Chicken and Rice with a Kick!

Chicken and Rice - with a kick!

The heat is balanced by the briny olives and the sweet raisins.

Prep: 25 minutes; Total: 45 minutes

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 pounds) Ground cloves

1 1/2 cups diced seeded red bell peppers 1 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted imported green olives 4 small bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) or 1 small serrano chile, chopped 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained 2 to 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth Preparation Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly with ground cloves. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add bell peppers, onion, raisins, olives, bay leaves, garlic, and chili paste to skillet. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Press chicken into rice. Add 2 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 20 minutes. Nutritional Information

Per serving: 574calories, 18g fat, 2g saturated, 47mg cholesterol, 570mg sodium, 70g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 25g protein