The Perpetual Feast

When you are eating low fat, you wind up eating a lot of chicken breasts. It’s inevitable.  Fortunately, chicken breasts are rather “neutral” and can be made in a lot of interesting ways, from breaded chicken fingers to curries. But I am always looking for something new to do with them so I don’t get bored. This is a very tasty way to make chicken that is a little different. The sauce is rather brothy, so much so that I plan to experiment with the recipe to create a soup. I had a bit of trouble finding escarole – maybe because it is winter. You could probably use another kind of greens, but escarole has the right crunch. The original recipe was from Eating Well, and I reduced the amount of olive oil to lower the fat a bit. It reheated well for lunch, but I’m not sure it would freeze well because the greens might lose their texture, which is a big part of the charm of the dish.  I served it with a nice crusty bread.  Warning – this is VERY garlicky – which I loved, and was one of the real attractions of the stew.  But if you’re not a garlic fan, you might try to reduce the garlic by half. Don’t eliminate it though. Garlic is one of the  flavors that make this stew special.
Dijon Chicken Stew
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried (I don’t like rosemary – I used marjoram and I think you could use which ever herb is your favorite.)
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
8 cups chopped escarole (1 medium head)
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Whisk water, mustard and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and rosemary (or other herb); cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is almost evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add chicken, escarole and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch mixture and add to the pot. Bring the stew to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.  Makes 4 servings @ 3.5 grams of fat/serving.