This new find from the October 2011 issue of Real Simple is easy to make, tasty and colourful. Just coat chicken pieces (I used skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs) in a brown sugar-soy-lime juice sauce and roast until done. Meanwhile, toss red cabbage, carrots, scallions, mint and ginger with a quick dressing. I omitted the carrots and the slaw was still very tasty. I served the chicken and slaw with roasted potatoes. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight supper.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe use tamari instead of soy sauce, which often contains MSG and sodium benzoate. Be sure to use fresh lime juice – concentrates include artificial ingredients.

Dissolve brown sugar in soy sauce and lime juice

Add chicken pieces, turn to coat with sauce and place skin-side down; turn once during cooking

Roast chicken until cooked through

Meanwhile, combine ingredients for red cabbage slaw

Lime and soy-glazed chicken with red cabbage slaw

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 ½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces

¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced (4 cups)

2 large carrots, coarsely grated

4 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

kosher salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400° F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice; add the chicken and turn to coat. Roast, skin-side down, until the sauce is simmering, about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and roast, basting occasionally, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions, and mint with the ginger, canola oil, sesame oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of lime juice, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken. Serves 4.

From the October 2011 issue of Real Simple