Ancho Chile-Glazed Chicken

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Remove and discard the kale stems; finely chop the leaves. Using a peeler, remove the green rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter the lime. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems.

In a medium pot, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

While the rice cooks, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add ½ cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale has wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of 2 lime wedges. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

While the rice continues to cook, pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes on the first side, or until browned. Flip the chicken.

To the pan, add the honey (kneading the package before opening), lime zest, 1/4 cup of water, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, occasionally spooning the glaze over the chicken, 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is coated and cooked through. Turn off the heat.

To the pot of cooked rice, add the cooked kale and cilantro; stir to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished rice between 2 dishes. Top with the finished chicken and glaze. Garnish the chicken with the green tops of the scallions. Serve with the remaining lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!