An earthy and savory recipe: chicken arrabbiata with shiitake and artichokes

Is your family tired of the same-old chicken main dishes? Shake up your dinner routine with this earthy, savory dish—exotic shiitake mushrooms add deep flavour and infuse the chicken with an earthy, rich taste you'll love.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

• 250 g (1 c) dried shiitake mushrooms
• 350 ml (1 1/2 c) boiling water
• 15 ml (3 tsp) olive oil, divided
• 1.1 kg (2 1/4 lb) skinless chicken drumsticks and thighs
• 30 ml (2 tbs) all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried rosemary, minced
• 3 ml (3/4 tsp) crushed red pepper flakes
• 350 ml (1 1/2 c) canned crushed tomatoes
• 250 g (8 oz) frozen artichoke hearts
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

1. In a small bowl, combine the shiitake mushrooms and boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes, or until softened. With your fingers, remove mushrooms from soaking liquid, reserving liquid. Trim any stems from mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Strain reserved liquid through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter. Set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 10 ml (two tsp) of the oil over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off the excess. Add chicken to pan, and sauté for three minutes per side (or until golden brown). Transfer chicken to a plate.
3. Add remaining five ml (one tsp) oil, the onion and garlic to pan. Cook for three minutes. Add mushrooms, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, or until slightly reduced.
4. Stir in tomatoes, artichokes and salt. Return to a boil. Return the chicken to pan and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

The large quantity of dried shiitake mushrooms provides lentinan, under review for its immune system-enhancing properties, and selenium, an antioxidant mineral thought to protect against Cancer.

• 345 calories
• 24 g carbohydrates
• 11 g fat, 2.4 g saturated fat
• 40 g protein
• 7.3 g fibre
• 139 mg cholesterol
• 619 mg sodium

Reach out of your comfort zone and discover new food to love—try delicious chicken arrabbiata with shiitake and artichokes at your next meal!