Skillet Chicken & Vegetable Stew

So, Ben made this for himself for dinner the other night and I brought the leftovers with me to work today for lunch. It was Ah. Maze. Ing. Truly. I liked it so much that I called him after lunch and begged him to make it for me for dinner tonight. I made sure I watched him make it so I can make it for myself someday...you know, in case he gets turned into a vampire or is eaten by bigfoot or something.

Anyway. When I asked what he needed me to pick up from the store, he said that the beauty of the dish is that it uses whatever you've got in the fridge (Sweet! A way to use up the hodge-podge of veggies we have in the fridge!). And to pick up chicken breasts. Ben actually called it an Appalachian-style bergoux (bourgoux? bergoux? bergout?), but no matter how I spelled it, I couldn't find the term anywhere online. He said he heard it on a cooking show to refer to a type of stew, but I'm thinking he made it up to make his creation sound fancy. ;)

For now (at home), I'll just call it Ben's Skillet Deliciousness.

A few notes before we get started: Ben used what we already had in the fridge, so feel free to switch out the veggies for something you already have/like better. We used parsley tonight, but decided that it we wanted to try it with kale next time. (The parsley was good, but I just thought kale made more sense. And I like it more.) Also, Ben used a new seasoning that a friend had given him to try: Todd's Bayou Dirt. Ultimately, I think that's what made the meal so incredibly amazing, so I highly recommend picking some up or using something very similar!


Skillet Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Ingredients
1/8 c olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
5 large mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
1 c chopped red cabbage
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chopped fresh kale or parsley (not Italian parsley!)
1 mini-bottle of white wine (187ml or approx 3/4 cup -- we used a chardonnay)
3/4 cup tomato juice (approximately)
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Todd's Bayou Dirt

Rub Todd's Dirt seasoning on the chicken (both sides) approximately 30-60minutes before cooking. Set aside at room temperature.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and sear (approx 2-3 min each side). Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add shallots and garlic to skillet and saute until onions are clear, stirring consistently to prevent them from burning. Add red peppers, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp (approx 1-2 min). Add remaining vegetables (except for parsley) until the cauliflower starts to soften and brown (4-5 min). Stir occasionally.

So pretty!

Add white wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 3-4 minutes. Add parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Return chicken to the skillet (nestled into the veggies) and put the skillet into the oven. Cook, uncovered, 25-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.




I served myself about 4.5 ounces of chicken and 4.5 ounces of vegetables, then took a tablespoon or two of the liquid and poured it over the top. Beautiful, hearty, and delicious! And, if you just go by the chicken and veggies, it's only about 160-180 calories for that amount! Add a slice of bread (I used Sara Lee Delightful, only 45 calories) and butter (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, 0 calories) and you have a very hearty and yummy dinner for under 300 calories. Ah. Maze. Ing. And as I mentioned before, it is also really good as leftovers, so I will probably be bringing this to work with me again tomorrow. Ben did good on this one!