Chicken Ragout

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My first dish for this month is a healthy chicken dish due to my new dietary restriction to help lower my uric acid level. Frying is definitely out of the question for me right now so it is either roasted, steamed or poached meat. I'm also down to two meat choices, fish and chicken. Being careful to not choose a vegetable ingredient that is high in uric acid, I found this recipe in my Good Housekeeping cookbook and it seemed healthy enough and had the right ingredients that will be good for me and for anyone else for that matter. I'm glad my local store had zucchini at the moment and I did not have to substitute this rather hard to find vegetable in my neck of the woods.

Chicken Ragout - Adapted*

3 lbs chicken pieces
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini, diced to 1-inch cube
2 medium carrots, diced to 1-inch cube
1 28-oz canned whole tomatoes
2 cups broth
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Heat the oil in a large deep pan over medium high heat. Add the onions 
    and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes or 
    until softened. 

2. Add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Allow to brown 
    slightly on all sides. Sprinkle with the dried herbs. 

3. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add to the chicken along with 
    the liquid in the can. Add the broth as well and bring to a boil. Once 
    boiling, lower the heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. 

4. Add the carrots and zucchini and cook uncovered until the vegetables are 
    soft but not mushy and the sauce has thickened.

5. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve garnished with basil or 
    parsley  leaves. 

*Good Housekeeping Step by Step Main Dishes, Westmoreland, S.: Editor, Hearst Books, New York:1997.