Rainy Day “Comfort Food”-Chicken With Spicy Tomato Sauce, Kale Salad and Garlic Green Beans

A rainy day Sunday in Los Angeles definitely means I am going to be cooking something. Not only am I in the mood for something warm but I really do love making a big meal on Sundays. That way I don’t have to scramble for lunch the first few days of the week because I will have leftovers from a meal like this.

Making food from scratch doesn’t have to be tough. This recipe has very few ingredients and the ingredients it does use are simple. You could also technically use fish instead of chicken if you wanted.

Fun Fact-There are tons of vitamins and minerals in this delicious and healthy dish. The tomatoes have vitamin A, C, lycopene and beta-carotene, among other vitamins, that are more readily absorbed when cooked healthy fats like the avocado oil used below. One cup of kale is equivalent to nearly 20% of the daily recommended dietary fiber intake and also contains powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that can cause oxidative stress.

Broiled Chicken With Spicy Tomato Sauce, Kale Salad and Garlic Green Beans

In a bowl, combine:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (organic preferred)

1/4 tsp.sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

In another bowl, toss together:

3-4 cups of lacinato kale, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 and 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot, bring to a boil:

3 quarts of water, and once the water is boiling, add 1 lb of fresh green beans, trimmed

When the green beans are al dente (just slightly cooked), drain and toss them with

While the green beans cook:

Preheat the oven to BROIL and line a baking pan with foil.

Place the chicken breasts that have been soaking in the lemon juice and spices onto the foil and broil for 12-15 minutes.

When the green beans are al dente (just slightly cooked), drain and toss them with:

2 chopped garlic cloves

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

a dash of sea salt and lemon pepper

While the chicken cooks:

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and coat with non-stick pan spray, add:

2 tbsp. oil of choice ( I used avocado oil)

3/4 cup yellow onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, diced

When the onions are soft (about 2 minutes), add:

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

4 roma tomatoes, diced

2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Simmer the tomatoes until they begin to soften. Serve the tomato mixture over the chicken with the sides of the green beans and kale salad.