Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t turmeric
1 t ground garlic
1/4 t ground pepper
Salt to taste (optional)
1 1/2 lb medium red potatoes, leave the skin on, clean, and slice into large chunks
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, cut into chunks
1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed, dried, and sliced into 1 inch pieces
6 oz kale, stems removed, leaves torn
6 large bone-in chicken thighs
1 T Seasoning Blend, see Spoon Mage™ Note
1/2 t smoky paprika

Spoon Mage™ Note:

To prepare kale, rinse and pat dry. Then firmly grasp the thick stem with one hand and the base of the leaves with the other. Pull upward with the hand holding the leaves. This will strip the stem of the leaves. It’s a great time saving technique that gets easier with practice.

Or, for even easier prep, kale comes in nice handy bags all washed and pre-torn.

For this dish, I used a peppery seasoning blend that is marketed by a Houston restaurant called Peli Peli.

Chef Paul makes a number of seasoning blends that truly are Magic. Chicken Magic would be superb in this dish, but all of the flavor blends are good. I keep several on hand.

Tony Chachere’s seasoning blends have a terrific peppery Louisiana kick!

For those that prefer salt-free meals, use your favorite Mrs. Dash blend.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F and spray a very large rectangular baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, blend the olive oil, vinegar, turmeric, garlic, and black pepper. Add a pinch of salt if you like.

In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, onion, red pepper, and mushrooms. Toss with about 1/2 of the seasoned olive oil.

Spread the veggies into the baking dish.

Add the kale to the bowl and drizzle with the remaining seasoned olive oil. Use your hands to massage the oil all over the crinkly kale.

Spread the kale on top of the veggies. Yes, the dish is looking pretty full right now. It’s ok. All the veggies will shrink down quite a bit.

There is no need to rinse the chicken. That just puts bacteria in your sink. The heat in the oven will kill any bacteria.

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and place on a clean plate. In a small bowl, combine the seasoning blend and paprika.

Arrange the chicken on top of the kale. Scoot the kale to one side a bit so the chicken nestles down into the dish. This allows more kale to get more of that delicious crispy kale action going on.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture and paprika evenly on top of each chicken piece.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover and roast another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, check the temperature of the thighs with an instant read thermometer. The thighs should be at 165°F.

For the juiciest chicken, let the dish sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. The rest allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout each thigh.

Enjoy with family and friends.