I love the fall – this is no secret; but… as the cooler months creep our way I’m always in search of healthy yet hearty recipes that satisfy the yearning for cozy dishes. And this, my friends, does exactly that. It truly is healthy – yet still has that gratifying richness we languish for in the wintry months. And given today’s rainy, windy and cool weather, this dish really hit home. And by home I mean I’m almost too full from over-indulging. Yes, that feels like home for me. Okay, this is getting weird – I’m all for moving on.
Now, I have to admit: I’m not totally sold on whether this actually constitutes a ‘ragout’. Yes, I went so far as to google it. And it swears it’s a stew. And though this isn’t actually a stew, I figured ragout was more fitting than sauce (I mean, c’mon – a spinach and white bean sauce? I’d rather not.). It’s probably the closest thing I can get to a sauce without it actually being considered a sauce. And in my book – that’s A okay by me. Because anything striving to serve as a sauce in my condiment-obsessed world has two thumbs up. Even more so because it’s actually delicious and so satisfying. And easy! I can’t believe I forgot to mention that little morsel of good news. So yes – what I’m trying to say is you should add this to your weeknight dinner rotation because it’s silly easy and equally as scrumptious. Well, enough banter on what it is or isn’t – let’s dig in and I’ll let you be the judge (just kidding.. I’m telling you right now: it’s very, very yummy)!
Herb-Spiced Chicken with a Spinach, Thyme and White Bean Ragout (Yield 4-6 servings):
- 4 large chicken breasts, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite poultry seasoning (we used Weber’s Roasted Garlic & Herb)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 16 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 16 oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 10 oz. baby spinach
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Okie doke, my sweet artichokes. Let’s start by preheating the broiler to 500 degrees (or you can grill the chicken – but the weather today wasn’t quite cooperating for said activity). Then, clean the chicken and slice in half lengthwise. Season with your favorite poultry seasoning – again, we used Weber’s roasted garlic & herb and it was dee-lish). Lay the seasoned chicken flat on a baking sheet lined with tin foil.
Next, let’s dice our onion, mince the garlic and chop our thyme.
Then, in a large saute pan, add your butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once nice and hot, add the onion, garlic and thyme stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. [At this point the oven should be preheated and I’d place the chicken on the top rack and broil for 4-6 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.]
Once the onion begins to caramelize, deglaze the plan with 1 cup of chicken broth. Then, add your beans to the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Slowly begin to mash the beans (you can use a potato masher or the bottom of a spatula). As the beans heat through they will be easier to mash. I like to leave about a quarter of the beans whole for texture – add remaining chicken broth in small increments to keep the ragout moist as necessary. The bean mixture can dry out quickly. Next, add the spinach letting it wilt – it should take 5 minutes or so.
Finally, mix in the crushed red pepper – and by now, the chicken should be finished and you’re ready to enjoy – well, almost.
The two next steps are critical: top with parmesan cheese (trust me on this one, I mean critical) and pour yourself a glass of wine. Now, you can actually enjoy!
Cheers!
________________________________________________________
Herb-Spiced Chicken with a Spinach, Thyme and White Bean Ragout (Yield 4-6 servings):
- 4 large chicken breasts, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite poultry seasoning (we used Weber’s Roasted Garlic & Herb)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 16 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 16 oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 10 oz. baby spinach
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Okie doke, my sweet artichokes. Let’s start by preheating the broiler to 500 degrees (or you can grill the chicken – but the weather today wasn’t quite cooperating for said activity). Then, clean the chicken and slice in half lengthwise. Season with your favorite poultry seasoning – again, we used Weber’s roasted garlic & herb and it was dee-lish). Lay the seasoned chicken flat on a baking sheet lined with tin foil.
Next, let’s dice our onion, mince the garlic and chop our thyme. Then, in a large saute pan, add your butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once nice and hot, add the onion, garlic and thyme stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. [At this point the oven should be preheated and I’d place the chicken on the top rack and broil for 4-6 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.] Once the onion begins to caramelize, deglaze the plan with 1 cup of chicken broth. Then, add your beans to the pan. Slowly begin to mash the beans (you can use a potato masher or the bottom of a spatula). As the beans heat through they will be easier to mash. I like to leave about a quarter of the beans whole for texture – add remaining chicken broth in small increments to keep the ragout moist as necessary. The bean mixture can dry out quickly. Next, add the spinach letting it wilt – it should take 5 minutes or so. Finally, mix in the crushed red pepper – and by now, the chicken should be finished and you’re ready to enjoy – well, almost. The two next steps are critical: top with parmesan cheese (trust me on this one, I mean critical) and pour yourself a glass of wine. Now, you can actually enjoy!
Cheers!
