Over the years, Brion and I have made a couple of trips to Italy. On one such occasion our travels took us through the region known as Tuscany, where the past and present seem to merge in pleasant harmony. Famous for it’s bean production, cannellini (white kidney beans) are the most popular and are simply referred to as ‘fagioli’. Of course, white beans are cultivated in other areas of the country, but Tuscany seems to be their rightful home.
These large, creamy white beans have spread from the kitchens of Tuscany to become a favorite among the Italian people. Mild in flavor, they have a relatively thin skin and a traditional kidney shape. The beans are difficult to harvest when ripe, therefore are harvested in the fall when the pod is completely dry. As a result, they are rarely eaten fresh. Cannellini beans are available both dried and in canned form.
I started making this recipe for CHICKEN FAGIOLI STEW one winter and it’s continued to remain a favorite of ours.
While in the Tuscany region we visited the historic city of Florence. Being the home of renaissance art, perfect Italian gardens and magnificent sights, we came home with a lot of wonderful photos and memories. I hope you enjoy seeing some of them included in this post.
Servings |
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- 340 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1/8 cup Kraft Sun-dried Tomato & Oregano dressing
- 1 medium onion,chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup EACH celery & carrot cut into 1/4" pieces
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1" cubes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp fresh basil 'paste' This is in a tube in the fresh vegetable area at the grocery store
- 4 pieces sun-dried tomatoes softened in boiling water for 10 minutes, finely chopped
- 540 ml cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained & rinsed
Ingredients
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- Cut chicken thighs into quarters; combine with dressing in a small bowl. Marinate while preparing vegetables.
- In a medium skillet, saute onion & garlic for 2 minutes. Add chicken with dressing; saute another 5 minutes.
- Add celery, carrot, potato, broth, basil & tomato. Reduce heat; simmer, covered for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in drained cannellini beans & simmer gently until beans are heated. Serve