Healthy Recipe, Creamy Paprika Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes
It’s not often that you find a recipe that’s rich-tasting yet light on the fat content, layered with complex flavor yet calls for only a few everyday spices, and can be made start to finish in one skillet. This dish checks all those boxes. It’s bright and colorful and, other than slicing an onion, requires no knifework. And the only accompaniment you’ll need is some kind of starch: bread, rice, or any kind of pasta. It’s adapted from “The ‘I Don’t Want to Cook’ Book” by Alyssa Brantley, whose popular blog, EverydayMaven.com, focuses on healthy whole foods low on maintenance and high on flavor. Serves 4. REC— Susan Puckett
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
· ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
· ½ teaspoon garlic powder
· ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
· 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 ¼ pounds total)
· 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral-tasting cooking oil
· 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
· 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
· 4 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
· 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, shaken before opening
· 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked according to package directions, optional
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, if using.
2. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and toss with the spice mixture until the pieces are evenly coated.
3. Place the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat. When shimmering, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and let cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
4. Flip the chicken pieces and let cook 5 minutes longer.
5. Add the tomatoes and onion slices, toss to coat, and continue cooking 5 minutes more, smashing the tomatoes with a spatula as they soften so that they burst and release their juices.
6. Add the spinach and coconut milk and mix well so that the spinach wilts, and the sauce coats everything. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes longer, or until the sauce thickens.
7. Remove from the heat and spoon over the noodles, if using.
Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.
