Roasted Chicken and Romano Bean Stew

I love my one pot dishes. Ok, so technically, this is kinda two pots (or 1 skillet and 1 baking sheet if you're going to be picky), but I digress.  This dish is the complete package really (kinda like me!?- ha!)- you've got your protein in the form of chicken and beans providing lots of fibre to keep you feeling full and satiated, and it's jammed packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from the colourful veggies (to help keep you looking and feeling younger...although I'm not sure they're working for me yet.) Seriously though .... when will those antioxidants kick in??? Fortunately I am a patient person. While I wait, I'll keep on eating and enjoying every bite of it.

I love the colours of the yellow and orange peppers as well as the bright green chives. Feel free to substitute in other favourite beautiful veggies like carrots, or squash... whatever makes you happy. The cayenne pepper sprinkled over the chicken gives this dish an added kick of heat. Just the right amount of flavour to compliment the savoury bean and veggie portion of the dish. Food is not meant to just be about nourishing your body, although that's important too for obvious reasons, but I firmly believe it should about the full experience of enjoying a meal: you've got to enjoy the colours, the textures, the smells, the flavours to feel completely satisfied.  The complete package. Contained all in one pot. Or maybe two.

Cheers!

Roasted Chicken and Romano Bean Stew
from Chatelaine magazine February 2015

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks or skin-on, bone-in thighs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion (or 2 shallots), diced
227 g pkg cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 x 540 ml can of romano beans, drained and rinsed
garnish with parsley or chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add your chicken. Sprinkle with a 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Add some freshly ground pepper. Roast in centre of oven for 20-30 minutes (or until done.) Turn on broiler and brown the skin until it's golden brown and crispy, around 2-3 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, then the garlic, onion, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste. Add the chicken broth and beans.  Continue cooking until the veggies are tender but still crisp, about 15 minutes. Arrange chicken on top of the stew and garnish with the parsley or chives.