Eat your heart out, Simon and Garfunkel

As I was cooking the other day, and chopping up deliciously copious quantities of fresh herbs, it occurred to me that there was, on my chopping board, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Of course, that meant that I started humming Scarborough Fair to myself, and then couldn't stop. And now, writing about it, I can feel the section of my brain dedicated to long lost song tunes and lyrics (which is a large section, from what I can surmise) starting to kick into gear again. When you're wandering around the house, or trying to focus on who is trying to kill whom in the latest episode of Scandal, or trying to get to sleep, you can thank me profusely, as you gently hum.... all together now: "Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...."

Seriously, there is nothing I like more than dishes containing a large selection of fresh herbs, and this is no exception. It is the first recipe I have tried from Martha Stewart's new book "One Pot". Don't worry, I am not going to go all Martha and start converting the spare bedroom into a gift-wrapping area, or making crafty gifts from old toilet rolls. Neither will any part of my house EVER look like ANYTHING seen in the pages of any of her magazines, (particularly Real Simple... I mean honestly, who can keep that tidy???). However, her recipes do often hit that spot, and this one certainly did. It isn't one for a quick crikey-I've-only-got-twenty-minutes-to-get-dinner-on-the-table weeknight, but it is worth the additional effort for day when you have a bit more time. Whilst it does claim to be a one-pot meal, if I didn't offer my boys some form of carbohydrate (and breadcrumbs do NOT count), then they would claim imminent starvation), so I served this with some Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous), which I cooked, and then stirred in some shredded spinach, to up the veggie quotient.

Chicken, Sausage and White Bean Casserole
Serves 8

1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 TBSP + 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper
4 oz pancetta (or chopped bacon)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes (about 1 lb total)
1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, 1 TBSP each parsley and thyme, 1 tsp rosemary and 1/2 tsp sage, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a dutch oven, cook bacon/pancetta over medium heat with some oil spray until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to soak up some of fat.
4. Add chicken to pot and cook until browned (about 6 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break it up, until browned (about 5 minutes). Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
5. If you have a lot of fat in your dutch oven at this point, drain all of it except for about 2 TBSP. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in chicken, sausage, beans, tomatoes and broth, plus remaining 2 TBSP parsley, 1 tsp each rosemary and thyme and 1/2 tsp sage. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
7. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cover and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbling. Uncover and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle pancetta/bacon over the top and serve.