Balsamic Chicken with White Beans and Wilted Spinach

Yay, back to blogging, back to cooking more too!!  This was something "different" for us, but everyone liked it.  Isaac was gobbling up the onions in the beans/greens like nobody's business.  I actually cooked the chicken in a grill pan rather than just a skillet and gave it a more grilled flavor.  We will def be making this again.

Recipe from Rachel Ray Express Lane Cooking cookbook.













Balsamic Chicken with White Beans and Wilted Spinach
 



2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
4 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, a palmful
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (eyeball it)
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup white wine (eyeball it)
2 cups chicken stock
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
1 12-ounce sack baby spinach or 3/4 pound from the bulk bins, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of generous handfuls, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, and the grill seasoning. Coat the chicken breasts in the mixture, and set aside to marinate while you start the white beans and wilted spinach.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the the pan. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes [I add a little extra to make it a little bit spicy], salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a little brown, 3 to 4 minutes. [Takes more like 7-8 on my stove.] Add the white wine and chicken stock, bring up to a bubble, and cook for 5 minutes.

Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest a few minutes.

Add the cannellini beans to the skillet with the onions and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach, parsley,and lemon juice. Toss and stir until the spinach wilts.

To serve, place a portion of the white beans and wilted spinach on each serving plate. Thickly slice each chicken breast on an angle and arrange over the beans and spinach.