Chicken Toscana ... with White Beans, and over Salad

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I love to use fresh herbs in the summer, because I have so many of them in my garden.

This recipe has been in my files for a long time, and I've finally gotten around to making it.

The recipe called for pan-searing marinated raw chicken cubes and serving them over white beans. Sounded good, so I wanted to try it.

But I also love hot, grilled meat over tossed salads.

So, with 2 of the four chicken breasts I had, I followed the recipe (sort of) using one can of cannellini beans. I also substituted parsley for tarragon (yuck!) and added a little thyme and sage.

I pounded the other 2 breasts and kept them whole.

Marinated all the chicken together, putting them in a covered casserole overnight.

The next evening, I cooked up the chunks in a pan (could have used more browning) and completed the recipe as written, just using one can of cannellini beans. Set it aside to have another night.

Then I grilled the two whole breasts. After resting, cut them up and served them hot, over a tossed salad.

The marinade is WONDERFUL! I can't choose which I liked better!

Lee

Chicken Toscana with White Beans

Delicate chicken soaks in the flavor of fresh puréed aromatic herbs, which releases intense flavor and aroma when sautéed. Pull the tender herb leaves from the oregano, tarragon, basil, and rosemary stalks before pureeing. The natural starch of the white beans will lightly thicken the sauce. This dish can be enjoyed hot from the pan, at room temperature or chilled the day after cooking. It also makes a flavorful sandwich filling stuffed into a loaf of semolina bread and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons cup lemon juice
4 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
4 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves
4 sprigs fresh basil leaves
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked white cannellini beans
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Method

To prepare the marinade, in the bowl of a food processor or blender, place olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, leaves of oregano, tarragon, basil, parsley, rosemary, and pepper. Blend all ingredients well until a smooth bright green paste is formed. You may add a few spoonfuls of water to help this process if mixture looks too thick. You may also make marinade using an immersion blender.

Marinate cubed chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

Heat olive oil in a large pan over moderate heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add cubed chicken, and allow to brown lightly without stirring initially. Begin turning chicken after 3 minutes, and add onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add beans and continue to cook for 2 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through and a light sauce forms around chicken pieces. Season with the salt and pepper



Marinated whole chicken breasts (on bottom) and chunks

Chicken toscana 1, marinated whole breasts and chunks.JPG

Chicken Toscana with White Beans

Chicken toscana 2, plated.JPG

Grilled whole breasts

Grilled marinated chicken breasts.JPG

Hot grilled chicken over salad

Grilled marinated chicken breast salad.JPG
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Both look great! For a long, long time I wouldn't eat beans at all. Now I love cannellinis.
 
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