Beer Glazed Orange Chicken with Avocado Citrus Greens

I almost doubled this recipe. Well, I did, sort of. I doubled the sauce ingredients intending to cook 2 packages of chicken, but then I realized my cast iron skillet would be too crowded. So I made double the sauce with a regular amount of chicken. This was good and bad. I was happy for the extra sauce, because it was fan-tastic. The bad news? The chicken was awesome and we ate the whole pan. No leftovers. The remedy for this problem would have been to brown the chicken in two batches and then put it all in the skillet before it hit the oven. DUH. Being too lazy for an extra ten minutes of work cost me another meal of this delicious dish. I know. Cry me a river, right? We all have our problems, and a lack of leftovers is one of mine. I will be making this meal regularly from here on out. It's good stuff. And don't worry--it doesn't taste like beer. But it does leave you with a half a beer you will have no choice but to drink. TGIF, people.

Beer Glazed Orange Chicken with Avocado Citrus Greens

-adapted from howsweeteats.com (I took some liberties with the salad...added avocado, used baby kale instead of arugula because arugula is gross, used different nuts, messed with the sauce proportions)

Chicken:

• 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (this is the doubled amount I should have used)
• 1 cup of beer (use a light or a wheat variety. This isn't the place for your leftover Guiness)
• 6 T orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t. orange zest (zest the oranges before you juice)
• salt/pepper to taste
• 2 T oil (they suggest olive, but I think that would scorch in the cast iron, so I used canola)

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix 1/2 cup beer, orange juice, zest, marmalade, and garlic in a small sauce pan. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Stir frequently and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, in a large cast iron (or other oven proof skillet) heat the oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden. Be patient and wait to flip until the chicken releases from the pan easily (3-4 minutes per side). After it is seared on both sides, add the remaining 1/2 cup of beer to the pan and scrape up the browned bits well with a wooden spoon. Pour the glaze mixture into the pan, turn off the heat, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, spooning the glaze over the chicken every 5 minutes. Serve alongside salad.

Salad:

• 6 cups baby kale (or spinach, or mixed greens, or arugula if you like that nasty stuff)-
• 1 orange, clementine, or tangerine, peeled and segmented
• 1/4 red onion sliced thin
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (or whatever kind of nut you like)
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 T freshly squeezed OJ
• 2 t. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper

Whisk olive oil, OJ, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small dish. Toss half the dressing with the greens, then add in nuts, avocado, orange, and red onion. Add additional dressing if needed.