Braised Chicken and Greens With Cheese Grits

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Prepare the grits: In a medium lidded saucepan, bring 4 cups water and the salt to a boil over high. Add grits to the boiling water and whisk continuously until grits thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and let grits cook until they are creamy with no trace of grittiness, 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter and Parmesan; season to taste with salt.

2. Step 2

   While the grits cook, prepare the chicken: In a large bowl, combine chicken, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, crushed red pepper, black pepper and, if using half of the Vegeta seasoning; mix to combine.

3. Step 3

   Warm up oil in a large lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add the onion and cook until softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Add tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and, if using, the remaining Vegeta seasoning to the skillet. Stir, and then cover, cooking until the tomatoes have broken down, about 10 minutes.

5. Step 5

   Add the chard and butter to the chicken mixture, cover and cook until the chard has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Serve chicken and greens over the grits. (Any leftover grits and chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for two days.)