In this easy one-pot dinner recipe, chicken fillets are cooked on the oven with smoky bacon and lima beans, for a dish that is quick and filling. The tomato-based sauce is seasoned with sage, a herb which is often neglected in favor of the more common thyme and oregano, but which adds a distinctive flavor to this dish.
Lima Beans
This recipe calls for lima beans. The name is thought to come from the fact that the beans are native to Peru. They are usually white in color, although they can also be green, and have a rich, creamy flavor. This could explain why they are also known as butter beans in the southern United States and some European countries.
Lima beans are relatively widely available, particularly in health-food shops, and are sold dried or precooked. Lima beans are poisonous if eaten raw. So if using dried lima beans, they should be soaked overnight in water and cooked for at least an hour until soft all the way through (follow the directions on the packaging). The advantage of using precooked lima beans, as suggested in this recipe, is that the cooking time is significantly reduced and it is not necessary to plan ahead.
Good Source of Fiber
In addition to their rich taste, lima beans are also high in fiber and potassium and low in fat and sodium.
Recipe for Chicken with Lima Beans
Serves 4.
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 chicken fillets
- 2 oz / 50 g of thick, smoked bacon cut into cubes
- 3 small onions, peeled and cut into rings
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 medium tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1 level teaspoon dried sage
- 1 lb / 400 g tin of cooked lima beans, rinsed and drained
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat.
- Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown on both sides, about five to six minutes.
- Add the bacon, onion rings and garlic and fry for a further three minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, dried sage and lima beans. Reduce the heat, put the lid on the saucepan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes have formed a sauce, about 10 minutes.
Serve with a green salad, or for a very substantial meal, with boiled rice or pasta.
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