This is not like the robust beef stew I associate with winter. It is lighter with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms in a thick tomato sauce to which I added, at the end, some lemon juice and it really popped the flavor. I served it with smashed potatoes to soak up the juices (just press down on the new potatoes until they pop and flatten a bit).
1 tbsp. olive oil seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion – finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic – grated
2 chicken breasts – cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp. double concentrated tomato paste
1 cup passata (strained tomatoes)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil – drained and cut into small pieces
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms – cleaned and cut into quarters
10 oz. baby spinach
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Heat the seasoned oil in a cast iron casserole dish and when really hot add the chicken pieces and sear and brown on all sides. Remove from pan, put on a plate and set aside.
Place the onion in the pan and let brown and soften a bit, then add the garlic and stir.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir with a spatula to get the lovely brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the passata.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and baby spinach, bring to a boil then turn down heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Pour in the lemon juice, stir and serve
