Boring chicken? Not anymore!

So I was at the grocery today, a wonderful cut of pork in hand.  There is nothing wrong with pork, we enjoy eating it regularly.  Pork tenderloin is also a lean cut of meat, a great addition to a healthy diet.  I, on the other hand was not looking at tenderloin.  I was looking at a cut of meat where I could see the fat throughout the meat, that fat that makes it so juicy and flavorful.  I then had to make a choice, cook pork and have Paul and I eating leftovers of that for the week, or cut calories and go with chicken for the next couple days.  Because I have been going with pork more often lately, I felt the need for some more lean eating.  I had to go with chicken.  I was, however, not willing to give up on the flavor.  Which is why I made this!

Chicken with an Israeli spice rub, polenta, and green beans.  I will post a polenta recipe tomorrow, but it is the spice rub I wanted to share with you today.  The rub I cannot completely take credit for, I got most of it from Rachael Ray.  I changed it a little to fit my tastes and the current contents of my spice cabinet, but the original idea came from her.  I wanted to share it with you anyway, because it is just so good! 

It's spicy!  I'll say that up front.  But it's not just hot, its also very flavorful.  It's a little smoky, a little exotic tasting, and a lot of spicy.  And it makes for chicken that is nowhere near boring.  So if you are tired of cooking chicken that is getting bland, or looking for a lighter substitute like I was, this is really worth a try!

Mix a batch of this rub, and you can keep it in your spice cabinet to put on chicken at a moments notice.  I think it would also go great with turkey or pork if you wanted, or even beef I suppose.  You can easily double or triple the recipe, its just the proportions that matter.


Israeli Spice Rub

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

This is great for chicken on the grill, or cooked in a skillet.  I prefer chicken thighs for cooking like this, because they stay moist.  I use chicken breasts more for braising.

About 170 calories per chicken thigh when cooked in skillet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil per thigh