Chicken with Mushrooms, Arugula, Roasted Peppers & White Wine

A winter confined to collard greens and kale at the farmers market has found this vegivore overwhelmed with spring's abundant offerings. As I filled my bag with as many bunches of spring greens one can carry, I asked myself, how can I incorporate all these vegetables into a weeks worth of cooking?

I decided to be adventurous and add some extra veggies into recipes where they are traditionally scant.  An unfinished bottle of white wine in the fridge led me to search for chicken with mushrooms and white wine recipes, to which I added a heaping portion of arugula and roasted red pepper. The result: Chicken with Mushrooms, Arugula, Roasted Peppers & White Wine. You'll never be satisfied with the traditional version again!

Chicken with Mushrooms, Arugula, Roasted Peppers & White Wine
original recipe link from Bon Appetit May 1996 issue
yield: serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin
• All purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups arugula, loosely packed
• 1 1/2 cups canned roasted red peppers, sliced
• 4 large shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried

• 1 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine

My substitutions: I used skinless chicken breast, whole wheat flour, halved the vegetable oil (of which I used EVOO), traded shallots for scallions, and stuck with fresh thyme for herbs.


Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add mushrooms, arugula, red pepper, shallots and herbs to skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are cooked through and juices are reduced to glaze, about 12 minutes.

Add broth and wine to skillet. Boil until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and liquid thickens to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken, vegetables and sauce to plates.

Optional: Season with hot red pepper flakes. This dish would also taste great tossed with pasta, pine nuts, and grated Parmesan.