Italian Chicken Stew



So last night, Michael was out late with a work commitment & normally, I just skip dinner or eat cereal, but since I've been trying to eat healthier since the New Year, I thought I'd try a recipe for a chicken stew.  Two of my main concerns when making a meal are 1) will the picky eaters in my family eat it & 2) How many ingredients do I need?

 

 

One of the problems I have is that my loving, wonderful husband does not like a lot of vegetables, making it more difficult to find a healthy soup that we can enjoy.  He will however, eat black beans, spinach, & tomatoes--as long as they are diced very finely or sauce. So anytime I find a recipe that satisfies those requirements, I give it a try.

 

I found this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma catalog & made it in my new Lodge brand cast iron Dutch oven.  I am totally loving this Dutch oven--it was a Christmas gift from Michael's folks, thanks guys!  It will brown a roast like magic & has a great coating that allows you to develop flavors for one pot meals without the mess :)

I would say if I made this again for non-picky eaters, I might consider adding mushrooms &/or kale, maybe even zucchini, all of these would work nicely with the rich, yet not overpowering sauce for the stew.

 

I did add/substitute a few ingredients, as noted below in recipe, but that is just me trying to play chef, you do as you wish & Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Stew--adapted from Williams-Sonoma

1 large onion--I substituted 2 shallots
5-7 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken cut into small pieces--I used 2 large chicken breasts
4 C low sodium chicken broth
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes in sauce (I used 1 6 oz can tomato paste)
1/2 tsp. cumin
*1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (totally added this in for myself, not in original)*
1 tablespoon rosemary, dried, 2 tablespoons if using fresh
1/2 C red wine
*I added 1 chicken bullion cube, I feel like recipe needed a little extra something*
1 15 oz can black beans
2 bags baby spinach or one of those big boxes from Sams
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta shells, cooked until al dente, but not overly soft, as they will cook more in soup
Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Heat olive oil over med/high heat & sweat onion & garlic, add chicken to pot & cook through (be careful not to burn garlic), then add all other ingredients except spinach.  Cook for 20 min on med heat until sauce begins to thicken a little & flavors have developed. Finally, add spinach & stir to incorporate.  Serve with a little parmesan cheese on top.  Enjoy!

P.S.  Ella gobbled up 2 helpings & Michael is having some for lunch today, hope he likes it also, I thought it was great :)  Jessica, well, she lives on fruit & hot dogs, so she didn't eat it, despite my best efforts.