Chicken Cassoulet

This all in one meal is very versatile as you can change the flavours by varying the ingredients. It is one of those recipes to keep in your repertoire, be it for a casual family meal, something to make in advance and heat up or to add some special ingredients to make this meal a star.

olive oil
1T butter
1 large onion finely chopped
1t finely chopped garlic
2 large carrots peeled and sliced
4 large tomatoes peeled and diced
1 cup peas
2T tomato paste
2 tins barlotti beans
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup good quality vegetable stock
5 pieces of chicken
2 bay leaves
1T dried oregano
2 large sprigs lemon thyme
2T sugar
1T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter and brown the chicken. Remove and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a low heat until soft. Add the tomatoes and carrots.  Add the chicken, stock, wine, and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook covered for a further 20 minutes until  the peas, beans and chicken are cooked. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks, season and serve with mashed potato.

Variations
Use lamb and Moroccan spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon, add some dried apricots, replace the sugar with honey and serve with couscous and toasted almond flakes.
Add 1T freshly minced ginger when cooking the onions, use pork and dried sage, add some prunes and place sliced potatoes on top of the pot and bake instead of simmering on top of the stove.
Use whatever sausages you have in your freezer instead of the chicken and replace the fresh tomatoes with tinned ones for budget friendly meal.