Cassie’s Ruminations

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Stew

This incredibly tasty meal was a result of me looking into the fridge, grabbing a bunch of things, thinking vaguely about bruschetta chicken and my Italian vegetable saute and the fact that bacon improves just about everything, and ended up with this great stew-like concoction.

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Stew
Serves 2 generously

2 thick slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, about 1 lb
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove garlic, pressed
3 medium Italian summer squash (similar to zucchini, but lighter and stripey), sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 15-oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 15-oz can great northern or cannellini beans, drained
3 stems fresh oregano
1 stem fresh basil
kosher salt and black pepper

Crisp up the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s nice and brown, remove it from the skillet, leaving as much of the rendered fat as possible. Add the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the chicken thighs, season with salt and pepper, and brown well on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Scoot the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the summer squash, tomatoes, and beans, and season again lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and steam the squash for about 10 minutes, or until tender and just starting to turn a bit translucent. Remove the pan from the heat. Tear the leaves from the oregano and basil in small pieces and stir into the mix. Serve warm.