toss around for a few minutes until all of the juices are absorbed

16. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and toss with some additional olive oil

17. Serve the pasta alongside the chicken and enjoy hot

Allergen Information:

• Gluten Free

• Soy Free

• Dairy Free