One of the most appealing things about this dish -- aside from its heartiness and flavor profile -- is that some of its main ingredients are items I tend to keep stocked in the pantry or freezer.
Chicken breasts, jarred artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, canned beans, onions and chicken broth can almost always be found in my kitchen. They are the backbone of many off-the-cuff recipes. (A trip to the store was in order for the fennel and parsley.)
The recipe is from The Newlywed Cookbook: Cooking Happily Ever After by Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore. Unlike many of the newlywed cookbooks I've seen, this one actually includes a variety of recipes that make just two servings-- in addition to the requisite four and six serving dishes.
Winter Chicken, Artichoke and Fennel Cassoulet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, bone-in or boneless
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed and quartered
1/2 medium sweet onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 (16-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down (if using bone-in chicken), and cook 5 minutes or until well browned. Turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Add the fennel and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in the broth, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet. Pour in the artichoke hearts and beans. Cover, transfer to oven, and bake until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 20 minutes for boneless breasts or 30 minutes for bone-in breasts. Remove from oven; let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 01/14/2015